Root cause guides
Defect library
Each guide explains what the defect looks like, where it starts, the likely causes by machine, material, method and operator, how to confirm the cause, and what to do now and next time.
Quick symptoms
- Horizontal bands of different shade across the fabric
- Weft yarns or stripes curve across the width
- Stitches cracked or snapped along the seam
- Dark color staining white or light parts after washing
- Garment smaller after the first wash
- Small or large opening in the fabric
- Garment measurements outside the spec tolerance
- Small holes along the stitch line
- Tiny white or light specks on dyed fabric
- Gap in a seam where panels are not joined
- Small balls of fiber on the fabric surface
- Color rubs off onto skin or other fabrics
- Cracks in screen prints after stretching or washing
- Unfinished cut edge visible on the face or inside
- Twisted rope-like ridge along a hem or seam
- Stitches visible across the seam when pulled open
- Wavy or gathered seams
- Panels of one garment in slightly different shades
- Weft yarns or courses run at an angle across the width
- Gaps in the stitch line
- Short thick lumps in the yarn visible on the fabric
- Side seams move to the front or back after washing
- Stitch length varies along the seam
- Small fold of fabric caught in a seam
Sewing and seams
- Broken StitchStitches that break in the finished seam, often when the seam is stretched, washed or worn. The seam type, thread strength, stitch density or damage to the thread during sewing is usually the cause.SewingGarment washingInspection
- Needle Cut (Needle Damage)Yarns cut or broken by the sewing needle along the seam line. In knits it starts holes and runs; in dense wovens it weakens the fabric along the seam.Sewing
- Open SeamA section of seam where the two panels are not held together, either because the stitches missed the fabric edge or because they broke or unravelled. One of the most common major defects on sewing lines.Sewing
- Raw EdgeA cut edge that should be enclosed by a hem, binding, facing or overlock is left exposed. It looks untidy, frays in washing and can lead to open seams.Sewing
- RopingA hem or seam that twists into a rope-like ridge, most often on denim and twill hems after washing. Caused by unequal feeding of the plies during hemming and by fabric and thread shrinkage differences.SewingGarment washing
- Seam GrinThe seam opens and shows the stitches when stress is applied across it, like teeth in a grin. Caused by loose stitches, low stitch density or low thread tension, and on some fabrics by yarn slippage.Sewing
- Seam PuckeringWavy, gathered fabric along a seam. It comes from thread tension, uneven feeding of the plies, dense fabric jamming around the needle, or different shrinkage between thread and fabric.SewingGarment washingPressing
- Skipped StitchOne or more stitches fail to form, leaving a gap or a long float in the seam. It happens when the hook or looper misses the needle thread loop, usually because of the needle, timing, fabric flagging or the thread.Sewing
- Uneven StitchStitches that vary in length, tension or distance from the edge along a seam. It spoils the look of topstitching and can weaken seams where stitches are too long.Sewing
- Unwanted Pleat (Tuck)An unplanned fold of fabric sewn into a seam, usually where one ply is longer than the other or at corners and crossings. It spoils appearance and can distort the garment's shape.Sewing
Fabric (all types)
- BowingThe weft yarns or courses curve across the fabric width instead of running straight, usually because the center and edges were fed at different rates in finishing. Most visible on stripes, checks and printed repeats.WeavingFinishing
- Nep (White Specks)Small knots of tangled fiber in the yarn, often from immature cotton. After dyeing they show as tiny white or light specks because immature fibers take less dye.SpinningDyeing
- PillingSmall balls of tangled fiber form on the fabric surface with wear and washing. Caused mainly by yarn and fabric construction and finishing, and made more visible by strong synthetic fibers that hold the pills.SpinningKnittingWeaving
- SkewingThe weft yarns or courses run straight but at an angle across the fabric width, because one side was fed ahead of the other in finishing. Garments cut from skewed fabric twist after washing.WeavingKnittingFinishing
- Slub (Unwanted Thick Place)A short, thick place in the yarn that shows as a lump on the fabric surface. In plain fabrics it is a defect; in slub yarn fabrics, controlled slubs are part of the design.SpinningWeavingKnitting
Knitted fabric
- Barre (Barré)Horizontal bands of different shade, luster or texture in knitted fabric, repeating across the width. Caused by differences between yarns or feeders, such as mixed yarn lots, count variation or tension differences.SpinningKnittingDyeing
- Hole in Fabric or GarmentAn opening in the fabric where yarns are broken or missing. Holes can come from knitting, weak yarn, chemical damage, cutting and handling, or sewing needles, and the position and shape usually tell you which.KnittingDyeingFinishing
- Spirality (Garment Twist)Wales in single knit fabric slant after washing, so garments twist and side seams move around the body. Caused mainly by yarn twist liveliness, knitting conditions and finishing, and made worse by cutting off-grain.SpinningKnittingFinishing
Dyeing and color
- Color BleedingDye comes off a fabric in washing and stains other areas of the garment or other garments. Caused by unfixed dye, unsuitable dyes for the fiber or wash conditions, and combining dark and light parts without testing.DyeingPrintingGarment washing
- Poor Rubbing Fastness (Crocking)Color transfers from the fabric surface when rubbed, dry or wet. Common with deep shades, indigo denim, pigment prints and dyes that sit on the fiber surface.DyeingPrintingFinishing
- Shade VariationDifferences in color between parts of a garment, between garments, or against the approved standard. Caused by dyeing variation within and between lots, and by mixing shades at cutting and sewing.DyeingFinishingCutting