Pre-shrunk
Also known as: Preshrunk
Fabric whose shrinkage potential was released before making-up by wash, steam or Sanforising processes.
Description
Pre-shrunk is a collective term for fabrics whose residual shrinkage has been reduced before making-up so that finished garments hardly shrink further in the washing machine. On cotton woven fabrics this is done by sanforising, on cotton knitted fabrics by compactors, on denim often by rinsing or one-wash in the garment factory.
Sportswear brands advertise pre-shrunk because Sanforized is a protected trademark. Customers can expect residual shrinkage below three percent in warp and weft on pre-shrunk fabrics, which is tolerable for T-shirts, shirts and jeans.
On denim the distinction matters: raw denim is NOT pre-shrunk and will shrink 5-10 percent after the first wash, while one-wash denim has already been through that wash at the factory and is dimensionally stable. Denim enthusiasts distinguish these categories deliberately since raw denim develops a more personalised fit but requires careful sizing.
Properties
| Process | Sanforising, compacting, washing |
|---|---|
| Result | Residual shrinkage < 3 % |
| Colour fastness | Not affected |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Wikipedia: Preshrunk Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanforization
- Heddels: Raw vs One-Wash heddels.com https://www.heddels.com/2015/01/raw-vs-one-wash-denim/
