UNIT V

PRESSING
• Pressing operation plays a major part in creating finished
garments.
• The aesthetic appeal of the garment is increased with
pressing.
• In the garment manufacturing process, the fabric is
subjected to lot of stress during cutting, sewing process.
• Due to the processes, crease formation and crushing of
garments take place and it happens during handling and
transportation also.
• The look of a garment is increased manifold times due to
proper pressing of garments thereby attracting the public
to buy the garment.
• Garments are pressed to remove any creases, and present
the garment to the customer in attractive condition suitable for
sale.
• Garment presentation to the consumer is a vital step in the
finishing of a product.
• The opinion of the customer is an integral step in brand
recognition.
• Poorly presented product will have a detrimental effect on the
brand’s quality and therefore product sale ability.
• A badly creased garment will lower its retail value and thus the
manufacturer’s sale margin.
Motive of pressing
• Removal of all manufacturing creases and wrinkles
• Clarity of pleats if there are pleats present (such as in
skirts and trousers)
• Uniformity of collars and cuffs if present
• Stabilizing the garment, particularly in the case of wool
knitwear to retain the desired shape
• Relaxation of any stresses induced during garment
manufacture.
Classification of pressing:
The basic processes that are involved in pressing can be
divided into two groups:

Under pressing – It is the pressing operation performed

on garment components as they are made up.
Top pressing/Final pressing – This refers to the finishing
operation, which a garment undergoes after being
completely assembled.
Functions of pressing finishing:
• To remove the unwanted creases and crush marks
• To induce creases to the garment based on the design
requirement
• To enable the garment fit to the contour of the body
• To enable further sewing by preparing the garment for
next sewing Operation
• To finally finish the garment for packing
 Factors affecting pressing:
In order to achieve good pressing quality, there are four basic
parameters that need to be controlled to meet optimum
performance: heat, moisture, pressure and cooling with
vacuum.

Heat:
• Heat is required in most pressing operations to enable the
fibres to soften and thus stabilise the garment shape.
• Temperature selection is of utmost importance, as an incorrect
temperature setting can cause damage to fibres and yarns.
Moisture:
• Moisture is introduced by the use of steam.
• Steam at different pressures has different moisture contents;
the higher the steam pressure, the lower the moisture in the
steam.
• The presence of moisture is required to aid in fibre swelling
and thus shape stabilisation.
• Different fibres require different amounts of moisture.
• For example, natural fibres such as cotton and wool and
regenerated cellulose fibres such as bamboo viscose and
viscose rayon require the presence of moisture in the steam,
and therefore steaming tables are usually preferred.
• On the other hand, synthetic fibres require heat to promote
swelling and therefore relaxation of the structure.
• Excessive moisture may cause fabric shrinkage and colour
bleeding.
Pressure:
• Pressure is applied to the garment during pressing to give
good crease retention and permanency.
• Excessive pressure may result in garment or crease
distortion.

Vacuum:
• Vacuum is applied at the completion of the pressing
operation.
• This draws cool air through the garment, reducing the
garment temperature, lowering the moisture content and
increasing shape retention.
• Particularly important for garments made from wool and wool
blends, this also applies to cotton and viscose blends with
synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon.
• Drying –
• Subsequent to the steam and pressure application on the
fabric, the garment panel or finished garment must be
dried and cooled; thus, the fabric can return to its regular
moisture content and steady condition.
• This could be done by removing the surplus water from
the fabric by means of a vacuum action which cools it at
the same time.

5. Time – The time period for which the garment is

exposed to steam, pressure and drying depends on the
type of fabric being pressed and there will be an optimal
time period for each component.
Classification of garments based on pressing:
• The garments can be classified based on the amount of
pressing required.
• They can be classified as garments requiring no pressing,
minimal pressing required garments, garments requiring
use of an iron in under pressing and final pressing,
garments requiring extensive under pressing and final
pressing and garments requiring permanent press or
pleating.
Based on the above factors, garments are divided into various
classes according to the amount and kind of pressing required.
• Garments requiring minimal pressing – Single ply garments
such as slips, nightgowns, knitted synthetics and T-shirts.
• Garments requiring the use of an iron in under pressing and
final pressing – For the opening of seams and creasing of
edges and for pressing garments with gathers and fullness and
in situations where style change is frequent.
• Garments requiring extensive under pressing and final pressing
– Men’s jackets, trousers and waistcoats, women’s tailored
jackets, skirts, top coats. Style change in these garments is
infrequent.
• Garments requiring pleating or ‘permanent press’ finishing.
 Classification of pressing equipment:
• The pressing machines are classified in three major categories based on how the machines are pressed.
• 1. Solid Pressure Equipment (Pressing Equipment)
• Pressing irons
• Block presses
• Form presses
• Pleating presses
• Creasing machines: Edge folders

