How Does the Cutting Production Process Work?

The first irreversible step in making a garment — and the machines and steps behind it.

A cutting machine cutting through layers of spread fabric

Reference illustration — will be replaced with a real photo.

The Point of No Return

Cutting is the first irreversible step in turning fabric into a garment — once a panel is cut, that piece of fabric can't become anything else. This is exactly why the spreading, relaxation, and marker-planning work covered elsewhere in this Knowledge Library all happens before the knife ever touches the fabric.

The Main Cutting Machines

Straight Knife

A vertical, reciprocating blade that's portable and versatile — the most common cutting tool in conventional cutting rooms, good for most shapes including curves.

Band Knife

A continuous looped blade mounted on a stationary table. Used for higher-precision cutting on smaller, pre-blocked sections, when accuracy matters more than speed.

Round Knife

A rotating circular blade, best suited to straight lines and thinner, lower-ply spreads — not ideal for large stacks or tight curves.

Automatic/Computerized Cutter

A computer-guided cutting head (knife, laser, or water jet) that follows the marker precisely with no manual guidance — faster and more accurate, at a higher equipment cost.

After the Fabric Is Cut

Drilling: A drill marks internal reference points (like a dart tip or pocket position) straight through the whole stack, using a heated or ink-tipped needle.
Notching: Small V-shaped or straight cuts are made at the fabric edge to mark seam lines, fold lines, or matching points between panels.
Panel Sorting & Numbering: Cut panels are sorted and numbered by ply, so that every panel of one specific garment (all from the same fabric layer) gets sewn together — this matters because even within one shade lot, subtle differences between plies can exist.
Bundling: Numbered panels are grouped into bundles by size and colour, ready to move to the sewing line as a unit.

Good Cutting Process vs. Problem Cutting Process

Signs of a Good Process

Machine choice matches the fabric and shape (e.g. band knife for tight-precision sections)
Notches and drill marks placed accurately and consistently across the whole stack
Panels numbered by ply and never mixed between plies during bundling

Signs of a Problem Process

Missing or misplaced notches, making sewing line matching difficult
Panels from different plies mixed into the same bundle
Cutting equipment poorly maintained, leaving ragged or inaccurate edges

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