ASTM D3990-12(2020)

Standard Terminology Relating to Fabric Defects

SCOPE
1.1 This terminology covers defects in both woven and knit fabrics. Descriptions of the defects, illustrations, and related material are given under the most frequently used terms; synonym(s) are listed in parentheses and cross referenced.  
1.2 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Jun-2020
• ICS: 01.040.59 - Textile and leather technology (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 59.080.30 - Textile fabrics
• Technical Committee: D13 - Textiles
• Drafting Committee: D13.59 - Fabric Physical Test Methods A

Relations

• Refers: ASTM D1776-08e1 - Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Aug-2008
• Refers: ASTM D1776-08 - Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Aug-2008
• Refers: ASTM D1776-04 - Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2004
• Refers: ASTM D1776-98e1 - Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
• Effective Date: 10-Dec-1998

Overview

ASTM D3990-12(2020), Standard Terminology Relating to Fabric Defects, is a widely recognized international standard published by ASTM International. The standard provides an authoritative compilation of terminology related to defects in woven and knit fabrics. It offers concise definitions, descriptions, and references for the most common fabric defect terms, along with synonyms and cross-references. Developed in accordance with global standardization principles established by the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee, ASTM D3990-12(2020) supports uniform communication and quality assessment across the textile and apparel industries worldwide.

Key Topics

• Comprehensive Fabric Defect Terminology
  The standard covers a broad range of fabric defects, ensuring clear understanding across global supply chains. Key terms defined include:

  • Abrasion mark: Area on the fabric damaged by friction.
  • Bow: Arcing of filling yarns or knitting courses away from a perpendicular line.
  • Barré: Unintentional stripes or bars, often due to differences in yarn or dye.
  • Crease/Mark: Folds or lines in the fabric, typically from processing.
  • Broken End/Pick: Voids or discontinuities in either warp or filling yarn.
  • Fuzz Ball/Pills: Loose or tangled bundles of fibers on the fabric surface.
  • Selvage Defects: Imperfections along the fabric edge, such as slack, loopy, or cut selvage.
  • Stain/Spot: Areas of discoloration due to various causes (oil, dye migration, etc.).
  • Float: Portions of yarn that extend unbound over other yarns, unintended in most cases.
  • Hole/Snag: Surface ruptures or pulled yarns altering fabric integrity.

• Cross-Referencing and Synonyms
  For each defect, the standard offers synonyms and links related terms, clarifying industry jargon and reducing ambiguity in communication.

• Illustrations and Examples
  Where relevant, defect definitions are supported by illustrations and comparative explanations to aid visual understanding.

Applications

• Textile Manufacturing and Quality Control
  Manufacturers and quality inspectors use this standard for consistent identification and classification of fabric defects. This enhances the effectiveness of quality assurance protocols, facilitates batch comparison, and supports claims management.

• Textile Testing Laboratories
  Standardized defect terminology helps laboratories report test results accurately, ensuring all parties in the textile supply chain share a common understanding.

• Apparel Brands and Retailers
  Brands reference ASTM D3990-12(2020) to specify fabric quality requirements in procurement documents. Clear terminology helps reduce disputes and returns due to misunderstood defect claims.

• Textile Education and Training
  The standard serves as an essential resource in textile engineering, textile technology, and fashion design curricula, supporting education on fabric construction and defect analysis.

• International Trade
  Clear, internationally recognized definitions help resolve quality disputes and facilitate smoother cross-border transactions of woven and knit fabrics.

Related Standards

• ASTM D123 – Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
  The foundational glossary for the textile sector, often referenced alongside D3990-12(2020).

• ASTM D1776 – Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
  Guidelines for laboratory testing conditions, referenced for ensuring reliable fabric testing outcomes.

• Other ASTM Committee D13 Documents
  ASTM Committee D13 develops a broad range of standards on textiles, such as methods for testing fabric strength, dimensional change, and colorfastness.

