Sleeve length

Sleeve length shows up on a size chart two different ways depending on the brand, and the gap between them trips up more buyers than almost any other spec on this list. Some manufacturers measure from high point shoulder all the way to the cuff opening — a men's Large long-sleeve tee this way often lands around 34.5 inches. Others start at the shoulder seam itself, a couple inches further out along the arm, which can shave 2 to 3 inches off the printed number for what is otherwise the identical garment.

This matters most on raglan and drop-shoulder styles, where the shoulder seam sits well away from the neckline to begin with, widening that gap even further. A buyer stocking long-sleeve blanks for screen printing down the arm needs to know which method a chart used before assuming two brands' "34 inch sleeve" tees will hang the same on a model.

The fix is simple: check the chart's fine print for which reference point it uses, or measure a reference garment yourself both ways and note which number matches. Spec sheets that don't specify should be treated as HPS measurements, the more common industry default, until proven otherwise.

The common mistake is comparing sleeve length across two brands as if the number always starts from the same anatomical point. It doesn't, and treating a 32-inch sleeve from one label as interchangeable with a 32-inch sleeve from another is how a full-sleeve print job ends up running short on half a reorder.