Fabric width is measured from selvedge to selvedge across the full cloth, laid flat without tension, and is quoted in inches or centimetres. Common finished widths for apparel fabric from Indian mills are around 44 to 45 inches, 57 to 58 inches and 60 inches, with wider cloth of 90 inches and above produced for sheeting and other home textiles. Width is one of the figures that most often causes trouble between quotation and delivery, because the number on the sheet may be loom width, greige width or finished width. The specification needs to say which, and the inspection needs to measure it.
Full width versus cuttable width
Full width includes the selvedges, which on air-jet and projectile looms are often tucked, fringed or stiffened and cannot be used in a garment. Cuttable or usable width excludes the selvedges and any pin or clip marks left by the stenter during finishing. A 58 inch cloth may have only 56 inches cuttable, and if your marker was planned for 57 inches the garment yield falls and the costing is wrong. Ask the mill to state both figures, and measure both at inspection.
Standard widths and where they are used
- 44 to 45 inches: the traditional narrow width, still common for fine shirting, voiles and lighter cotton cloths.
- 57 to 58 inches: the most common width for bottom-weight twills, drills and much modern shirting.
- 60 inches: common for canvas, heavier twills and blends, and often what garment factories plan markers around.
- 63 to 72 inches: used for some upholstery and bag cloths.
- 90 to 120 inches and above: sheeting widths for bed linen, woven on wide looms in dedicated home textile mills.
What to write in the contract and check at inspection
State the finished width and the cuttable width with a tolerance, typically around plus or minus half an inch to one inch depending on the cloth. State the measurement method as well; ISO 22198 describes how to measure the width and length of relaxed fabric. At roll inspection, width should be measured at several points along the roll, not only at the head, because width can vary through a roll as stenter settings drift.
Rolls narrower than the tolerance are grounds for rejection or a price adjustment, and this should be agreed before shipment rather than argued afterwards. It is also worth checking that the width the mill quotes is the width the garment factory will actually receive after any relaxation, since fabric that was stretched on the stenter can lose width once it is off the roll.
How Creston & Co helps
We measure full and cuttable width on every roll we inspect before loading, at several points down the roll, and record it alongside length and shade. Sealed samples go to an NABL-accredited lab where a measured figure is needed for a claim, and we supervise loading and send weekly updates. A free 20-minute sourcing review is a quick way to check your width specification before you place an order.