In-House Fabric Test Methods & Log

Seven basic in-house tests that identify quality issues before sampling deadlines — requiring minimal supplies and no lab budget.

What's Inside

In-House Fabric Test Methods & Log

Lab testing is the gold standard — but it costs time and money. These seven in-house methods let your team identify the most common fabric quality issues before you commit to a sampling order. Each test uses basic supplies you already have.

GSM / Fabric Weight

GSM (grams per square meter) tells you if the fabric matches your spec. You can calculate it without a punch cutter using a scale and scissors.

Cut a 10×10 cm square, weigh it in grams, multiply by 100
Compare to your tech pack spec — a 10% variance is usually acceptable
Lightweight (under 150 GSM) suits shirts and blouses; medium (150–250 GSM) suits T-shirts and sweatshirts; heavy (250+ GSM) suits outerwear

Stretch & Recovery

For stretch fabrics, you need to verify both how much the fabric stretches and how well it snaps back. Poor recovery causes bagging and distortion after wear.

Mark a 10 cm section along the stretch direction
Stretch to resistance, measure the extended length
Recovery: hold stretched for 30 seconds, release, measure again after 1 minute
Pass threshold: 90%+ recovery for activewear; 80%+ for casual knits

Shrinkage

Unaccounted shrinkage causes fit failures between sampling and production. Test before you finalize grading.

Cut a 20×20 cm square, mark the edges with a fabric pen
Wash and dry according to your care label instructions
Re-measure and calculate: (original – final) ÷ original × 100
Typical allowance: 3–5% shrinkage is acceptable; above 5% requires adjustment

Opacity

Sheerness issues are invisible until you see a model wearing the garment under bright lights. Test opacity before sampling.

Stretch the fabric to wearing tension against printed text
If text is legible through the fabric, it will appear sheer on the body
For stretch garments, test at the stretch tension the wearer would experience

Pilling

Pilling is a surface quality issue that customers notice quickly. Test using friction before committing to bulk.

Rub the fabric surface against itself (or a wool scrap) for 30–60 seconds
Rate pilling 1–5: 5 = no pilling, 1 = heavy pilling (same scale as ASTM D3512)
Any rating below 3 should be flagged to the supplier before bulk

Colorfastness (Crocking)

Crocking is dye transferring to another surface — either when dry or wet. This is a retail compliance test and a customer satisfaction issue.

Dry crocking: rub white cotton cloth against the fabric 10 times with moderate pressure
Wet crocking: dampen the white cloth, repeat
Rate transfer on the white cloth 1–5: 5 = no transfer, 1 = severe transfer
Retail minimum: 4 dry, 3 wet for most buyers

Torque / Skewness

Torque causes seams to twist after washing — a common problem with single-jersey knits. Catching it early prevents post-production fit complaints.

Cut a 30×30 cm square, wash and dry
Lay flat and measure any diagonal distortion in the pattern or selvedge line
Greater than 5% torque usually requires supplier correction before bulk

Who it's for

QA teams at small brands without lab budgets, designers testing fabrics from a new supplier before committing to bulk, and production managers who need a documented testing record.

What you get

7 test methods with step-by-step instructions
Printable log — one row per fabric sample
Overall assessment: Approved / Requires Lab / Rejected
Free, no credit card required

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In-House Fabric Test Methods & Log