Modal fabric: definition and garments to customise

Modal fabric: definition and garments to customise

Modal is a textile fibre made from wood: regenerated cellulose, produced by a strengthened version of the viscose process. It gives a very soft, flowing fabric with rich colours, which keeps its suppleness wash after wash. In the tknp.io catalogue, four Stanley/Stella t-shirts and sweatshirts contain it, blended with organic cotton.

When a brand wants a merch t-shirt with a softer drape than cotton, or a sweatshirt that feels softer to the touch, modal is often the answer. You still need to know what it is, what it really brings, and which decoration it takes.

What is modal?

Modal is a regenerated cellulose fibre obtained by a modified viscose process, with a high breaking force and a high wet modulus: that is its definition in the European regulation on textile fibre names (Regulation 1007/2011, Annex I). It is classed as a man-made fibre: the material comes from wood, but it is dissolved and spun again in a factory.

The French AFNOR standard of 1977 gives a measure of that strength: when wet, a modal fibre must bear a load of 22 centinewtons per tex without stretching more than 15%. That is what sets it apart from ordinary viscose, which loses much of its strength once wet.

What is modal made from?

Modal is made from wood pulp. The leading producer, the Austrian company Lenzing, which sells it under the TENCEL™ Modal brand, takes its cellulose from several tree species, including beech, and states that all the wood for its modal comes from certified or controlled forests. Lenzing also claims at least 50% lower carbon emissions and water consumption than generic modal: a manufacturer's figure, to be read as such.

Modal, viscose, lyocell: what is the difference?

All three are regenerated cellulose fibres made from wood; what changes is how they are made. Viscose follows the original process; modal follows a modified process that makes it much stronger when wet; lyocell dissolves the cellulose in an organic solvent, without going through viscose chemistry.

In a garment, modal keeps the softness and drape of the viscose family, with far better strength when wet, and so in the wash. Our page on viscose details its weaknesses, and the one on lyocell explains the solvent process.

The qualities of modal

Modal is chosen for four qualities: softness that lasts through washing, rich colours, a fabric that absorbs and releases moisture, and negligible shrinkage.

• Softness that lasts. According to Lenzing, the shape and strength of the fibre favour fabric softness and let it withstand repeated washing and drying.
• Bright colours. According to Lenzing, modal gives fabrics rich, saturated colours.
• Comfort when worn. It absorbs moisture and releases it: its moisture regain is about 13% under normal conditions.
• Little shrinkage. Its shrinkage in the wash is negligible, whereas standard viscose tends to shrink.

The limits to know before choosing modal

In t-shirts, modal makes thin, flowing jerseys, which do not suit every project. The two modal t-shirts in the catalogue weigh 155 gsm: a light jersey with a soft drape, the opposite of a heavyweight t-shirt. On such a thin fabric, we recommend printing rather than embroidery, which pulls on the knit.

It also costs more: blank, at 10 units, the Blaker comes to about 10.50 euros excl. VAT, against about 7 euros for the Creator 2.0, a 100% organic cotton t-shirt from the same maker. In the catalogue, modal is always blended with organic cotton, at 35 or 40% depending on the model.

Modal garments in the catalogue

The tknp.io catalogue has four Stanley/Stella modal garments to customise: the Blaker and Stella Etta t-shirts and the Stella Lianna and Astor sweatshirts, always blended with combed organic cotton. Here are our prices for a run of 25 with one decoration position, read on the product pages on 18 October 2026, as a guide (they may change):

All are excluding VAT and shipping, based on the cheapest colour. The Blaker comes in four colours: white, black, heather grey and navy. As with every decorated garment in the catalogue, a run starts at 10 units per model.

Which decoration on a modal garment?

On modal t-shirts, choose a print; on the sweatshirts, embroidery has its place. The Blaker and the Stella Etta, at 155 gsm, are printed in DTF transfer or screen printing, both orderable online; direct-to-garment printing (DTG) is on quote, and the blend, mostly cotton, suits it. To choose between these techniques, our DTF or DTG comparison sets out when to use each.

The Stella Lianna and the Astor, two brushed fleeces at 320 gsm, have the thickness embroidery needs. On the Astor, which opens with a zip, the logo goes on the left chest: a centred logo would be cut in two by the zip.

How to care for a modal garment?

A modal garment is washed with similar colours, inside out, and never ironed over the decoration: those are the instructions on all four product pages. When ironing is useful, it is also done inside out.

Feel modal before the run

Modal is judged by touch more than by the data sheet: order a blank Blaker as a single unit, with an organic cotton Creator 2.0 next to it, and compare drape and softness in your hands. Once you have chosen, order the decorated run, with a minimum of 10 units of the selected model.