Common t-shirt defects and the AQL inspection standard

There is no production without defects. Every factory in the world produces a proportion of pieces that do not exactly match specification. The question is not whether defects exist but how many you accept and of what kind, and whether that figure is written into your contract or left to negotiation when the goods arrive.

What is the AQL standard?

It is the internationally recognised standard for sampling inspection in volume production. Its principle is that inspecting every piece is impractical, so a number of pieces is drawn at random according to the order size, and a defect count is set in advance above which the whole shipment is rejected. What matters is that both numbers, the sample size and the acceptance limit, are fixed before inspection rather than after.

Defects in three grades

• Critical: makes the product hazardous or illegal. A broken needle inside the garment, a trim that detaches easily on childrenswear, a label that breaches requirements. The acceptable limit here is always zero.
• Major: prevents sale at full price. A visible stain, a hole, a colour outside the approved reference, a misplaced print, a measurement outside tolerance, an open seam.
• Minor: does not prevent sale but departs from specification. A loose thread, an uneven stitch in a hidden place, a slight deviation in label position.

Common figures in the garment trade are zero for critical, a low percentage for major, and a slightly higher one for minor. State the numbers explicitly in the contract rather than relying on custom.

The most common t-shirt defects

• Shade variation between pieces: caused by mixing two dye lots in one carton.
• Measurements outside tolerance: chest width or length above or below the chart.
• A slack neck rib: appears after washing, which is why inspection must include a wash test.
• A crooked or low print: caused by the absence of a written placement diagram.
• Print cracking under tension: tested by stretching the fabric during inspection.
• Loose threads and open stitches where seams intersect.
• Pilling: appears after two washes on carded fabrics.
• Oil marks from sewing machines: common and easily caught in inspection.

When should inspection happen?

Useful inspection happens after production and packing are complete and before loading, when the goods are finished and in sealed cartons. During-production inspection is also useful as an early warning, but it does not replace the final one. Require that the sample be drawn from cartons the inspector selects at random, not from cartons the factory presents.

What does the report cover?

Measurements against the chart, fabric weight on a scale, colour against the approved swatch under standard lighting, print durability by stretch and rub, label review against requirements, packaging and sticker checks, and counts by quantity and size. Ask for photographs of every recorded defect; a report without photographs is useless for a claim.

What do you do on a fail?

The usual options: re-sorting at the factory's cost followed by re-inspection, repair of repairable defects, an agreed discount where defects are minor and commercially acceptable, or rejection in serious cases. Tie the second payment to passing inspection, or you lose the ability to choose any of these.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays for inspection? Normally the importer, at the cost of one working day, and the factory may bear the re-inspection after a fail.

Can I inspect remotely myself? A live video walkthrough helps but does not replace a physical inspection that measures, weighs and washes.

Is zero defects possible? Not in volume production. Ask for realistic written limits rather than an unenforceable promise.

We arrange third-party inspection to a standard written into the contract, and tie the final payment to its result.