How synthetic and printed sarees are made
Most synthetic sarees start as grey fabric from power looms, mainly polyester or viscose georgette, chiffon, crepe and satin. The fabric is dyed or printed in a processing house, then worked on by embroidery units, lace and border makers, and stone and sequin setters, before the saree trader finishes, folds and packs it. One saree can pass through five or six units.
Surat is the main centre for this work. The Surat Municipal Corporation says the city produces about 40% of India's man-made fabric. Surat also has the Surat Zari Craft GI for zari thread. Surat's Town of Export Excellence status is for gems and jewellery, not textiles.
Three features set these sarees apart at inspection. Crepe and georgette use high-twist yarns that shrink sharply when wet. Prints are produced in long runs, so colour drift between batches is common. And decoration is glued, stitched or heat-fixed on top of the fabric, so its security has to be tested piece by piece.
What we check on synthetic and printed sarees
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Print registration | Outlines and fills compared with the strike-off; repeat joins checked across the width | Colours off their outlines, visible repeat jumps, blurred edges |
| Shade and batch | Pieces from each print batch laid side by side under the agreed light | Visible shade difference within one design and colour |
| Colour transfer | Dry and wet rub on dark print areas with white cloth | Dye or pigment on the cloth; prints marking the facing layer when folded |
| Crepe shrinkage | A marked swatch wetted and dried, or a lab dimensional-change test | Shrinkage above the limit, puckering where crepe meets a stable border |
| Stones, sequins and beads | Pull test by hand or gauge on sampled pieces; back checked for glue spread | Stones lift off, sequins hang on broken thread, glue showing through |
| Lace and attached borders | Stitch line along the full length; corners at the pallu | Open stitching, border pulling the body out of shape |
| Edges | Pico or rolled edge on chiffon and georgette checked for fraying | Fraying, open edge, uneven roll |
| Fibre labels | Label wording read against the fibre specification and test report | "Silk", "art silk" or "bamboo silk" on viscose or polyester |
Common synthetic and printed saree defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Class |
|---|---|
| Saree labelled silk but made of viscose or polyester | Critical for the claim |
| Sharp or loose metal component in the embellishment | Major or critical, as the buyer sets |
| Print misregistration visible at arm's length | Major |
| Shade difference within one design batch | Major |
| Several stones or sequins missing in a cluster | Major |
| Fraying pico, small glue mark on the back | Minor |
Fibre naming and flammability
- "Art silk" is not a fibre name. In the US the generic names under the Textile Act are used, such as polyester, viscose or rayon. In the EU only the names in Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 may be used; see EU textile labelling. "Silk" on a synthetic saree is mislabelling in both markets.
- Ornamentation. Imitation zari and metallic embroidery are fibres. Under the US rules, ornamentation up to 5% of fibre weight can be left out as "exclusive of ornamentation"; above that it is declared.
- US flammability. Fabric made entirely of polyester is exempt from 16 CFR 1610 testing. Viscose georgette is not, and a polyester saree with viscose or metallic yarn may not count as entirely polyester. Ask your lab which category each design falls in.
- Chemicals. Disperse and reactive dyes, print binders and glues fall under REACH and buyer restricted-substance lists; see azo dyes and restricted substances.
Packing, transit and your purchase order
Printed synthetic sarees are folded on card and bagged, often several to a pack. In hot containers, dark prints can migrate onto the light fabric they are folded against, and hot-fix stones can stick to the polybag. Tissue between printed layers and well-cured glue help. The inspector checks pack counts by design and colour, bag closure, carton strength and that heavy embellished sarees are not crushing light chiffon below.
- Fabric base, fibre content and weight; approved strike-off for each print.
- Shade tolerance and whether batches may be mixed in one carton.
- Shrinkage limit for crepe and the test method.
- Pull-test standard for stones and sequins.
- Edge finish, blouse piece and fall.
- Label wording, with fibre names agreed in advance.
Unstitched suit sets from the same processing chain are covered under dress materials and embroidered fabrics.
Sources
- Surat Municipal Corporation: The City, Contribution
- DGFT: Appendix 1B, Towns of Export Excellence (Surat: gems and jewellery)
- IP India GI registry: Surat Zari Craft (application 171)
- FTC: Threading your way through the labeling requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts
- eCFR: 16 CFR Part 1610, flammability of clothing textiles