Anti-skew Finishing
Anti-skew finishing is a finishing process mainly used to correct diagonal distortion in knitted fabrics, where stitches or patterns shift off angle, and to reduce twisting and appearance changes in the product, including after washing.
Contents6 sections
Definition and Overview
Anti-skew finishing is a finishing process that suppresses skewing, in which the wales and courses of a knit fabric — that is, the vertical and horizontal rows of stitches — tilt diagonally. By adjusting the fabric in a prescribed direction during finishing, it helps reduce twisting and the way side seams, prints, and border patterns appear after cutting and sewing.
In particular, in circular-knitted jersey and similar fabrics, skewing can appear due to yarn twist, the forces applied during knitting, and relaxation caused by moisture or washing. Anti-skew finishing is a method for controlling that effect, and it does not guarantee that skewing will be completely eliminated.
Features and Effect on Appearance
This finishing makes it easier to align the grain direction when the fabric is laid flat, as well as the appearance of borders and side seams. In products, it is used to reduce twisting in the front and back body panels and the way side seams wrap around after washing.
The effect on hand varies depending on the fabric material, knit structure, finishing method, and the combination with other finishing processes. Since softness, thickness, stretch, and similar properties are not determined uniformly by whether anti-skew finishing is applied, it is important to check the actual fabric sample.
Main Applications
It is considered for items that are washed frequently and whose knit grain direction is likely to show in the appearance, such as cut-and-sew items, T-shirts, underwear, polo shirts, and sweatshirts. It requires particular attention not only for solids, but also for borders, checks, and printed patterns, where tilt is more noticeable.
Although it is not a seasonal finishing process, its effect on appearance tends to be easier to assess in thin knits and fabrics where surface patterns or stitches are easy to see. On the other hand, even in thick fabrics and brushed fabrics, twisting of the product side seams and grain direction should still be checked.
Selection and Handling Notes
When selecting fabric, do not judge based only on whether anti-skew finishing is indicated; perform a wash test using the intended washing method and confirm skew, shrinkage rate, and dimensional change. For patterned fabrics, check not only the angle of the pattern relative to the fabric edge, but also how it looks after cutting and the pattern matching of the left and right body panels.
During cutting, fully relax the roll to release tension in the fabric, confirm the grain direction, and then spread and lay out the fabric. If skew is forcibly corrected during cutting, it may return after sewing or washing, so the fabric's natural condition and the allowable range in the specifications should be shared between factories.
During shrinking and recovery in washing and drying, any remaining skew may become apparent. Before mass production, check not only the fabric alone but also sewn samples for the side seams after washing, neckline, print position, and hem levelness, and evaluate them in line with the care instructions.
- Check the finish by material, knit structure, yarn twist, and fabric weight.
- Manage skew and shrinkage rate before and after washing at the same time.
- For borders and checks, confirm the pattern direction at cutting and the appearance after sewing.
- If the fabric lot changes, re-evaluate under the same conditions.
Differences from Similar Terms
Skew refers to the phenomenon itself, in which the grain, pattern, or seam of a fabric shifts diagonally away from its intended direction. In contrast, anti-skew finishing is a finishing process applied to the fabric to suppress that phenomenon. The difference is that one is the name of the phenomenon and the other is the name of the countermeasure.
Shrink-resist finishing mainly aims to suppress dimensional shrinkage caused by washing and similar factors. Even with anti-skew finishing, dimensional change still needs to be checked, but the main control targets are the tilt of the grain direction and twisting of the product. If both performances are required, the test results should be checked separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
If anti-skew finishing is applied, will twisting after washing disappear?
Anti-skew finishing is a process for suppressing twisting and skewing after washing, but it does not necessarily eliminate them completely. Since material, yarn twist, knit structure, shrinkage, and washing and drying conditions all have an effect, the product sample should be washed under conditions close to actual use and checked.
Are anti-skew finishing and shrink-resist finishing the same?
No, they are not the same. Anti-skew finishing mainly focuses on suppressing the tilt and twisting of stitches, patterns, and seams, while shrink-resist finishing mainly focuses on suppressing dimensional shrinkage. For products where wash durability is important, skew and shrinkage rate are evaluated separately before making a decision.
What should be noted when cutting anti-skew finished fabric?
Relax the fabric to stabilize its condition, then cut it after checking the grain direction, pattern direction, and the appearance of the left and right body panels. If you rely only on the fabric edge as the reference, the actual stitch or pattern direction may differ. Also check in prototypes whether the side seams wrap around after sewing and washing.
