Top Defects of Woven Fabric: Common Issues and Practical Solutions
Noor Ahmed Raaz
Specialized in Apparel Manufacturing
Owner and Editor in Chief Textile Merchandising
Asst. Prof., Department of Textile Engineering
Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technology
Email: textilemerchandising1@gmail.com
Woven Fabric:
Woven fabric is made by interlacing two sets of yarns at right angles to each other. The vertical yarns are called the warp, and the horizontal yarns are called the weft. This method creates a strong and durable material that is commonly used in clothing, upholstery, and various types of home textiles. Woven fabrics come in many patterns and textures, depending on the weave type, such as plain, twill, or satin. They are generally less stretchy than knitted fabrics, offering more structure and shape. Fabric is the main raw material for the garment manufacturing process therefore, the fabric manufacturer always tries to produce their fabric defect-free, but several defects may exist in the production process. There are two types of fabric that are mainly used for garment manufacturing process. They are woven fabric and Knit fabric. Today, I would like to explain the defects of woven fabric.
Top Defects of Woven Fabric:
After the manufacturing process of woven fabric there following major and minor defects are occurring which are such as like askewer or bias, bowing, bull mark, fly jerk-in, knots mixed end (yarn), mixed filling, open deed, slub, smash, soiled filling or end, stop mark or drawback etc. Here given few major defects of woven fabric are as following-
Woven Fabric Defect Analysis
| Defects | Explanation |
| 1. Askewer or Bias | Filling yarns are not square with warp yarns. |
| 2. Bowing | Usually caused by finishing. Filling yarns lie in an arc across the fabric width. |
| 3. Bull Mark | Caused by a slub or extra piece of yarn being woven into the fabric. This results in an open place in the fabric once the yarn is removed. |
| 4. Fly | Caused by fibers being spun into the yarn of another stock. Results in fabric contamination. |
| 5. Jerk-in | Caused by an extra piece of filling yarn being jerked partway into the fabric by the shuttle. Faults will appear at the selvages. |
| 6. Knots | Caused by tying spools of yarn together. |
| 7. Mixed End (yarn) | Caused by a different fiber blend used on the warp frame. Results in a streak in the fabric. |
| 8. Mixed Filling | Caused by bobbin of lightweight yarn or different fiber blend being used in filling. Results in a distinct shade change. |
| 9. Open Reed | Caused by a bent reed wire. Results in warp ends being held apart, exposing the filling yarn. |
| 10. Slub | Caused by an extra piece of yarn that is woven into the fabric or thick places in the yarn. |
| 11. Smash | Caused by a number of ruptured warp ends that have been repaired. |
| 12. Soiled Filling or End | Caused by dirt or oil on the warp or filling yarns or on package-dyed yarn. |
| 13. Stop Mark or Drawback | Caused by the loom being stopped, resulting in the yarns being stretched under tension, when the machine restarts, the slack is woven into the fabric. |
| 14. Thin Place or End Out | Caused by the filling yarn breaking and the loom continuing to run. |
Mohammad Noor Nabi, known by his author name Noor Ahmed Raaz, is a PhD Fellow at Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX) and the Founder & Editor of Textile Merchandising. He is also an Assistant Professor and Chairman of the Textile Engineering Department at a renowned university in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His research focuses on textile innovation and sustainability. Awarded the Research & Development Fellowship twice from the Ministry of Science & Technology in Bangladesh, Noor Ahmed Raaz is dedicated to advancing textile engineering through education, research, and industry collaboration. For inquiries or collaborations, contact Noor Ahmed Raaz via email at textilemerchandising1@gmail.com or WhatsApp at +8801673758271.