What Is Garment Finishing?

Garment finishing is a series of chemical and mechanical treatments that enhance fabric’s aesthetics, handle, and functional properties. These finishes can be either wet or dry processes. Some common finishing treatments include: scouring with chemicals to remove impurities; shearing or singeing to smooth fabrics; and weighting silk by adding metallic salts. Stitching Stitching is the process where a fabric is fashioned into a finished garment using a variety of different sewing techniques. It is the most critical stage in garment production as it determines how the final product looks. It is also the stage where any additional embellishments can be applied, such as embroidery or screen printing. Embroidery is the most common and popular embellishment that is used to add a design to the garment. It can be done on a large scale using automated machines. It can also be performed by hand. The major functions of a finishing department include thread trimming, quality inspection and ironing. They also attach stickers and tags to the garments. They must be able to meet daily shipment targets and quickly balance the finishing line as needed. They should be able to detect and solve any problems with the work. They should also be able to fold and pack the garments correctly. Trimming Garment finishing is the last and final stage in the garments manufacturing department. Here the garments are finished with different chemicals to make it look better and feel soft and supple. It also helps to add water/ oil repellency, wrinkle free, moisture management, stain protection and durability. Fabrics undergo many preparatory treatments in order to be prepared for additional treatment, including bleaching to increase whiteness and prepare for dyeing; glazing to enhance appearance; sizing to change handle; and other treatments that add properties to improve performance such as sanforizing or preshrinking. Newly formed cloth is generally dirty, harsh and unattractive, and requires considerable skill for conversion into a desirable product. Scouring with detergents or alkaline solutions removes foreign matter; shearing smoothes the surface of woven cotton fabrics; raising lifts the surface fibers to impart hairiness and softness, such as in flannelette; mercerisation makes a woven cotton fabric stronger and more lustrous, with greater dye affinity; and peach finish subjects the cotton or silk fabric to emery wheels for velvet-like surface effect. Stains Garment finishing involves the use of chemical finishes to improve a fabric’s aesthetics, handle and functional properties. Finishes include softeners, soil-release finishes and UV protection. The latter keeps the garments from absorbing harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can burn a person’s skin. Employees performing quality assurance tasks are also on the lookout for cosmetic flaws and stains in the garments. Stains and spotting in fabrics are created by different factors, including the presence of grease, oil or chemicals, improper washing, excessive drying or heat exposure, and abrasion. Scouring with detergents or alkaline solutions removes foreign matter. Shearing or singeing smooths the fabric by removing protruding fibers on its surface. Bleaching woven fabrics removes their previous color to prepare them for dyeing. Other finishing processes such as heat setting reduces color fading and stabilizes the fabric’s strength. Dyeing woven fabrics gives them the desired color. Other treatments like scouring with enzymes, flame singing or bleaching prepare the fabric for the final color and processing steps. Pressing Pressing involves the use of heat, moisture and pressure using an iron to give garments and other fabrics a polished look. This is done on all the components of a garment as it is made up and also on the finished garment. It is very important to have an ideally set up pressing department as it requires the correct levels of heat, moisture and pressure to get good results. If these factors are not carefully controlled, a pressing machine can flatten curves on bias strips, stretch a neckline or ripple skirt hems. A proper pressing process will make a garment feel soft to the touch, and help it hold its shape. It can also include the application of soil-release finishes or finishes for ultraviolet protection. Lastly, it will involve finishing a garment by applying a hang tag and packing it to be sent to the buyer. This is one of the departments with huge improvement potential in all factories surveyed. apparel finishing