Common Grey Fabric Defects Detected Through Lab Testing

 In the textile manufacturing industry, grey fabrics—also known as greige fabrics—represent the earliest stage of fabric production. These raw, unfinished fabrics come directly from the weaving or knitting machine and have not yet undergone dyeing, bleaching, or finishing processes. While they form the backbone of any textile value chain, grey fabrics often harbor hidden defects that, if left undetected, can compromise the final product’s quality.

This is where grey fabrics testing becomes indispensable. Through laboratory evaluation, manufacturers can identify a wide range of physical, structural, and visual defects. Early detection not only improves fabric quality but also minimizes losses, rework, and customer dissatisfaction.

In this blog, we’ll explore the most common defects in grey fabrics that are uncovered through lab testing, along with the causes, consequences, and how testing ensures better control and compliance.

What Is Grey Fabrics Testing?

Grey fabrics testing involves a systematic evaluation of unprocessed fabrics to ensure they meet the necessary performance, structural, and visual requirements before further processing. Testing is conducted in accredited textile laboratories using international standards like ISO, ASTM, BIS, and AATCC.

Key parameters tested include:

  • Fabric weight (GSM)

  • Thread count and density

  • Tensile strength and elongation

  • Dimensional stability (shrinkage/skewness)

  • Moisture content

  • Visual and surface defects

By analyzing these properties, labs can detect flaws that might otherwise go unnoticed until later stages of production.

Why Grey Fabric Defects Matter

Defects in grey fabrics can lead to:

  • Uneven dyeing or printing results

  • Fabric rejection by buyers

  • Increased rework and waste

  • Higher costs due to defective end-products

  • Lost credibility in export markets

Lab-based grey fabrics testing provides a preventive approach, helping manufacturers deliver superior-quality materials to dyeing units, garment factories, and global clients.

1. Broken Ends and Picks

Description:

  • Occurs when warp (ends) or weft (picks) threads break during weaving, leaving a gap or weak area in the fabric.

Causes:

  • Excessive tension

  • Poor yarn quality

  • Mechanical faults in looms

Detected by:

  • Visual inspection under fabric scanners or manually by trained inspectors

  • Surface flaw mapping during lab evaluation

2. Slubs and Thick Places

Description:

  • Slubs are unintentional lumps or thick areas in yarns that appear as irregularities on the fabric surface.

Causes:

  • Uneven spinning

  • Foreign fibers or yarn contamination

  • Improper mixing of materials

Detected by:

  • Surface inspection tests

  • Microscopic analysis in labs

Impact: Slubs can create dye spots, affect print uniformity, and degrade the fabric’s feel and appearance.

3. Reed Marks

Description:

  • Parallel lines or streaks along the warp direction, usually due to uneven spacing between warp yarns.

Causes:

  • Damaged or unevenly set reed

  • Tension imbalance in warp threads

Detected by:

  • Visual surface testing under lab lighting

  • Width uniformity tests

Impact: Reed marks become more pronounced after dyeing and may be rejected by high-end buyers.

4. Warp and Weft Floats

Description:

  • Occur when a thread skips interlacing with the opposite yarn, causing loose, floating yarns over the surface.

Causes:

  • Loom faults

  • Yarn breakage during weaving

  • Malfunctioning heddles

Detected by:

  • Visual inspection

  • Surface integrity analysis in textile labs

Impact: Weakens structural integrity and may cause snagging or uneven finishing.

5. Skewness and Bowing

Description:

  • Skewness: diagonal displacement of weft threads

  • Bowing: curvature of weft lines across fabric width

Causes:

  • Improper tension setting

  • Fabric roll misalignment

  • Unequal take-up rates during weaving

Detected by:

  • ISO 16322-1 skewness test

  • Dimensional stability tests in labs

Impact: Results in misaligned prints and improper garment fitting post-processing.

6. Holes and Needle Marks

Description:

  • Small or large punctures and marks on fabric caused during weaving or handling.

Causes:

  • Broken needles or machine parts

  • Fabric snagging during inspection or transport

Detected by:

  • Hole size measurement

  • Visual inspection in controlled lab environments

Impact: Obvious defects in finished garments and home textiles, leading to rejection.

7. Contamination (Oil, Hair, Lint, or Foreign Fibers)

Description:

  • Unwanted materials embedded in the fabric that can interfere with dyeing or finishing.

Causes:

  • Poor handling during production

  • Dirty machinery

  • Human error during fabric transport

Detected by:

  • Visual testing under UV light

  • Lab analysis of surface contaminants

Impact: Contaminants can repel dyes or cause visible spots in the final product.

8. Uneven GSM or Fabric Density

Description:

  • Variation in fabric weight across the width or length of the roll.

Causes:

  • Uneven tension during weaving

  • Yarn count variations

  • Loom malfunction

Detected by:

  • GSM test (ASTM D3776 / ISO 3801)

  • Thread density test (ISO 7211-5)

Impact: Affects dye uptake, affects garment sizing, and creates inconsistency in fabric rolls.

9. High or Low Moisture Content

Description:

  • Excess or insufficient moisture in the fabric affecting storage and weight.

Causes:

  • Improper storage

  • Excessive humidity

  • Fabric not dried properly after production

Detected by:

  • Moisture content test (ISO 139)

Impact: Leads to mold growth, odor, and incorrect billing by weight.

10. pH Imbalance

Description:

  • Grey fabrics may retain acidic or alkaline residues from production chemicals.

Causes:

  • Incomplete neutralization

  • Contaminated yarns

Detected by:

  • Fabric pH testing (ISO 3071)

Impact: Affects dyeing behavior, causes fiber damage, and may lead to skin irritation in garments.

Benefits of Detecting Defects Early Through Lab Testing

✅ Prevents processing of defective batches
 ✅ Reduces wastage and reprocessing costs
 ✅ Helps meet buyer specifications and quality standards
 ✅ Supports smoother dyeing, printing, and finishing operations
 ✅ Enhances reputation and reduces export rejections

Conclusion

Grey fabric defects are a significant cause of downstream processing issues, leading to rejections, added costs, and lost business opportunities. By investing in professional grey fabrics testing, textile manufacturers can detect and address these common defects early—ensuring high-quality, compliant, and consistent output.

Whether you're supplying to domestic markets or exporting to global buyers, early detection of weaving faults, structural inconsistencies, and surface contamination gives your fabric a competitive edge. Partner with an accredited textile testing lab to gain accurate insights and protect your production pipeline from costly errors.

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