A design that validates clean on canvas can fail on a performance polo without changing a single stitch. Density tolerances, stitch-length thresholds, and stabilizer recommendations are fabric-specific — and ValidStitch's context-aware checks recompute the report when the fabric profile changes.
What changes by fabric
- Density limits — a knit fabric tolerates roughly 20-30% less density than a tight woven cotton before puckering shows.
- Stabilizer recommendations on the setup sheet — the table is generated from the fabric class.
- Push-pull compensation expectations — stretch fabrics deform more under the same stitch load.
- Long-satin tolerance — a long satin on a smooth weave snags less than the same satin on fleece.
Setting the fabric
On the project page, pick the fabric from the dropdown before running validation. The dropdown is grouped by class (woven cotton, performance knit, fleece, nap fabrics like towel). The exact fabric weight matters less than the class — most threshold differences come from class, not weight-within-class.