Almost every fabric shrinks in finishing and after wash. If your finished dimensions are fixed, you have to allow for it up front — or come up short.
Why fabric shrinks
Yarn is held under tension during knitting and weaving. In relaxing, washing and finishing, that tension releases and the fabric draws in. Knits typically shrink more than tightly-woven fabric, and cotton more than polyester.
How much to expect
Shrinkage varies widely with fibre, construction and finish — commonly a few percent up to 8–10% for some cotton knits. Always confirm with a wash test on your own fabric.
Working back to greige
If a finished panel must be a certain size, you knit or weave larger greige so it lands on spec after shrinkage:
- Greige dimension = finished dimension ÷ (1 − shrinkage% ÷ 100)
Our Shrinkage Allowance Calculator does this for you, and the Yarn Requirement Calculator sizes the extra yarn.
Reducing surprises
Consistent yarn and finishing keep shrinkage predictable batch to batch — see our fabric and quality standards.
Need fabric that lands on spec after finishing? We will match it.
Tools: Shrinkage · requirement · all tools.