• 2. Moisture Pressure Equipment (Steaming and Wetting)

• Wetting tanks: London shrinkers and auxiliary equipment
• Sponging machines
• Steam guns and jets
• Steam chambers
• Autoclaves

• 3. Heat Energy Equipment (Heating and Baking)

• Thermoelectric machines
• Hot plates
• Casting equipment
• Dry heat ovens
 What is Fusing?
• Fusing process is one kinds of alternative method of fabric joining which is
widely used to attach the interlining.
• At present, apparel manufacturing cannot be imagined without fusing
process.
• In fusing process cut components or separate parts of a lay (blocks of
components) are fused with interlinings that are coated with thermoplastic
resin.
• Fusing certain components creates strength and stability and improves the
shape and crease resistance of a garment.
• Fusing of the components is usually performed in a cutting room as this
process must be performed after material cutting and before the final
operations in a cutting process (quality control, sorting and bundling of cut
components).
• Fusible interlining is the process where the wrong side of the fashion
garment panel is fused with a thermoplastic resin and can be bonded with
another strip of fabric by the proper application of pressure and heat at a
specific temperature and time.
• The fusible interlinings improve the appearance of finished garments
through:
 Purpose of Interlining
To make sewing easier and to increase throughput:
• Since the speed of sewing machines is very high, the material must be in
perfect structure and shape before sewing.
• Therefore, the operator efficiency could improve.
• It keeps its shape, therefore saving time and labour.

• Maintaining shape and improving appeal of the garment:

• The interlining fabric improves the garment appearance while preserving
the form of the garment.
• Enhance the look and durability of the garment shape.

• Making a functional, easy to wear product:

• By the use of a permanent press method, the sewing of garments becomes
easy and a good quality product is made, which is easy to care and easy to
wear.

• Stabilization and control of crucial regions of the garment.

• Strengthening of particular design features.
• Maintaining the crisp and fresh look of the base fabric.
Requirements of Fusing
• The laminate formed by the fusing process should
demonstrate the aesthetic properties necessary for the
finished garment.
• The bonding strength between the base fabric and
interlining fabric of the laminate should be satisfactory to
bear up handling during further processes in the
manufacturing sequence.
• Fusing should take place without either strike-through or
strikeback taking place.
• The fusing process should not cause thermal shrinkage in
the main fashion fabric after fusing.
Methods of Fusing:
• Reverse fusing – In this technique, the outer fabric is
placed on top of the fusibles.
• Sandwich fusing – This method could be carried out only
when the heat is applied from both top and bottom of the
fusibles like in a horizontal continuous press machine.
• Double fusing – In this method, two types of interlining
are fused to the outer fabric in a single process like fusing
of shirt collars and men’s jacket fronts.
 Quality Control of Fusing :
• Fusible interlinings are accurate products and it is important
that they are fused on the correct equipment under strict
control of parameters.

• Factors affecting fusing quality are

• Temperature
• Time
• Pressure
• Peel strength
• Dry-clean/wash
 Role of packing:
Protection:
The main function of packaging usually involves protecting the products from the any environmental hazards and
others. It helps to protect the goods from loss, damage and stealing. During transport, handling and storage
operations different types of protections are needed. They are two types like Physical and Barrier protection.
Physical: Physical protection from vibration, mechanical shock, electrostatic discharge compression, climatic
conditions, temperature etc..
Barrier: A barrier from humidity, precipitation and solar radiation, oxygen water vapor, dust, etc.,
Storage:
Packaging products must be stored in many different locations. So, to fill up this storage function all the packaging
materials and packaging containers are should be checked before packaging the product or garment.
Loading and transport:
During the loading and transportation time packaging product may be lifted, moved, set down and store in a
warehouse manually or mechanically. To complete this process easily, efficiently and safely the perfect external
shape and strength of the packages should be required.
Promotional function:
The packaging is the important promotional functions to attract the customer’s and buyers attention and to have a
positive impact upon the purchasing decision.
Sales:
It helps to promote the sales process and to make it more feasible.
Information transmission:
Packages and labels give the detail information about product like how to use, ingredients, transport, nature,
composition, weight, quantity, storage, recycle or dispose of the package or product.
Security:
Packaging can play an important role in reducing the security risks of shipment.
Packaging Quality Control
• Quality Control in Packaging always falls in two
categories:
• The first is the where size of the equipment is different for
each order, and the equipment manufacturer needs to
deliver drawings and other information to the packing
service company for construction.
• The second is where equipment is unique in size and not
depended on the order. In this case, the manufactures will
purchase cases or crates and normally do the packing
work with their own workers.
 Packaging Quality Control
• Correct packing style (i.e. case, crate, bundle)
• Correct thickness of sheathing (or outer plate)
• Correct application of bottom cleats and skid runners for easy handling
• Ensuring for protection of contents by waterproofing and strong plastic foil
• Ensuring the adequate quantity of moisture absorbent (silica gel)
• Correct application of material for padding or cushioning such as felt,
cellophane paper, polyester cuttings and crepe cellulose
• Dimensional measurement of cases, crates and other packing style
• Correct assortment of package
• Correct package tag (i.e. PO No., LC No., JOB No.,etc.)
• Correct shipping marks
• Correct cautionary symbols
• Correct weight indication
• Correct outer and inner package number
 Flowchart of Garment Packaging:

