How to Inspect Uniform Fabric on Delivery

Why inspection happens at delivery, not at cutting

The window for raising a fabric problem closes the moment the first roll is cut. Until then a roll is a saleable, returnable unit. After a cutting table has been through it, the fabric is a set of panels and no supplier can take it back, which means an inspection skipped at delivery converts a supplier's problem into yours.

This is not about distrust. Woven fabric is produced in batches on machinery running at speed, and a small number of faults per hundred metres is normal and expected in the trade. Inspection is how both sides establish what actually arrived, against an agreed standard, while it can still be acted on.

Before you unroll anything

The first checks are documentary and take a few minutes. They catch the largest and most easily corrected errors.

• Roll count against the packing list, and total metreage against the invoice
• Lot or batch numbers on every roll label, recorded before the rolls are separated into storage
• Fabric name, composition, weight and width on the invoice against what you ordered
• Visible transit damage: crushed edges, water staining on the outer wrap, torn packing
• Whether all rolls carry the same lot number, or the consignment spans more than one lot

That last point matters more than it looks. A consignment spanning two dye lots is not a fault in itself, but it means shade has to be checked lot to lot before cutting, and rolls from different lots should not be mixed within one garment.

Checking width, weight and length

These three are measurable, and disagreements about them are usually disagreements about method rather than about the fabric. Settle the method with your supplier once and both sides can check the same way.

Width should be measured edge to edge and again as cuttable width inside the selvedges, because the difference between the two is what actually reaches your cutting table. Check the measured width against the width stated for that specific fabric rather than against a figure assumed for the whole range, since width varies by quality. Our guide to fabric width and cutting yield covers how width translates into panels per metre.

Weight is checked by cutting a known area from a sample roll and weighing it, which gives GSM directly. Because GSM is usually specified with a tolerance either side, a small variance is within specification rather than a defect. Length is verified on a measuring table or by a calibrated roll meter, not by trusting the label.

The defects to look for

Most woven fabric faults fall into a short list of recognisable types. Knowing the names is useful, because a described fault is far easier for a mill to investigate than a photograph captioned as a mark.

Bowing and skewing deserve particular attention on checks and stripes, where an out-of-square weft is immediately visible in the finished garment even though the fabric has no fault you can point to in a single spot.

How graded inspection works

The trade standard for grading woven fabric is the four-point system. Rather than counting faults, it scores each one by length, so a long fault counts more heavily than a short one, and totals the points across a measured area.

Points are assigned by defect length: up to about three inches scores one point, three to six inches two points, six to nine inches three points, and anything longer four points. No single linear metre is scored more than four points, and the total is expressed per hundred square yards of fabric inspected.

• Inspect a sample of rolls rather than the whole consignment, agreed as a percentage in advance
• Score each defect by its length, using the point bands above
• Total the points and convert to points per hundred square yards
• Compare that total against the acceptance threshold agreed with your supplier

There is no universal pass mark. The acceptance threshold is something buyer and supplier agree in advance, and it should be part of the order terms rather than something discussed for the first time when a consignment is being disputed.

Checking shade, roll to roll

Shade is the most common cause of a rejected consignment and the easiest to check badly. Compare fabric against your approved shade standard, not against a previous delivery or a printed reference, and do it under consistent light. Two fabrics that match under one light source can differ visibly under another, which is metamerism rather than a fault in your eyes.

Check the start and end of each roll as well as roll against roll, because a within-roll shade change tells a different story from a roll-to-roll difference. Our guide on dye-lot consistency explains why these differences arise, and the lab dip guide covers how the approved standard you are checking against is established in the first place.

If something is wrong

Raise it before cutting, with specifics. A mill can act on a roll number, a lot number, a distance from the roll start and a named defect type. It can do very little with a general complaint about quality after the fabric has been cut.

• Stop cutting on the affected rolls and keep them intact
• Record roll numbers, lot numbers and the position of each fault along the roll
• Photograph the fault next to a scale, and against your approved shade standard where shade is the issue
• Report it in one message with the invoice reference, rather than in stages
• Agree the remedy in writing, whether that is replacement, a credit for the affected metreage, or acceptance with an allowance

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much of a delivery should be inspected?

That is an agreement rather than a rule. Many buyers inspect a percentage of rolls, chosen at random, and inspect fully only if the sample fails. What matters is that the percentage and the acceptance threshold are agreed before the order rather than after a dispute.

Is a small number of faults per roll normal?

Yes. Woven fabric is produced on machinery running at speed and a low incidence of faults across a roll is expected in the trade, which is exactly why a graded system exists rather than a zero-fault standard. The question is whether the total sits inside the agreed threshold, not whether any fault exists.

What is the difference between edge-to-edge and cuttable width?

Edge to edge includes the selvedges, the finished borders on each side. Cuttable width is what remains once selvedges are excluded, and it is the figure that determines how many panels you get per metre. Always confirm which one a quoted width refers to.

Can fabric be returned after it has been cut?

No. Once a roll is cut it cannot be returned or resold, which is why inspection belongs at delivery. If a fault is found during cutting, stop on that roll immediately and keep the remaining fabric intact so at least the uncut portion can be assessed.

What should be recorded at delivery even when nothing looks wrong?

Roll count, total metreage and the lot numbers on every roll, before rolls are separated into storage. If a shade or specification question comes up weeks later during cutting, those three records are what make it possible to trace which lot the fabric came from.