For first-quality woven fabric, an acceptable level is commonly set between 20 and 28 points per 100 square yards, with figures nearer 20 for apparel and nearer 28 for less demanding uses. There is no universal limit; ASTM D5430 describes how to count points but leaves the acceptance level to be agreed between buyer and seller, so the figure in your contract is the one that counts. Limits are usually set at two levels: a maximum for any single roll, and an average across the shipment or lot. A roll over the roll limit is rejected or downgraded even if the lot average is fine.
Typical acceptance levels
- Premium shirting and fine fabrics: often around 15 to 20 points per 100 square yards per roll.
- Standard apparel fabric: around 20 to 24 points per roll, with a lot average often set a few points lower.
- Workwear, bags and home textiles: 28 points or so is common, since cutting plans can work around defects.
- Second quality: anything above the first-quality limit, usually priced down and sold with no claim on defects.
Rules that sit alongside the points limit
A points score alone can hide problems, so most buyers add further rules. No roll should contain a running defect beyond a given length. No roll should have a hole larger than a stated size, or more than a set number of holes, whatever the points total. Rolls below a minimum length, often around 30 metres, or containing more than one or two cut pieces, are also rejected because they waste fabric at spreading.
Shade must be within tolerance to the approved standard and grouped by roll so the garment factory can cut consistently. Skew and bow should be limited to a small percentage of width, since twills in particular will twist in the garment if this is ignored.
How to use this in practice
Put the roll limit, the lot average, the sampling plan and the consequences into the purchase contract. Inspecting 10 per cent of rolls is common for routine orders, rising to 100 per cent for new mills, first orders and critical fabrics. State what happens to a failed lot: replacement, re-inspection at the mill's cost, a price reduction, or rejection.
Ask for the mill's own inspection reports with the shipment and compare them with any third-party report; large gaps between the two tell you a lot about the mill's grading. Remember that a tight points limit costs money, since the mill has to grade more cloth as second quality, so set a limit that matches the end use rather than the lowest number you can negotiate.
How Creston & Co helps
We help buyers set a points limit that fits the product, then inspect rolls to it before loading and supervise the loading itself. Sealed samples go to an NABL-accredited lab where fastness or shrinkage is in question, and we send weekly updates throughout. We usually keep one approved supplier plus one backup so a failed lot has a fallback, and a free 20-minute sourcing review is a simple first step.