Practical Value

ASTM D3990-12(2020) enables textile professionals to communicate fabric quality concerns with confidence, minimizes ambiguity, and upholds reputational and financial interests throughout the product lifecycle. Adoption of standardized terminology for fabric defects is essential for ensuring high-quality textile production, consistent product labeling, and successful international trade in woven and knit fabrics.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: D3990 − 12 (Reapproved 2020)
Standard Terminology Relating to
Fabric Defects
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D3990; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.
DISCUSSION—The term “barré” is sometimes used as a synonym for
1. Scope
“warp streaks” in warp knit and woven fabrics. Barré can be caused by
1.1 This terminology covers defects in both woven and knit
physical, optical, or dye differences in the yarns, geometric differences
fabrics. Descriptions of the defects, illustrations, and related
in the fabric structure, or by any combination of these differences.
material are given under the most frequently used terms;
synonym(s) are listed in parentheses and cross referenced.
1.2 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D1776 Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
beaded selvage—See loopy selvage.
3. Terminology
bias—See skew.
birdseye, n—in knitted fabrics, an unintentional tuck stitch.
3.1 Definitions:
abrasion mark, n—an area damaged by friction. (Syn. chafe
blanket mark—See sanforizing mark.
mark)
blotch, n—an offcolored area of any shape caused by grease or
oil. (Syn. oil spot)
apron mark—See decating mark.
baggy cloth—See wavy cloth.
bow, n—a fabric condition resulting when filling yarns or
baggy selvage—See slack selvage.
knitting courses are displaced from a line perpendicular to
balling up—See fuzz ball.
the selvages and form one or more arcs across the width of
barré, n—anunintentional,repetitivevisualpatternofcontinu-
fabric. (See also double bow)
ous bars and stripes usually parallel to the filling of woven
bow, double—See double bow.
fabric or to the courses of circular knit fabric. (Compare
box mark—See shuttle mark.
warp streak, mixed filling)
break-out—See smash.
broken end, n—in woven fabrics, a void in the warp direction
due to yarn breakage.
ThisterminologyisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeD13onTextiles
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D13.59 on Fabric Test Methods,
broken filament, n—in multifilament yarn, breaks in one or
General.
more filaments. (Syn. strip back, skin back)
Current edition approved July 1, 2020. Published July 2020. Originally approved
as an appendix to Terminology D123 in 1964. Redesignated D3990 in 1981. Last
broken pick, n— in woven fabrics,adiscontinuityinthefilling
previous edition approved in 2016 as D3990 – 12(2016). DOI: 10.1520/D3990-
12R20. direction caused by a break or cut in the filling yarn.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D3990 − 12 (2020)
broken selvage—See cut selvage. crease, n—a fabric defect evidenced by a break, line, or mark
generally caused by a sharp fold. (Syn. mill wrinkle)
bruise, n—in fabrics, an area that has been subjected to impact
or pressure, that differs from the adjacent normal fabric.
(Syn. pressure mark.)
bunch—See slug.
chafe mark—See abrasion mark.
clip mark, n—a visual deformation near the edge of a fabric
parallel with the lengthwise direction caused by pressure
exerted by a clasping device on a clip tenter frame. (See also
pin mark.)
coarse end, n—a larger than normal diameter warp end. (Syn.
heavy end) (Compare fine end)
coarse filling—See coarse pick.
coarse pick, n— in woven fabrics, one or more picks of larger
crease mark, n—a visible deformation left in a fabric after a
diameterthanthenormalfillingyarninthefabric.(Syn.thick
creasehasbeenincompletelyremovedduringfabricprocess-
filling)
ing.
cockles, n—in yarns, irregular thick, uneven, lumps.
crocking, n—a transfer of color from the surface of a colored
fabric to an adjacent area of the same fabric or to another
color bleeding, n—the loss of color from a dyed fabric when
surface principally by rubbing action. (Compare color stain-
immersed in water, dry-cleaning solvent, or similar liquid
ing)
medium, with consequent coloring of the liquid medium.
(Compare color staining.)
crowsfeet, n—in fabrics, fine wrinkles of varying degrees of
intensity, size, and shape.
color staining, n—the undesired pickup of color by a fabric:
DISCUSSION—Crowsfeet may occur during wet processing and on
(1) when immersed in water, dry-cleaning solvent, or similar
finished goods after folding.
liquid medium, that contains dyestuffs or coloring material
not intended for coloring the fabric, or (2) by direct contact
curl—See kink.
with other dyed material from which color is transferred by
curled selvage, n—self-descriptive. (Syn. rolled selvage,
bleeding or sublimation. (Compare crocking, color bleed-
turned-over edge)
ing)
cut pick—See broken pick.
corded selvage—See loopy selvage.
cut selvage, n—cuts or breaks that occur in the selvage only.
crack mark, n—an open place causing a streak of variable
(Syn. broken selvage, damaged selvage)
length approximately parallel to the length or width. (Syn.
open place, thin spot) damaged selvage—See cut selvage.
D3990 − 12 (2020)
dead cotton, n—a small nep of cotton fibers which is gathered
