Precautions for textile and clothing inspection

Three key considerations for garment and textile inspection: images, defects, and labels

To ensure the quality of inspection reports and assist retailers and buyers in controlling the safety and quality of clothing and textiles, inspectors need to focus on the following three aspects:

1. Image quality: key to report intuitiveness

• The content of the shooting needs to be comprehensive: Factory gate, panoramic view of warehouse (proving that bulk goods have been packed), outer box mark/barcode, inner box/color box/color card/sticker/barcode, product details (Logo/customer focus), packaging method/label/instructions (small font requires macro spacing), and details of all defective products.

• Shooting technical requirements:

  • Pixels and ratios: ≥800*600, 4:3 ratio.

  • Direction and angle: The photo must be taken horizontally (no vertical orientation), and the label must be taken facing forward (no upside down orientation).

  • Clarity: Moderate lighting (avoid too dark/overexposure), accurate focus (avoid blur/ghosting), use macro for imperfect details/small fonts.

  • Deformation Control: Distant objects should be photographed at a 90-degree angle.

  • background: Keep it clean and tidy and avoid clutter.

  • Barcode: The barcode pattern and scan result must be in the same photo.

  • contrast: If there is a confirmed sample, it needs to be photographed together with the bulk product.

• importance: Images are the most visual part of the report, and their quality directly affects the overall quality of the report. Ensure that the photos are up to standard during inspection to avoid rework at the report stage.

2. Defect description: the determining factor of the report result

• importance: The defect description directly determines whether the report result is PASS or FAIL, and is the core basis for customers to judge product quality.

• Top 10 common defects (textiles/clothing):

  1. Uncut thread ends

  2. Dirt/Stains

  3. Skipped stitches

  4. Drop stitches - commonly seen on sweaters

  5. Printing problems (Uneven dyeing/printing, Misprinting/Off printing)

  6. Puckering along the seam

  7. Holes

  8. Snagging yarn

  9. Color shading within same piece

  10. Exposed stitches/seam

• Describe the rules: use “Defect + Location + Defect Size” For example: Dirty mark at back (defect size 0.3 cm) .

3. Label inspection: ensuring product information and compliance

• importance: Labels carry complete product information and are key to branding (such as QR codes) and regulatory compliance.

• Tag range: Hang tags, waist tags, durable labels (cloth tags), direct printing/woven labels, instruction manuals, packaging bags (boxes), etc.

• National Standard Core Content Requirements (China):

  • Manufacturer's name and address

  • Product Name

  • Product Model/Specifications

  • Fiber composition and content

  • Maintenance methods

  • Implementation of product standards

  • Security Category

  • Precautions for use and storage

• Inspection points (compared with customer sample):

  • Position and sewing: Check whether the positions of various labels are correct and whether the sewing method meets the requirements.

  • size: Measure the size of labels such as hang tags and cloth labels to see if they are consistent with the sample.

  • Content Accuracy: The text content (including all details) must be exactly the same as the sample provided by the customer.

  • Clear specifications: The text is clear and eye-catching, and the graphic symbols are intuitive and standardized.

  • Language requirements: Use the target market's national standard language or multiple languages.

  • Durability: The label material and production method must ensure that it is clear and easy to read during the service life of the product.