Fashion production glossary

Print drift

Print drift is an unwanted change in a garment print or graphic between the product reference and an output, or between related outputs. The drift may affect position, scale, orientation, repeat spacing, shape, color, or continuity across seams and folds.

Context

Understand the term in production

Repeated patterns, logos, placement graphics, stripes, checks, and engineered prints are especially sensitive. Some movement is expected as fabric folds or the viewpoint changes, but the design should still behave like the same physical print on the same garment.

How it works

Follow the production logic

  1. 01

    Mark the stable features

    Identify logos, motifs, seam crossings, repeat intervals, and color relationships in the source.

  2. 02

    Compare local placement

    Inspect how those features move around folds, body contours, edges, and different camera views.

  3. 03

    Route visible mismatches

    Flag, retry, or correct outputs where the print no longer represents the referenced product.