Fabric Defects: Types, Causes and Remedies

A buyer opens a roll of fabric and spreads it across the inspection table. Under the bright light, small faults appear: a thin line across the width, a spot of oil, a hole, a patch that is a little darker than the rest. Each one costs money. Some can be cut around. Others make the roll unusable. Fabric defects are among the biggest sources of waste in the textile and garment trade, and knowing them helps every person in the chain, from the weaver to the sewing line.

This guide lists the most common fabric defects in woven, knit and dyed fabrics. For each group it shows the likely causes and remedies. It then explains how defects are graded with the four-point system, with a worked scoring example. For the checking process itself, see our guide on the fabric inspection procedure and the 4-point system for fabric inspection.

What is a fabric defect

A fabric defect is any fault in a fabric that makes it different from what was ordered or lowers its look, strength or use. Defects may begin in the fibre, in the yarn, in weaving or knitting, in dyeing and printing, or in finishing and handling. Finding the stage where a defect began is the key to fixing it.

Classes of fabric defects

Class	Meaning	Examples
Major	Visible, affects strength or look in a serious way, likely to be rejected	Holes, broken ends over a length, large stains, big shade bars
Minor	Small and not very visible, usually acceptable within limits	Small slubs, minor thread ends, light creases
Critical	Makes the fabric unsafe or unusable	Chemical damage that weakens the cloth, harmful residues

The same defect can be minor on a dark upholstery cloth and major on a white shirting fabric. Buyers set the rules.

Woven fabric defects

Defect	What it looks like	Common causes	Remedies
Broken end	A warp yarn is missing along a length, leaving a gap or line	Weak or poorly sized yarn, rough reed or heddle, high loom speed	Improve sizing and yarn strength, smooth the path, set loom speed correctly
Missing end	A line along the length with no yarn	Skipped end during drawing-in, unnoticed break	Check drawing-in, use warp stop motions
Double end	Two ends together act as one, giving a thick line	Wrong drawing-in, sticky yarn	Check drawing and reed denting
Broken pick	A weft yarn is absent across the width	Weft break, loom stop	Check weft feeding and the stop motion
Missing pick	A thin line across the fabric	Weft insertion failure	Adjust nozzles or rapiers, clean the path
Float	A warp or weft yarn skips over several yarns	Heald or cam error, broken end tangled	Check shedding and tie-up
Slub	A thick lump in the yarn	Spinning fault, fly in the yarn	Use better yarn, clear faults at winding
Neps	Small tangles of fibre	Poor carding, immature cotton	Better carding and fibre selection
Thick and thin place	Variation in yarn thickness shows up in fabric	Uneven yarn	Use even yarn and check yarn evenness
Reed mark	A thin, regular line along the warp	Bent or uneven reed dents	Replace the reed, check tension
Temple mark	Marks near the selvedge	Worn or wrong temples	Change temples, adjust pressure
Starting mark (stop mark)	A band across the width where the loom stopped and restarted	Let-off or take-up slip, uneven beat-up	Adjust restart settings
Weft bar	A band of different shade or density across the width	Different weft yarn lot, mixed yarn	Keep one lot per piece, avoid mixing
Uneven selvedge	Wavy, curled or loose edges	Selvedge motion fault	Adjust the selvedge unit
Oil stain	Dark spots or lines	Machine oil, dirty parts	Clean the loom, use proper lubrication
Hole	An opening in the fabric	Mechanical damage, sharp parts, chemical damage	Remove sharp edges, handle with care
Bowing and skewing	Weft lines are curved or slanted	Uneven stretch in finishing	Correct at the stenter or by weft straightening

For notes on how looms create or avoid these, see our guides on the air jet loom and the weaving process.

Knit fabric defects

Defect	What it looks like	Common causes	Remedies
Hole	An opening, often round	Yarn break, broken needle, too much tension	Check needles, lower tension, improve yarn
Drop stitch	A missing stitch giving a run or ladder along the length	Latch needle fault, loose or tight yarn feed	Change faulty needles, adjust yarn feed
Needle line	A vertical line along the fabric	Bent or damaged needle, dirt in the groove	Change the needle, clean the cylinder
Barre	Horizontal bands or stripes	Yarn variation, tension changes, mixed yarn lots	Use one yarn lot, even feed
Press-off	A big hole from a sudden machine stop	Yarn jam, power loss	Restart carefully, repair
Thick and thin place	Uneven yarn showing in the fabric	Yarn quality	Better yarn
Lycra drop or spandex missing	Part of the fabric loses stretch, or shows lines	Elastane feed broken, wrong tension	Check the elastic feed unit
Fly and lint	Fibre bits knitted into the cloth	Dusty room, poor housekeeping	Clean machines, use blowers
Oil spot	Dark stain	Lubricant on yarn or machine	Fix oil leaks, clean needles
Tuck	A yarn caught without a proper loop	Needle timing, yarn path	Adjust timing and feed
Curling edges	The edge rolls in	Natural property of single jersey	Heat set, use proper finishing
Spirality (torque)	Courses do not run straight, the fabric twists after washing	Yarn twist, circular knitting, no relaxation	Use balanced yarn, compact, heat set
Variation in GSM	Fabric weight is uneven	Loop length changes	Check machine settings and take-down
Shade bars	Patches of different colour	Different yarn lots, dyeing errors	Keep lots separate

