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Shrinkage is the loss in length divided by the length before washing: shrinkage % = (before − after) ÷ before × 100. A 350 mm marked distance that measures 339.5 mm after washing has shrunk 3%. To find the cut size, divide the target size by (1 − shrinkage): at 5% shrinkage, cut 105.26 cm to finish at 100 cm.
Written by Hakan Şahin Fact-checked by Gizem Polat
The tool does two jobs: it finds the shrinkage percentage from measurements before and after washing, and it calculates the cut (or marker) size, the shrinkage allowance, from a target size and a shrinkage rate. Measurements can be in millimeters, centimeters or inches.
To find the shrinkage from measurements
To find the cut size, choose “Cut size” and enter the target (finished) size and the shrinkage percentage; for a fabric that grows, enter a negative value. You can do the same for the width. The same formula applies to marker length.
Shrinkage percentage
ISO 5077 notation. The standard writes dimensional change as (final − original) ÷ original × 100, with shrinkage shown by a minus sign and growth by a plus sign (ISO 5077:2007, clauses 8.1 and 8.3). So the standard notation is the figure above with the opposite sign: 3% shrinkage is −3%. The tool shows both.
Area shrinkage (length and width together)
Cut size
The formula follows from the definition: the cut piece shrinks by the shrinkage rate, so cut size × (1 − shrinkage ÷ 100) must equal the target. For marker length, treat the result as approximate: as patterns grow the layout can change, so redraw the marker.
The tool's default values are a 350 mm marked distance in length that measures 339.5 mm after washing, and a 350 mm distance in width that measures 343 mm. The marking interval and specimen size are defined in ISO 3759; 350 mm is only an example here.
Cut size example. A piece that must finish at 100 cm is cut from a fabric with 5% length shrinkage:
With the same formula, a 70 cm target at 3% shrinkage is cut at 72.16 cm. If the fabric grows 2% in the wash (shrinkage −2%), a 100 cm target is cut at 98.04 cm. A 520 cm marker at 4% shrinkage comes to about 541.67 cm.
The table gives the cut factor for each shrinkage rate and the cut size of a piece with a 100 cm target by both methods. The gap to simple addition widens as shrinkage rises: about 0.01 cm at 1% shrinkage and about 1.64 cm at 12%.
| Shrinkage | Cut factor | Cut for a 100 cm target (cm) | Simple addition (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | 1.0101 | 101.01 | 101.00 |
| 2% | 1.0204 | 102.04 | 102.00 |
| 3% | 1.0309 | 103.09 | 103.00 |
| 4% | 1.0417 | 104.17 | 104.00 |
| 5% | 1.0526 | 105.26 | 105.00 |
| 6% | 1.0638 | 106.38 | 106.00 |
| 8% | 1.0870 | 108.70 | 108.00 |
| 10% | 1.1111 | 111.11 | 110.00 |
| 12% | 1.1364 | 113.64 | 112.00 |
Cotton Incorporated's technical bulletin on cotton fabrics (ISP 1009, 2004) describes the main factors:
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Fabric structure | Woven fabrics are far more stable than knits; cotton knits are sensitive to tension and processing conditions. |
| Knit structure and tightness | In textured knits such as piqué, length shrinkage is generally clearly higher than width shrinkage. A tighter knit shrinks less in length and more in width. |
| Finishing | Relaxation drying, compacting and chemical cross-linking can reduce residual shrinkage. |
| Drying method | Line or flat drying mainly shows the elastic shrinkage from relaxing production tensions; tumble drying brings out all the residual shrinkage. |
| Wash cycle | A single cycle can remove about 90% of the existing shrinkage; several may be needed for full relaxation. |
| Spreading and sewing | Spreading plies for cutting and handling pieces in sewing can increase shrinkage. |
The bulletin is about cotton: cellulosic fibers cannot be heat-set like thermoplastic synthetics, so shrinkage is controlled by mechanical or chemical means. The shrinkage of trims such as interlining and lining must also match the fabric (see the garment manufacturing process).
