Fabric packing may look simple, but for knit fabrics, a few details directly affect fabric condition, container space and receiving efficiency.
Our packing process focuses on three things: keeping the fabric stable, protecting it during transportation and making each roll easy to identify when it reaches the garment factory or warehouse.
Fabric Is Checked Before Packing
Before packing, each finished fabric roll goes through our inspection process.
The inspection machine records the actual meterage of each roll, while the finished roll is also weighed separately. These figures are then used for roll identification and packing records.
For knit fabrics, the relationship between GSM, meterage and roll weight is not always perfectly consistent.
Unlike a completely rigid structure, knitted fabric may have small weight variations across the width. In actual production, the middle area may sometimes be slightly lighter while the edges are slightly heavier.
For this reason, even when rolls are produced to a similar target weight, the exact weight and meterage of every roll will not necessarily be identical.
Roll Tension Needs to Be Controlled
Knit fabric is normally packed in rolls, but tighter is not always better.
If a roll is wound too tightly, excessive pressure can affect the fabric during storage and transportation.
For fleece and other bulky fabrics, tight winding may compress the pile and reduce the natural loft. For stretch fabrics, continuous tension can also leave the fabric under unnecessary stress and require more relaxation before cutting.
Uneven or excessive winding tension may also make the roll surface less stable.
On the other hand, packing the fabric too loosely creates another problem.
A loose roll has a larger diameter, occupies more container space and reduces loading efficiency. It may also become unstable during handling.
The purpose is therefore not to make the roll as compact as possible. The roll should be stable enough for transportation without applying unnecessary pressure to the fabric.
Our Standard Export Packing
For most knit fabric orders, our standard roll packing includes:
- a transparent plastic film or bag;
- an outer woven PP bag;
- a roll mark attached to the package.
The transparent layer keeps the fabric separated from dust and direct contact during handling.
The woven PP outer bag provides additional protection during warehouse handling, loading and transportation.
If the buyer has a specific packing or marking requirement, we can follow the agreed instruction. Otherwise, we use our standard roll mark.
A typical roll mark includes information such as:
- fabric or item name;
- color;
- dye lot number;
- roll number;
- net weight;
- meterage.
This makes each roll easier to trace during receiving and garment production.
Why Dye Lot Numbers Matter
Even when the same color standard is used, separate dye lots can have slight shade differences.
For this reason, the dye lot number is clearly shown on the roll mark.
This allows the buyer or garment factory to identify which rolls come from the same dye batch and avoid mixing different lots unnecessarily during cutting and production.
The purpose is not only warehouse management. It is also part of shade control.
Vacuum Packing for Fleece Fabrics
Bulky fleece fabrics require a different consideration: volume.
Polar fleece, sherpa, teddy fleece and similar fabrics contain a large amount of air within the pile structure. Even when the total fabric weight is not especially high, the rolls can occupy significant container space.
For these fabrics, we normally remove air from the packed rolls before container loading.
The purpose is to reduce unnecessary volume and improve container utilization.
However, this does not mean compressing the fabric as much as possible. Excessive pressure can affect pile appearance, loft and handfeel.
The packing still needs to balance container efficiency with fabric condition.
After receiving heavily compressed fleece fabrics, allowing the fabric to relax before further processing is generally preferable.
How Meterage and Weight Are Recorded
Meterage and weight are both checked before shipment.
The meterage is recorded during fabric inspection, while the net weight is based on the actual weight of the fabric roll.
Gross weight is normally calculated from:
Net fabric weight + packaging weight
This information is then used for packing records and shipment documentation.
Because knit fabric can have small GSM variations, two rolls with similar net weight may not contain exactly the same number of meters. This is normal and is one reason why we record both weight and meterage instead of relying on only one figure.
Special Packing Requirements Should Be Confirmed Early
For most orders, standard roll packing is sufficient.
If a buyer requires a specific roll weight, special bag material, customized roll marks, pallets or another packing method, these requirements should be confirmed before bulk packing begins.
Additional materials or handling may also create extra packing costs.
For export knit fabrics, good packing is mainly about balance: protecting the fabric, maintaining a practical roll size and making every roll easy to identify when it reaches the next stage of production.