Received garments from the finished section

↓
Hang tagging
↓
Folding with inserting back board, tissue
↓
Poly Bagging
↓
Cartooning
↓
Applied adhesive tape on the pack
↓
Bar-coding
↓
Packing complete
Quality Specifications for Packaging Materials:

1. Properties
• Clarity
• Thickness
• Width and length
• Weight
• Yield
• Characteristics
• Tensile strength
• Elongation
• Bursting and tearing strength
• Flammability
• Porosity
• Air/moisture permeability
• Sunlight transference
• Resistance to odours
• Dimensional stability to heat and sunlight
Information provided in carton boxes is given below:

• Carton box number

• Order number
• Style, colour
• Number of pieces in each colour and style
• Total number of pieces
• From address and To address
• Contact number
• Net weight of the carton box
• Dimension of the carton box
Quality Specifications of garments in
merchandising, storage & shipment.
• Package Design:
A product’s packaging mix is the outcome of numerous
requirements that decide the way the packaging achieves
the distribution and merchandising functions.
• A package must promote or sell the product, protect the
product, aid the consumer to utilize the product, offer
reusable options of the package to the consumer and has
to satisfy legal requirements.
• The main two criteria for package design are
functional and sales requirements.
Functional requirements:
• Package design for a specific product should fulfill five groups of functional
criteria such as in-store, in-home, production, distribution and safety and
legal.
• In-home requirements normally usually state that packaging should be
convenient to use and store and reinforce consumer’s expectations of the
product.
• For in-store conditions, packaging must draw the attention of the buyer,
identify the product and differentiate it from the competition, and tempt the
customers to purchase the product.
• The package should be designed such that the retailer could easily store the
product, keep the stock on the floor, and it must be simple to process at a
check-out counter.
• Production demands influence primarily the cost of a package.
• During packaging of products, their distribution and safety are vital.
• If an undesirable segment of the products is damaged during transportation,
distribution, or storage, then the package has failed.
• The last group of functional packaging requirements relates to laws and
legislation.
• Several federal laws have been created to safeguard the consumers from
parody and unsafe products.
• The major significant class of laws that influence packaging is labelling.
Sales requirements:
• Apart from functional aspects, product packaging should be
designed in such a way that it appeals to customers.
• The four most important merchandising requirements of package
design are its apparent size, impression of quality, attractiveness of
a package and finally readability of the brand name.
• Apparent size involves designing of packages to look as good as
possible without misrepresenting the actual product contents.
• This is accomplished by using larger package sizes and displaying
the brand name in the visible portion of the package.
• The obtrusiveness and aesthetics of the package design
determines the attention drawing power of the package.
• Based on the type of product and manufacturer’s policy, the
package could be made to emerge as attractive, exciting, soft,
intriguing, or to evoke some other emotion.
• Normally bright colors, prominent carton displays and other
elements can acquire positive attention of consumers.
• A quality impression is a vital sales requirement for
packaging because the products that are perceived to be of
low quality are normally believed to be a low value,
regardless of cost.
• Readability is the fourth sales requirement for successful
design of a package.
• This parameter is of extreme significant for products such as
food items which are kept next to numerous competing
products and brands.
• Among other important parameters, logos and letters of the
product should be sufficiently large enough to read and
printed in the same style as that used in complementary print
and advertisement.
THANKYOU