The cutting room turns rolls of fabric into bundles of cut panels for the sewing lines. Its accuracy sets the ceiling for garment quality: a sewing line cannot fix a panel that was cut the wrong size, off grain or in the wrong shade.
The process at a glance#
- Fabric receipt and inspection
- Relaxation (knits and stretch fabrics)
- Cut planning and marker making
- Spreading
- Cutting
- Numbering and ticketing
- Bundling and sorting
- Fusing (where needed)
- Cutting quality audit
- Issue to sewing
1. Fabric receipt and inspection#
Before cutting, fabric is checked for:
- Quantity against the delivery note (length or weight per roll).
- Defects, usually with a four-point inspection on a sample of rolls. See four-point fabric inspection.
- Width per roll, which decides the marker width.
- Shade, by comparing rolls with each other and with the approved standard, and grouping them.
- Shrinkage and GSM, where the buyer requires testing before cutting.
2. Relaxation#
Knit fabrics come off finishing and rolling under tension. If they are cut straight away, panels shrink after cutting. Many factories unroll knits and let them relax for a set time before spreading. Stretch wovens may need the same care.
3. Cut planning and marker making#
The order quantity by size and color is split into lays and markers. The cut plan sets how many sizes go in each marker and how many plies each lay needs. See marker making.
4. Spreading#
Fabric is laid in plies of the marker length, with the correct face and direction, aligned edges and no tension. See fabric spreading.
5. Cutting#
| Method | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Straight knife | Flexible, cuts high lays | Accuracy depends on the operator |
| Band knife | Very accurate on small, curved pieces | Blocks must be brought to the machine |
| Die cutting | Identical pieces at high speed | Needs a die per shape and size |
| Automatic cutter (CAM) | Accurate, repeatable, direct from CAD | Investment, lay height limits |
Notches and drill marks are cut or marked at this stage. They guide the sewing operators, so they must be accurate and not too deep.
6. Numbering and ticketing#
Every panel is numbered with its ply number (and size, bundle and lay information on a ticket). This keeps panels from the same ply together, so each garment is sewn from panels of one shade.
7. Bundling and sorting#
Panels are grouped into bundles of a set quantity for the sewing line, with a bundle ticket. Bundle size is a balance: large bundles reduce handling, small bundles reduce work in progress and make quality problems visible sooner. See WIP control.
8. Fusing#
Panels that need interlining (collars, cuffs, plackets, facings) are fused with a press or continuous fusing machine at the temperature, pressure and time specified for the interlining. Fusing is checked by peel tests and by checking for shrinkage or shade change caused by heat.
9. Cutting quality audit#
Before panels leave the cutting room, a sample is checked:
- Panel measurements against the pattern, from top, middle and bottom plies.
- Notches and drill marks position and depth.
- Shade consistency within bundles.
- Fabric defects in visible parts.
- Fusing quality.
10. Issue to sewing#
Bundles are issued according to the line plan, in the order the line needs them, with trims where the factory issues trims with cut work.
Cutting room KPIs#
| Measure | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Marker efficiency | Fabric use inside the marker |
| Fabric utilisation | Fabric in cut panels vs fabric issued (includes end loss and splicing) |
| Cutting accuracy | Share of audited panels within tolerance |
| Cut-to-ship ratio | Garments shipped vs garments cut; losses from rejects and shortages |
| Cutting output | Pieces or garments cut per shift against plan |
| Re-cut rate | Panels cut again because of defects or errors |
Common problems and their source#
- Short panels after cutting: knit fabric not relaxed, or spread under tension.
- Size differences between top and bottom plies: lay too high or knife drifting.
- Shade differences in one garment: rolls mixed in a lay or panels mixed after cutting.
- Wrong notches: pattern errors or careless cutting.
Use the knit fabric consumption calculator and woven fabric consumption calculator to plan fabric before cutting.
Related guides#
- Production planning basics: how cutting fits into the production plan and feeds sewing on time.
- Fabric consumption: the booked consumption that the cutting room has to meet.