on the surface of the fabric and which is different in color
from the surrounding fabric.
decating mark, n—a crease mark or impression extending
across the cloth near the beginning or end of a piece due to
the thickness of the fabric leader seam. (Syn. apron mark,
leader mark)
doctor streak, n—in printed cloth, a wavy white or colored
streak in the warp direction of printed cloth caused by a
defective doctor blade.
double bow, n—two fabric bows, arcing in the same direction,
filling run-out—See broken pick.
as in a flattened M or W depending on the viewing angle.
fine end, n.—a smaller than normal diameter warp end. (Syn.
(See also bow) (Compare double reverse bow)
light end, thin end) (Compare coarse end)
DISCUSSION—In tubular knits, there may be differential bowing
between the top and bottom of the tube. fine filling—See thin filling.
fine pick—See thin filling.
double hooked bow, n—one hooked bow at each side of the
finger mark, n—an irregular spot showing variation in picks
fabric that arc in opposite directions. (See also hooked bow)
per inch for a limited width.
double pick, n— in woven fabrics, two picks wrongly placed
in the same shed. (See also mispick) (Compare jerk-in )
double reverse bow, n—two fabric bows arcing in opposite
directions. (See also bow and double hooked bow) (Com-
pare double bow)
draw-back, n—a weave distortion characterized by tight and
slack places in the same warp yarn. (Syn. hitch-back)
dropped stitch, n—in knitted fabrics, an unknitted stitch.
dye spot—See dyestain.
finishing bar, n—anunevenappearanceacrosstheentirefabric
dyestain, n—anareaofunintendeddiscolorationduetouneven
width.
absorption of a colorant.
float, n—in woven fabrics, that portion of a warp or filling yarn
dye streak, n—an unintended irregular stripe in a fabric due to
that extends unbound over two or more warp or filling yarns;
uneven absorption of a colorant.
in knitted fabrics, that portion of a yarn that is not knitted
end out, n—a void caused by a missing warp yarn. (Syn. into loops.
missing end)
D4850
filling band, n— in woven fabrics, a visual defect across the
DISCUSSION—If intentionally introduced, floats are a constructional
width due to a change occurring in the yarn for a large
characteristic of knit or woven fabrics. If unintentionally present, they
number of picks. (Compare filling bar) are considered to be defects.
flyer—See loom fly.
filling bar, n— in woven fabrics, a visual defect across the
width which contains a limited number of picks of different frosting, n—a change in color in a limited area of a fabric
appearance than normal. (Compare filling band) caused by abrasive wear.
D3990 − 12 (2020)
DISCUSSION—Frosting may be the result of differential wear, as in
harness skip—See float.
multicomponent blends in which the fibers do not match in shade, or of
heavy end—See coarse end.
the abrasion of single-fiber constructions in which there is some
heavy filling—See coarse pick.
variation in penetration, or incomplete penetration, of dye-stuff. The
heavy pick—See coarse pick.
use of the terms “differential wear” and “fibrillation” as substitutes for
the concept of frosting is undesirable.
hitch-back—See draw-back.
hole, n—in fabric, an imperfection where one or more yarns
fuzz ball, n—loose and frayed fibers that have formed into a
are sufficiently damaged to create an aperture.
ball and have then been woven or knitted into the fabric.
(Syn. lint ball, snow ball) (Compare pills)
hooked bow, n—a fabric condition in which the filling yarns or
knitted courses are in the proper position for most of the
fuzzy, adj—characterized by a hairy appearance due to pro-
fabricwidthbutarepulledoutofalignmentatonesideofthe
truding broken fibers or filaments. (Syn. hairy)
fabric. (See also double hooked bow)
jerk-in, n—in woven fabric,anextrafillingthreaddraggedinto
the shed with the regular pick and extending only part of the
way across the cloth. (Syn. lash-in, pull-in) (Compare
double pick)
kink, n—in fabric, a short length of yarn that has spontane-
ously doubled back on itself to form a loop. (Syn. curl, kinky
thread, looped yarn, snarl)
gout, n—foreign matter trapped in a fabric by accident, usually
lint or waste. (See also slug)
kinky thread—See kink.
knitted fabric, n—a structure produced by interlooping one or
more ends of yarn or comparable materials.
ladder—See run.
lash-in—See jerk-in.
hairy—See fuzzy.
leader mark—See decating mark.
hang pick, n—a pick, caught on a warp yarn knot for a short
let-off mark, n— in woven fabrics, a corrugated defect pattern
distance, producing a triangular-shaped hole in the fabric. distributed across the fabric width. (Compare shier)
(Syn. hang shot)
DISCUSSION—Let-off marks are caused by badly adjusted let-off
motions of a loom.
light end—See fine end.
light filling—See thin filling.
light pick—See thin filling.
lint ball—See fuzz ball.
long knot, n—in raw silk, knots which have loose ends from 3
to 25 mm in length.
long slug, n—in raw silk, a slug which exceeds 10 mm ( ⁄2 in.)
in length or which is very much larger in diameter than the
yarn.
loom fly, n—waste fibers created during weaving that are
hang shot—See hang pick.
woven into a fabric. (Syn. flyer)
hard end—See tight twist end.
looped yarn—See kink.
hard size, n—sections of cloth containing an excessive quan-
tity of sizing. (Syn. starch lump) loopy edge—See loopy selvage.
D3990 − 12 (2020)
loopy selvage, n—an
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