Dyeing, printing and finishing defects

Defect	What it looks like	Common causes	Remedies
Patchy or uneven dyeing	Dark and light areas	Poor preparation, fast heating, wrong chemicals	Scour well, heat slowly, check recipe. See dyeing process
Listing or side-to-centre shade	Edge is darker or lighter than the centre	Uneven dye uptake across the width	Adjust padding pressure, drying
Tailing	Colour changes from start to end of the roll	Dye affinity changes over the run	Control speed and bath
Shade variation between batches	Different lots do not match	Changes in fabric, water or chemicals	Standardise inputs and keep records
Crease marks and rope marks	Lines from folds, often permanent	Fabric folded in the machine, high temperature	Adjust loading, use lubricants, cool slowly
Dye spots	Small dark specks	Undissolved dye, rust, scale	Dissolve dye well, filter, clean tanks
Scum	White or grey deposit	Hard water, lime soap, dye residues	Use soft water, sequestering agents. See sequestering agents
Poor rubbing fastness	Colour rubs off	Unfixed dye on the surface	Wash off properly, use fixing agents
Print misregistration	Colours do not line up	Screen setting, fabric slip	Reset screens, control fabric tension
Print blotches	Pooled colour	Paste too thin, screen clog	Adjust paste and cleaning
Chemical damage	Weak spots or holes	Too strong bleach or caustic, uneven rinse	Control chemical dose and rinse
Stiff hand	Fabric is harsh	Too much resin or binder	Reduce finishes, add softener
Uneven width and length shrinkage	Fabric changes size in the wash	Poor stabilising, over-stretching	Allow relaxation, measure shrinkage. See shrinkage control
Pilling	Little balls on the surface	Short fibres, weak twist	Use better yarn, bio-polish, singe
Hairiness	Fibres stand out from the surface	Yarn hairiness	Singe, compact spin

Defects that come from handling and storage

• Stains from dirt, oil or water in storage.
• Mildew from damp rolls.
• Fold marks from poor rolling.
• Cuts and tears from careless handling or sharp edges.
• Fading from sunlight in warehouses.
• Selvedge damage from tight stacking.

Handle rolls with covers, keep stores dry and clean, and roll fabric on tubes with even tension.

How fabric defects are graded: the 4-point system

The four-point system gives each defect a penalty based on its size. Inspectors check the fabric on a table at a steady speed, record the defects and add the points.

Defect size (length of the defect)	Points
Up to 3 inches (7.6 cm)	1
Over 3 and up to 6 inches (7.6 to 15 cm)	2
Over 6 and up to 9 inches (15 to 23 cm)	3
Over 9 inches (23 cm)	4
Hole of 1 inch or more	4

Rules differ a little between buyers. A common rule says that no more than 4 points can be given for any one yard of fabric, however many defects it has. Fabric is often accepted if the points per 100 square yards are not above 40, though some buyers set a lower limit.

Formula:

Points per 100 square yards = (Total points × 36 × 100) ÷ (Length in yards × Width in inches)

The number 36 converts yards of length to inches, so that length and width are in the same unit.

Worked example: scoring a roll

A roll is 120 yards long and 58 inches wide. The inspector records:

Defect size	Number found	Points each	Points
Up to 3 in	5	1	5
3 to 6 in	3	2	6
6 to 9 in	2	3	6
Over 9 in	1	4	4
Total	11		21

Points per 100 square yards = (21 × 36 × 100) ÷ (120 × 58) = 75,600 ÷ 6,960 = 10.9

This is well below a limit of 40, so the roll passes on this test. The grade of the roll can then be set according to the buyer’s scale. A roll that scored, for example, 52 points per 100 square yards would fail and might be returned or sold at a discount.

Now see what happens if the same roll had 60 points instead of 21:

• (60 × 36 × 100) ÷ (120 × 58) = 216,000 ÷ 6,960 = 31.0

This is still below 40, but near it. The buyer may ask for a tighter limit for fine shirting. Always follow the contract.

Note that the four-point system counts defects, not defective rolls. That echoes the idea in our guide on defects vs defectives in garments.

Reducing fabric defects: a practical plan

1. Start with the yarn. Test for evenness, strength and faults. Reject bad lots.
2. Prepare well. Good winding, warping and sizing prevent most weaving defects.
3. Maintain machines. Clean and service looms and knitting machines by schedule.
4. Control the environment. Keep humidity and dust in the right range.
5. Train staff. Show operators photos of defects and how to react.
6. Inspect early. Check fabric at the loom or machine, not just at the end.
7. Record defects by cause. Use a chart to find the top five and fix them first.
8. Control wet processing. Use standard recipes, water quality checks and lot control.
9. Handle with care. Cover rolls, avoid dragging and keep stores clean.
10. Share findings with suppliers and teams so causes are fixed at the source.

How fabric defects affect garments

A fabric defect that is not caught at the fabric stage becomes a garment defect later. Cutters must either cut around the fault, losing fabric, or place the fault in a seam allowance. If it stays on the front of a shirt, the garment is a second. That is why many factories inspect fabric before cutting and mark the defects on the roll. See also our guide on cutting, sewing, washing and finishing defects in garments.

Final thoughts

Fabric defects are costly, but most of them are preventable. Each one has a cause in a certain step, and each step has simple checks that stop it. Learn the names and the look of the common faults, use a grading system like the four-point method and keep records by cause. The more you trace a defect back to its source, the fewer you will see on the table. Better fabric means fewer rejects and a smoother run in the sewing room.

Frequently asked questions