10 Common Fabric Defects and How to Prevent Them

10 Common Fabric Defects and How to Prevent Them

By NextGen Texpert

In the textile and garment industry, fabric quality is non-negotiable. Even the most efficient production lines suffer losses if the fabric has defects. These imperfections can lead to rejection, reprocessing, or even loss of buyer trust.

This blog outlines the 10 most common fabric defects, their causes, and preventive measures every quality and sourcing professional should know.

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🔍 1. Hole or Cut

🟠 What is it?

Small or large visible gaps in the fabric structure, either accidental or due to machine faults.

⚠️ Causes:

• Needle damage
• Mechanical abrasion during handling
• Sharp objects in the machine or inspection table

✅ Prevention:

• Regular needle checks and replacement
• Use soft padding on inspection tables
• Monitor handling during processing and transport

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🔍 2. Barre

🟠 What is it?

Horizontal striping across the fabric due to variations in yarn thickness or tension.

⚠️ Causes:

• Yarn lot variation
• Inconsistent tension in knitting/weaving
• Improper feed rate in dyeing

✅ Prevention:

• Use uniform yarn lots
• Calibrate tension regularly in knitting machines
• Maintain consistent dye bath temperature and flow

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🔍 3. Slub

🟠 What is it?

Thicker or uneven yarn knots seen as lumps on fabric surface.

⚠️ Causes:

• Imperfect spinning
• Poor quality raw material
• Wrong setting in yarn winding

✅ Prevention:

• Use compact or quality-controlled yarn
• Maintain strict spinning process checks
• Reject faulty yarn before fabric production

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🔍 4. Color Variation / Dye Patch

🟠 What is it?

Uneven shade across the fabric—either within the same roll or between rolls.

⚠️ Causes:

• Improper dyeing recipe or mixing
• Uneven fabric loading in dyeing machine
• Poor water quality or unstable pH

✅ Prevention:

• Follow standard recipe and pre-lab dips
• Maintain fabric load and flow evenly
• Use soft water and monitor pH strictly

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🔍 5. Crease Marks

🟠 What is it?

Permanent wrinkle lines or pressure marks on the fabric.

⚠️ Causes:

• Folding while fabric is wet
• Fabric sticking in the machine
• Improper stacking after dyeing or finishing

✅ Prevention:

• Use anti-crease lubricants
• Run fabric tension-free post-dyeing
• Dry fabric before folding or bundling

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🔍 6. Oil Stains / Grease Marks

🟠 What is it?

Dark spots or streaks caused by contamination from machines.

⚠️ Causes:

• Leaking machine parts
• Improper fabric storage
• Dirty rollers or belts

✅ Prevention:

• Routine machine maintenance
• Store fabrics in clean areas
• Clean rollers regularly

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🔍 7. Skewing / Bowing

🟠 What is it?

Warp or weft yarns misaligned, causing curved or diagonal grain.

⚠️ Causes:

• Improper tension in stenter or drying process
• Stretching during winding or packing

✅ Prevention:

• Calibrate stenter frames
• Use center-aligned winding
• Check fabric grain during inspection

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🔍 8. Foreign Yarn / Contamination

🟠 What is it?

Unexpected colored fibers or foreign material embedded in fabric.

⚠️ Causes:

• Mixed fiber handling
• Dirty machinery
• Poor housekeeping in production area

✅ Prevention:

• Use separate zones for light/dark shades
• Clean machines between batches
• Enforce GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)

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🔍 9. Uneven Surface (Peach/Brush Defect)

🟠 What is it?

Patchy or irregular brushing in finished fabric.

⚠️ Causes:

• Uneven pressure in sueding machine
• Variable speed setting during finishing
• Dull emery rolls

✅ Prevention:

• Calibrate brushing machines regularly
• Use standard operating speed
• Replace damaged emery rolls in time

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🔍 10. Fabric Width Variation

🟠 What is it?

Fabric width varies across the roll, causing fitting problems later.

⚠️ Causes:

• Inconsistent tension in stenter
• Fabric shrinkage due to poor drying
• Over-stretching in processing

✅ Prevention:

• Control width setting in stenter
• Balance moisture and temperature
• Check width consistency at multiple stages

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✅ Final Thoughts

Even a small defect in a fabric roll can lead to bulk rejection, delivery delays, and buyer dissatisfaction. For mills and factories, investing in quality control at every stage is not optional—it’s essential.

Here’s a quick fabric defect checklist for your QC team:

Defect	Checkpoint	Solution
Hole/Cut	Inspection	Needle control & padding
Color Variation	Lab Dip Matching	Process consistency
Slub	Yarn Store	Yarn testing
Oil Marks	Dyeing Floor	Machine maintenance
Skewing	Finishing	Machine calibration

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🔍 Bonus Tip:
Train your fabric inspectors with a defect photo guide and standard rejection criteria. Many factories use 4-point or 10-point inspection systems to maintain consistency.Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!