Reference
Fabric defects — woven and knitted
Fabric defects are scored, priced and argued over at every inspection. This page lists the common ones for woven and knitted fabric, explains how the 4-point system works, and is honest about which defects come from the yarn rather than the loom or the machine.
Woven fabric defects
| Defect | Appearance | Usual cause |
|---|---|---|
| Reed marks | Fine vertical lines or streaks | Damaged or bent reed dents, too many ends per dent |
| Broken ends | Missing warp thread along the length | Warp breakage not repaired, weak or knotty warp yarn |
| Broken picks | Missing weft across the width | Weft breakage, poor shuttle or rapier timing |
| Float | Yarn passing over threads it should interlace with | Drawing-in error, harness or dobby fault |
| Temple marks | Distortion or holes near the selvedge | Worn temple rings, incorrect temple setting |
| Starting mark | Horizontal line where the loom restarted | Loom stopped and restarted under changed tension |
| Weft bar | Horizontal band of different shade or density | Weft yarn from a different lot or count |
| Selvedge defects | Loose, tight or curled edge | Incorrect selvedge tension or temple setting |
| Oil stains | Dark patches | Machine lubrication reaching the fabric |
| Slubs in cloth | Visible thick lumps | Slubs in the yarn carried through to fabric |
Knitted fabric defects
| Defect | Appearance | Usual cause |
|---|---|---|
| Barré | Horizontal shade or texture banding | Count variation, mixed yarn lots, mixed spinning frames |
| Holes | Small breaks in the fabric | Yarn breakage, weak yarn, damaged needle |
| Drop stitch | Missed loop leaving a gap | Faulty needle, incorrect yarn tension |
| Spirality | Fabric skews after washing | Residual torque from high-twist single yarn |
| Needle lines | Vertical lines along the fabric | Bent or damaged needle, worn needle hook |
| Sinker marks | Fine vertical lines | Worn or damaged sinkers |
| Tuck marks | Small distortions in the loop structure | Incorrect cam setting or timing |
| Snags | Pulled loops on the surface | Rough machine parts, handling damage |
| Colour fly | Stray coloured fibres in the fabric | Airborne contamination from other yarns in the mill |
| Cloudiness | Uneven, patchy appearance | Uneven yarn or inconsistent tension |
The 4-point inspection system
The 4-point system is the standard method for grading fabric. Defects are scored by size rather than type, and the total is normalised per 100 square yards.
| Defect size | Points |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 inches | 1 |
| Over 3 and up to 6 inches | 2 |
| Over 6 and up to 9 inches | 3 |
| Over 9 inches | 4 |
| Any hole over 1 inch | 4 |
Maximum four points are assigned to any single linear yard. Fabric is normally accepted below 20 to 28 points per 100 square yards, depending on the buyer and the end use. Agree the threshold before production, not at inspection.
Which defects actually come from the yarn
This is the section most guides skip, and it is the one that matters when choosing a supplier. Loom and machine defects are the mill’s responsibility. These four are the yarn’s:
Barré — almost always count variation or mixed lots. Spirality — residual torque from high twist; see the twist calculator for the TM ranges that avoid it. Slubs and neps in cloth — carried straight through from the yarn. Contamination and colour fly — foreign fibre that was in the cotton before spinning.
If you are seeing these repeatedly, the answer is upstream. Our yarn faults guide covers the causes.
Writing defect tolerances into an order
State the inspection system, the points threshold, the sampling percentage and who inspects. “Standard quality” means nothing when there is money on the table.
A workable clause reads: 4-point system, maximum 24 points per 100 square yards, 10 per cent of rolls inspected at origin, buyer’s inspector present. Everything after that is arithmetic rather than argument.
Frequently asked questions
What is barré in fabric?
Horizontal shade or texture banding in knitted fabric, usually caused by count variation or by mixing yarn from different lots or spinning frames.
What causes spirality in knitwear?
Residual torque in high-twist single yarn makes the loops lean, so the fabric skews after washing. Lower twist, two-fold yarn or steam setting all reduce it.
What is the 4-point system?
A fabric grading method that scores defects by size, up to four points each, totalled per 100 square yards.
How many defects are acceptable?
Most buyers accept fabric below 20 to 28 points per 100 square yards. Agree the threshold before production starts.
Which fabric defects are caused by the yarn?
Barré, spirality, slubs and neps carried into the cloth, and contamination or colour fly. The rest are loom or knitting machine issues.
Can you supply yarn that avoids these problems?
We can supply to a stated specification and provide mill test reports. Tell us which parameters matter for your fabric and we will quote against them.
Need this quoted?
Send your count, blend and quantity and we will come back with firm pricing ex-Delhi and a lead time, within one working day.
Get a quote