10 Most Common Defects in Garments (with Pictures)

Defect

Photo

Causes

Solution

1. Shade variation

• Variations in the production process in terms of time and speed (such as the dye process)
• Wrong pile direction (for corduroy, velvet, and polar fleece)
• Mixing fabrics used in manufacturing
• Incorrect trimming, bundling, and/or numbering.

• Using the same base material and parameter set for each production batch can effectively prevent a change in shade.
• When visiting a factory that produces raw fabrics, it is very important to make sure that workers combine clothes of the same color. Proper numbering of textile types prevents the erroneous combination of cuts that differ in shade.

2. Dirt/ stains

• Textiles can never be truly protected from stains because they can appear at any time during or after production if they are not stored in an area with adequate protection.
• Stains can appear on fabrics from almost any source: dirt from the plant, oil from the sewing machine, and dyes.
• Stains are relatively easy to identify and prevent if suppliers keep a close eye on the quality of fabric.

• A manufacturer can prevent stains during production by regularly cleaning production machines and equipment to ensure no random oils, grease, or dyes make their way onto the textile.
• Wrapping the finished rolls of fabric in plastic and storing them in a separate area away from the dying area can help avoid post-production stains.

3. Uneven dyeing/ printing/ dye marks

• Poor quality base fabric (dirty or fly yarn on the fabric surface before dyeing).
• Dyeing machine entanglement (dirty fall on the fabric when printing).

Ensure the cleanliness of the fabric before dyeing or printing

4. Drop stitches

One needle is broken or cannot work normally when knitting

• Use high-quality needles on the knitting machine
• Checking the yarn holder and any other machines for proper tension during production can prevent stitches from falling.

5. Misprinting, ,off-printing or absence of printing

The printing plate is dislocated, or the fabric isn’t fixed when printing.

The printing plate and fabric must be fixed when printing.

6. Crease marks

• The flap assembly of two fabric pieces is imperfect (twist effect).
• The press teeth of the sewing machine is too tight.

Improve the worker’s skills and adjust the press teeth.

7. Neps/ knots

Fly fiber fell on the yarn when spinning. Or untrimmed coarse yarn when weaving.

• Ensure proper maintenance and cleaning of machines and the production environment.
• Neps can be removed before processing.

8. Holes

• Caused by an accidental cut or tear.
• Broken needles or coarse mechanical parts are common causes of tearing during production.

Ensuring that the supplier has procedures for regularly checking needles and ensuring that scissors are not abused.

9. Needle lines

Due to unskilled workers.

• If the needle lines are found, it is recommended to only trace the needle line to the corresponding defective needle and replace it to prevent further needle lines. If needle lines appear in the strip, it is recommended to replace several broken needles.
• Check if your supplier has developed and maintains proper maintenance and cleaning procedures to prevent problems with needles and equipment.

10. Broken pick

• A result of breaking or cutting the filling yarn, which leads to the insertion of a partial separation into the fabric.
• May occur after a weft rupture, weft exhaustion, or a faulty weft fork mechanism.

• Correcting the weft stop motion.
• Training the weaving personnel in identifying and replacing a broken piece during production can help prevent this defect from appearing in the finished product.