Measured Distortion From the inspection table, against a square edge

Fabric Width cm

Bow Depth cm

Maximum departure of the weft line from square

Skew Offset cm

Selvedge-to-selvedge displacement of the weft line

Limits & Consequences Contract tolerance, machine range and what gets cut

Bow Limit %

Skew Limit %

Straightener Bow Range %

Straightener Skew Range %

Garment Panel Width cm

Garment Panel Length cm

Roll Length m

Bow

— %

Bow depth as a percentage of fabric width

Limits, Residual Distortion & Cutting Loss

Skew: — %
Bow Margin to Limit: — %
Skew Margin to Limit: — %
Bow Beyond Straightener Range: — %
Skew Beyond Straightener Range: — %
Skew Carried into a Panel: — cm
Panel Twist Angle: — deg
Squaring Trim Loss: — %
Fabric Trimmed to Square: — m

Bow and skew are treated as independent here; real rolls usually carry both, and the combination is worse for panel distortion than either figure suggests because the two add along one diagonal. The straightener range figures are machine capability, not a guarantee: correction is imposed by differential stretching and fabrics with high residual shrinkage recover part of it after relaxation and more after laundering, which is why AATCC 179 measures post-laundering skew rather than as-inspected. Distortion is assumed uniform along the roll, which it rarely is - it commonly varies with stenter speed changes and at roll ends - so a single measurement is a sample and should be taken at several points. The trim calculation assumes every cut is squared to the bow, which is the conservative practice; cutting on the bowed line saves the fabric and trades it for off-grain panels.

Weft Bow & Skew Against Limits, Straightener Range and Cutting Loss — free, with the formula and a worked example, at Textile School.