Fabric inspection exists to answer one question before any cutting starts: is this roll good enough to turn into garments, and how much of it will be lost to defects? The four-point system is the most widely used way to answer it, because it gives every defect a score that can be compared across rolls and suppliers.
How the scoring works
An inspector passes the fabric over an inspection frame at a steady speed, under even light, and marks each visible defect. Each defect gets penalty points according to its length, in the direction it runs:
- Up to 3 inches: 1 point
- Over 3 and up to 6 inches: 2 points
- Over 6 and up to 9 inches: 3 points
- Over 9 inches: 4 points
A hole, whatever its size, is normally scored 4 points. The scoring is the same for warp and weft direction defects, and no more than 4 points are given to a single linear yard, however many defects are in it.
Turning points into a result
The points for the whole roll are converted into points per 100 square yards. As an example only, a formula many mills use is: total points multiplied by 36 multiplied by 100, divided by the inspected length in yards multiplied by the fabric width in inches. The accept limit is not universal. Many buyers and suppliers agree on a limit in the purchase terms, so always apply the number written in your own order or buyer manual, not a number remembered from another job.
Setting up the inspection
- Use a frame or machine with a plain background and a light that matches the buyer's requirement.
- Inspect a sample of rolls, or every roll for sensitive fabrics, as agreed with the buyer.
- Run the fabric at a speed the inspector can really see. Rushing hides defects.
- Mark defects on the selvedge with a tag or a sticker so the spreader can find them.
- Check width at the start, middle and end, and note any shade difference across the roll or from edge to edge.
What to record
A usable inspection report carries roll number, lot or dye batch, length on the label against the length measured, width, defect points, and notes on shade, hand feel and any stains. The measured length matters as much as the defects: a short roll changes the marker plan and the consumption calculation.
Inspector discipline matters as much as the method. Rotate inspectors so the same person is not on the frame for a whole shift, because attention drops with fatigue, and check one inspected roll per day with a second person to confirm that scoring is consistent. Keep a reference sample of typical defects, such as a slub, a barre and a thick place, at the frame so everyone scores them the same way. Inspected rolls should be returned with the roll relaxed and wound evenly, not pulled tight, so the inspection does not itself damage the fabric.
Common mistakes
- Inspecting only the roll face while the defect is a barre or streak that shows only under angled light.
- Trusting the supplier's length without measuring.
- Accepting a roll on points alone when the defects are bunched in the part that becomes the front panel.
- Not passing the findings to the cutting room, so the spreader cuts through marked defects.
Using the result
Rolls with high scores can be set aside for small parts, used in smaller marker sections, or claimed back from the supplier. The point is that the decision is made at the fabric store, with evidence, instead of discovered as rejected panels in the cutting room. This step sits at the start of the whole cut to pack flow, and it is the cheapest place in the process to catch a quality problem.