Technical Guide · Greige Inspection
Greige Fabric Inspection: Header Matching, and Which Faults Survive Finishing
Greige fabric on Burhan-coordinated orders is inspected by header matching: a header — a full-width cutting — is taken from every roll in the lot, the headers are matched against each other for uniformity, and each is checked against the approved sample, with the roll bodies inspected on a sampled basis. It is a lot-uniformity procedure, not a defect points score — and the two answer different questions.
Updated
How is greige fabric inspected before shipment?
| Step | What is done | What it checks | What a failure looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Header cut from every roll | A full-width cutting is taken from each roll in the lot — no roll is exempt | That every roll is represented physically, not on paper | A roll that cannot yield a header matching its documentation |
| 2. Headers matched against each other | The full set is laid side by side and compared for construction, width, weight and appearance uniformity | That the lot is one lot — not two weaving runs shipped as one | One or more headers visibly or measurably different from the set |
| 3. Each header checked against the approved sample | Construction counted, width and weight measured, handle and appearance compared to the contractual reference | Ends matching the approved sample exactly; GSM within the agreed ±5 band; width within the agreed ±3 inch band | A figure outside its written band, or ends that do not match the sample |
| 4. Sampling is per roll | Every roll is represented by its own header, so no roll is cleared on another roll’s evidence | Lot uniformity across the whole shipment, roll by roll | A roll that diverges from the rest of the set |
The logic of the procedure: a header is the one cutting that carries the roll's construction, width, weight and appearance in a single piece of cloth. Matching all of them against each other catches lot problems; matching each against the approved sample catches specification problems. No published points threshold stands behind this — the pass standard is the approved sample and the written bands.
What does header matching catch that a paper check cannot?
- Mixed lots. Two weaving runs of "the same quality" shipped as one lot — invisible on documentation, obvious when twenty headers lie side by side.
- Construction drift. Ends or picks sliding across a long run; the count on the last roll's header is checked, not assumed from the first.
- Width and weight drift. Every roll's header is measured, so a lot that starts inside its bands and wanders out is caught at the roll where it happened.
- The wrong quality altogether. A substituted or mislabelled roll fails the header match immediately — its cutting does not belong to the set.
Buyers assume greige inspection means a defect count with a points score per hundred square yards. On our orders it does not — header matching is a lot-uniformity and specification check, and a points score is a separate exercise a buyer must ask for separately. Conflating the two is how inspection disputes start: each side believes "inspected" meant a different procedure.
What about the four-point system?
The four-point system — standardised as ASTM D5430, Standard Test Methods for Visually Inspecting and Grading Fabrics — is the industry's best-known numeric defect-grading method: defects are assigned penalty points by size and the roll is graded on points per area. It is a real standard and a reasonable requirement for some programmes. It is not the procedure described above, and we do not publish a points table or pass threshold as ours, because partner-mill greige inspection on our orders is header-based.
- If your programme requires four-point grading, say so on the order, before production — it is an agreed inspection service with its own cost and time, not a default.
- Asking for a points score at claim time, on an order inspected by header matching, is a mismatch no one can resolve honestly — the data was never collected.
- Whichever method applies, write it on the order: the method, the reference it is checked against, and what happens on failure.
Which loom-state faults survive finishing — and which vanish?
Greige carries faults a finished-fabric buyer never sees, and hides faults that only appear after dyeing. The useful sorting is not by fault name but by fate:
| Fate in finishing | Typical faults | What it means for the buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Survive — woven into the structure | Broken or missing ends, missing picks, holes, wrong-count or wrong-draw stretches, prominent reed marks | What you accept in greige, you own in finished cloth; these are exactly what the header set is checked for |
| Vanish or fade — sit in what preparation removes | Size stains and streaks, most loose surface soil, many temporary creases. Water marks are the exception — they can migrate size locally and reappear as shade marks after dyeing | Alarming to an untrained eye at greige stage, gone after desizing and scouring — rejecting a lot for them wastes a negotiation |
| Emerge or worsen — invisible until wet processing | Oil and lubricant lines that set in heat, starting marks and tension bars that surface as shade differences after dyeing | The reason greige acceptance cannot be purely visual — and why the approved sample is run through the real route before bulk |
What can you claim if delivered fabric fails your own check?
