Fabric defects are faults in the fabric itself, as opposed to faults made during cutting and sewing. They come from the yarn, the weaving or knitting process, or dyeing and finishing. Finding them before cutting is much cheaper than finding them in finished garments.
Yarn-related defects#
| Defect | What it looks like | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Slub | Thick place in the yarn, a short raised lump | Spinning faults, fly waste spun in |
| Nep | Tiny tangled fiber knots, often showing as white specks after dyeing | Immature cotton, carding |
| Thick and thin places | Yarn diameter varies along the length | Drafting faults in spinning |
| Contamination | Colored or foreign fibers | Mixing, polypropylene from bale packing |
| Knots | Visible knot in the fabric | Yarn joining |
Knitting defects#
| Defect | What it looks like | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Barre | Horizontal bands of different shade or texture | Yarn lot mixing, count or tension variation between feeders |
| Hole | A hole, sometimes with a run | Broken needle, yarn break, high tension |
| Drop stitch | Missing loop, can run into a ladder | Needle latch fault, yarn feed |
| Needle line | Vertical line along a wale | Damaged or bent needle |
| Sinker line | Vertical line from a damaged sinker | Worn sinker |
| Spirality | Wales slant diagonally | Yarn twist liveliness, machine, relaxation |
Weaving defects#
| Defect | What it looks like | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Missing end | A warp yarn missing along the length | Warp break not repaired |
| Missing pick | A weft yarn missing across the width | Weft stop failure |
| Float | Yarns floating over an area without interlacing | Broken warp threads, heald faults |
| Reed mark | Lengthwise streak | Damaged reed |
| Starting mark | Crosswise band at a loom restart | Loom stop and restart |
Dyeing and finishing defects#
| Defect | What it looks like | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Shade variation | Color differences side to side, end to end or between rolls | Dyeing process variation |
| Uneven dyeing | Patchy color | Poor preparation, dye strike rate |
| Crease marks | Permanent lines | Fabric folded under heat or in dyeing |
| Stains and spots | Oil, dye or dirt marks | Machinery, handling |
| Bowing and skewing | Weft or courses not straight across the width | Stenter feeding, uneven tension |
| Excessive shrinkage | Dimensions change after washing | Insufficient relaxation or compaction |
Detecting fabric defects#
- Visual inspection on an inspection frame using the 4-point system.
- Shade checks between rolls, and within rolls from center to selvedge and end to end, in a light box.
- Physical tests: GSM, shrinkage, bow and skew, spirality, color fastness, pilling.
- Blanket or shade band comparisons across dye lots.
Dealing with defects at cutting#
- Mark defects at inspection so spreaders can see them.
- Cut around defects where the marker allows, or replace defective panels.
- Group rolls by shade and cut each shade group separately.
- Record defects found at cutting and report them to the supplier.
See fabric spreading for defect handling during spreading, and sewing defects for faults made in sewing.
Related guides#
- Spirality in knitted fabric: twisting in knitted fabric.
- Bowing and skewing in fabric: weft distortion in finished fabric.
- Fabric shrinkage: dimensional change after washing.
Frequently asked questions#
Who pays for fabric defects found at cutting? That depends on the supply contract. Record defects with photos, roll numbers and quantities, and report them to the supplier promptly.
Can a fabric pass 4-point inspection and still cause problems? Yes. The score covers visual defects only. Shrinkage, shade between rolls, bow and skew need their own checks.