| Standard | What it sets |
|---|---|
| ISO 5077:2007 (European edition EN ISO 5077:2008) | Dimensional change in washing and drying: specimens are conditioned and measured, washed, dried, conditioned and measured again. Three specimens where possible; the mean change is rounded to the nearest 0.5%. It sets no acceptance limit. |
| ISO 3759:2011 | Selection, size, marking and measuring of specimens (ISO 5077 clause 6.1 refers to it). |
| ISO 6330:2021 | Domestic washing and drying procedures; the parties agree which one to use (ISO 5077 clause 7.2). |
| AATCC TM135 and TM150 | US methods for dimensional change after home laundering; TM135 covers fabrics, TM150 garments. |
Fabric and garment results may differ: ISO 5077 asks for the utmost care in interpreting results on materials that can deform, and Cotton Incorporated notes that shrinkage in a finished garment also depends on seam pucker, twist and drape. Wash and measure a pre-production (PP) sample as well. A test laboratory can run the test; write the wash program, drying method and number of cycles into the contract.
The shrinkage limit after washing is part of a fabric specification; see the T-shirt fabric types guide. For fabric with a shrinkage-control finish, see knitted fabric and woven fabric suppliers in Turkey; for the cutting and pattern side, see cutting and pattern making and sample room companies.
Subtract the after-wash measurement from the before-wash measurement, divide by the before-wash measurement and multiply by 100: shrinkage % = (before − after) ÷ before × 100. For example, a 350 mm marked distance that measures 339.5 mm after washing has shrunk 3%. Calculate length and width separately and, where possible, average more than one measurement for each direction.
Divide the target size by 1 minus the shrinkage rate: cut size = target ÷ (1 − shrinkage %/100). For a fabric that shrinks 5%, a piece that must finish at 100 cm is cut at 105.26 cm. Multiplying the target by 1.05 gives 105 cm and leaves the piece about 0.25 cm short after washing. Check which method your pattern software applies.
The fabric has grown instead of shrinking. On this page shrinkage is positive and growth negative: a 350 mm distance that measures 353.5 mm gives −1%. ISO 5077 writes the change as (final − original) ÷ original × 100, with shrinkage negative and growth positive, so 3% shrinkage is −3% in ISO notation. Check which notation a test report uses.
There is no general allowance or acceptance limit that fits every fabric. The allowance comes from the test result of the fabric itself, and the acceptance limit is written in the buyer's specification or the contract, because ISO 5077 is a test method and sets no limit. Cotton knits are far less stable than wovens (Cotton Incorporated, 2004). Agree the limit and the test conditions in writing before the order.
Under ISO 5077, specimens are conditioned and measured, washed and dried by one of the ISO 6330 procedures the parties agree on, then conditioned and measured again. Three specimens are used where possible, and one or two if there is not enough fabric. Specimen preparation and marking follow ISO 3759. Results are given as the mean for length and width, rounded to the nearest 0.5%.
Cotton Incorporated's technical bulletin says that woven cotton fabrics are far more stable than knits and that cotton knits are sensitive to tension and processing conditions. It also says that in textured knits such as piqué, length shrinkage is generally clearly higher than width shrinkage. Still, the value depends on finishing and structure, so have your own lot measured.
Written by
Garment Production Editor
Hakan Şahin is Tekstil Rehberi's garment production editor. He writes guides on production from the pattern room to shipment, patterns and marker making, quality control (AQL), sampling and costing, and compares process steps and quality criteria with the relevant standards and industry sources.
Content by Hakan ŞahinFact-checked by: Gizem Polat
This content was prepared by the Tekstil Rehberi editorial team. Before publication, our verification editor checked its figures, dates and sources against primary sources.
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Cotton is a cellulose-based natural plant fiber that surrounds the seeds of the cotton plant (Gossypium). It is a short-staple fiber, used in clothing and home textiles, pure or blended with fibers such as polyester. In Turkish it is called pamuk.
Viscose (rayon in US FTC rules) is a regenerated cellulose fiber, made by chemically dissolving cellulose and re-forming it into fiber. Like cotton it is cellulose-based, but it loses about half of its strength when wet.
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