Separate the causes
The two measurements mean different widths
Write whether each value includes selvedges and which edge zones are excluded. Compare like with like; total width on the roll label cannot be subtracted directly from a relaxed usable-width measurement to claim shrinkage.
The same positions become narrower
Make a paired before/after record with the agreed relaxation and conditioning state, orientation and measurement presentation. Keep the original values and conditions; do not stretch the cloth back to make a marker pass. Check additional representative positions before defining affected quantity.
Only some sections lose cutting space
Map curled edges, edge defects and narrow stations to their roll positions. State the usable boundary and sort/layout decision for each section. A favourable average must not hide a section below the approved marker requirement.
Steps before deciding
- Identify article, colour, lot, roll, face, direction and measurement stations; keep total width and usable width in separate columns.
- Agree the measurement method with the lab or inspection team, including specimen presentation and relaxation/conditioning. This guide prescribes no universal waiting time.
- Measure matched stations without imposed stretch, recording both usable edges, individual results and exclusions. Investigate differing setup before assigning a cause.
- Compare the marker's actual width requirement against the approved usable-width basis and distribution. Trial a revised marker or segregated roll plan; do not assume percentage extra length restores width.
- Record the accepted minimum or other contractual width rule, sample coverage, marker revision, yield effect and authorized release. Keep relaxation observations separate from pressing or care-shrinkage results.
Worked example
Arithmetic example only: total width is 150 cm; usable width at loading is 146 cm and at matched stations after agreed relaxation is 143 cm. The paired usable-width reduction is (146 − 143) ÷ 146 × 100 ≈ 2.05%, not (150 − 143) ÷ 150. A marker needing 145 cm does not fit 143 cm; adding 2.05% more length does not solve that geometry. These are hypothetical values, not a roll result or tolerance.
Buyer questions
Can extra metres compensate automatically?
No. Extra length and lateral fit are different constraints. Recheck the actual piece layout at the accepted usable width before recalculating consumption or agreeing a commercial remedy.
Is relaxation loss the same as care shrinkage?
No. Record the actual process and state for each result. A relaxed-width comparison does not replace an agreed pressing or care dimensional-change test.
Discuss the evidence with Fred Textile
Send Fred Textile the roll/station width table, edge photographs, before/after conditions, marker width and required quantity by colour. Discuss a remeasurement, layout or material option against that record before committing bulk cutting or replacement metres.
Reference and limits
The ASTM public catalogue covers fabric and usable-width measurement; it is not the full licensed method. The paired record and arithmetic are editorial aids, not a Fred Textile result, universal relaxation time or contractual tolerance.
ASTM D3774: width of textile fabric ↗