Quality is an important issue in modern organizations.  This issue is more or less same as theory of relativity.

 The definition of quality is arbitrary & varies with perception of the person.  The definition also varies with the type of the product & services.


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Quality also means any of the following: The degree of excellence Being the best money can buy Meeting a specification Craftsmanship No more than 1% defective

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Quality of the garment is also seen as fit for use. The following points are considered for a quality garment It must free from the defects of the fabric It must be free from the stitching defects It must be free from the defective support materials. Must fit with the label size of the garment It must perform satisfactorily in normal use.

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Quality a reflection from the customer: Price Technology psychology Durability Contractual Ethical

Quality is the prime importance of any business. The system required for programming & coordinating all the groups in an organization to maintain the quality. In apparel industry the quality is maintained right from the raw material to finished product.

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Objectives of quality: To achieve a satisfactory specifications of the garment according to the style & fit of the garment. To maximize the production of the products within specified tolerances correctly for the first time.

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Approach: Itemize the variables in the fabric & garment production in order to provide complete specification. Develop a specification in garment production. Establish acceptable quality limits. Establish a defect rating table at each stage of the process. Specifying the process route for each individual style. Predicting the early bottlenecks in cutting & sewing Finishing problems Packaging problems

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Raw material for garment: Fabric Support materials Packaging materials. Of all the contents the fabric is the major raw material to the garment. The emphasis of the quality of the fabric has direct relation to the garment.

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Purchasing of the fabric: Many companies were not using proper specifications & are not commuting well with the customers. The 4 ingredients of fabric specification are: a. Physical characteristics b. Performance characteristics c. Visual defects d. Shade specifications.

Each fabric is manufactured for a specific end use.  If the fabric is not up to the mark it mar the aesthetic or appearance.  Objectives of Fabric Inspection: 1.Ensure complete peace of mind. 2. Help in identifying the root cause of the problem. 3. Quantitative analysis helps in identifying the defect. 4.Periodic checking's help in highlighting the improvement of the products.


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There are various systems are there in order to evaluate the quality of the fabric. 1. 4 point system 2. 10 point system 3. Gravelle system 4point system: It is widely accepted by the world. It is approved by ASQC and AAMA.

Defect Length up to 3 3 to 6 6 to 9 over 9

points assigned 1 2 3 4

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The common woven fabric defects are: Bars Bad selvedges Broken ends Chafe End out/Missing end Flat Float Fuzz balls Hard size Double pick Missing pick Reed mark Smash Oil/Grease marks Slubs

Fabric Storage and Handling: Fabrics may not be stored on the floor. Shelf systems are recommended to allow clean and safe fabric storage. Knitted and elastic fabrics have to be handled separately to avoid overstretching and must be relaxed a minimum of 24 hours before cutting. White and light colored fabrics have to be handled with special care.

Fabric Inspection Area: Must be clean, neat, dry and well-lit Recommended is a maximum working temperature of 30C (86F) Tools for Fabric Inspection: Scissors Measuring tape Defect stickers and /or Selvedge Defect Flags Fabric inspection report.

Inspection Sampling Size Fabric suppliers must do a 100 % fabric inspection. Garment maker should inspect at least 10 % of all incoming fabrics by color within at least 7 days before. Color Shading within the rolls: The fabric supplier has to ensure and control the color within every roll. Garment supplier have to cut from the beginning of each inspected roll, fabric samples from the left, middle and right fabric side of each inspected fabric roll to check color shading against the

Color Shading between the rolls: Fabric supplier has to check every dyeing batch against the approved first dye lot sample and color standard. Fabric samples have to be cut from the left side, the centre and the right side of the fabric and must be checked against the approved first dye lot sample. Garment supplier has to check color consistency between the different fabric rolls. Fabric samples have to be cut from the left side, the centre and the right side of each inspected

Fabric inspection reports of the fabric suppliers must include the following formation: Date of fabric inspection Fabric number, color code, order number, Fabric width, Fabric Roll Number Dye lot number Weight per each fabric roll Fabric length per roll Number of scored points per each fabric roll Kind of scored fabric defects Name of inspector

Human Factor: Typical fabric inspection methods causes fatigue to most of the inspectors. This often has impact on identifying the defects in the fabric The defect detection rate on an average is only limiting between 40 to 60%. It takes time for the new comer in the department in order to identify the defects. Today manual fabric inspection is replaced by computer method of inspection.

Computer fabric scanning: Uster developed a new method of fabric inspection technology. This is named as fabriscan. It can capable of handle a wide width of fabrics from 80 to 440cm