The claims procedure on Burhan-coordinated orders is deliberately simple and deliberately strict about condition: a valid claim is settled by 100% refund, raised within 15 days of delivery, on fabric that is uncut from the roll. Once the roll is cut, no claim — cutting is acceptance, because a cut roll can no longer be verified as delivered or returned as shipped.
- Inspect on arrival, before cutting. Run your incoming check inside the 15-day window while every roll is still intact.
- Check headers first. The same procedure that cleared the lot works in reverse — cut your own headers, match them against each other and your approved sample.
- Raise the claim on the uncut roll. State the roll numbers, the figures measured, and the band or sample point they fail.
The wider protections around an order — sampling, references and how disputes are prevented upstream — are set out on buyer assurance.
What should the order state so inspection is enforceable?
- The reference: the approved sample, named on the order as the standard every header is checked against.
- The bands: GSM within ±5 and width within ±3 inches of the agreed figures, ends matching the approved sample exactly — restated on the order confirmation.
- The method: header matching as described here, or any additional grading (such as four-point to ASTM D5430) agreed and priced before production.
- The claims terms: the 15-day window and the uncut-roll condition, written where both sides will re-read them.
Related knowledge
- From greige to finished: how width, weight and length change
The approval procedure this inspection enforces — how the sample becomes the contractual reference.
- What a greige fabric specification must state
The written figures and bands inspection is checked against — the checklist that makes step 3 possible.
- Why two greige lots dye differently
What lot uniformity protects downstream — the four lots behind a shade, and what to record for a repeat.
- What is actually in greige fabric: sizing and preparation
Why some greige-stage marks vanish in preparation — the chemistry behind the fault-fate table.
- Low-MOQ fabric sourcing from Pakistan
The confirmed processing minimums and order structure the inspection terms sit inside.
Frequently asked questions
How is greige fabric inspected?
On Burhan-coordinated orders, by header matching: a full-width cutting is taken from every roll, the set is matched for uniformity, each header is checked against the approved sample and written bands, with sampling done per roll so no roll is cleared on another roll’s evidence. It is a lot-uniformity procedure, not a points score. Any additional body inspection or roll-by-roll running is agreed and priced per order.
Is the four-point system used for greige inspection?
Not by default on our orders — greige is inspected by header matching, and we publish no points table or threshold. Four-point grading to ASTM D5430 is a legitimate separate requirement: if your programme needs it, agree it on the order before production.
Will fabric defects disappear after dyeing?
Some do. Size stains, surface soil and temporary creases sit in what preparation removes. Structural faults — broken or missing ends, holes, wrong counts — survive into finished cloth, and some faults, like set oil lines and starting marks, only become visible after dyeing.
What is the claims policy on greige fabric orders?
A valid claim is settled by 100% refund, raised within 15 days of delivery, on fabric uncut from the roll. Once a roll is cut there is no claim — so inspect on arrival, headers first, before any roll goes to the cutting table.
What does "first quality" mean if no standard has been agreed?
Very little that is enforceable — it is a trade courtesy, not a specification. Enforceability comes from what the order states: the approved sample, the written bands, the inspection method, and the claims terms. If those four are on the order, "first quality" never needs to be argued.
On typical values: the fault-fate table is general guidance — how a specific fault behaves depends on construction, fibre and route, and the approved sample plus the agreed inspection method govern any specific order. Working tolerance bands and claims terms are restated on each order confirmation. Burhan Enterprises is a sourcing and export partner and coordinates through partner mills and processing units.
Inspect the reference before you inspect the lot
Request free swatches and an approved pre-production sample for your construction — the reference every header on your order will be matched against, with the figures and bands put in writing before production.