Fabric, printing and care
What does "pre-shrunk" mean on a T-shirt?
Short answer
The fabric was washed and dried under controlled conditions before the garment was cut and sewn, so most of the shrinkage has already happened. A pre-shrunk cotton tee typically still loses one to two per cent, against three to five for untreated cotton.
Cotton fibres are stretched during spinning and weaving, and they relax when first exposed to heat and moisture. Pre-shrinking simply does that relaxation at the mill rather than in your machine.
It reduces shrinkage rather than eliminating it. A pre-shrunk garment will still move slightly on a hot wash, and it will continue to move a little over the first few cycles before stabilising.
The practical consequence for buying is that it makes sizing predictable. With untreated cotton you are sizing a garment that will be measurably smaller after a fortnight; with pre-shrunk fabric what you measure is close to what you keep.
Related terms worth recognising on a label: ring-spun means the yarn was spun to be finer and smoother, and combed ring-spun means short fibres were also removed. Both describe softness rather than shrinkage, and both are markers of a better-made blank.
More detail: Fabric and Fit: What the Listing Actually Means covers this subject in full.
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