The finishing procedure starts when loom state fabrics are delivered from the weaving department, after greige “grey” inspection. The fabrics are generally dirty and may contain  lubricants and waxes from spinning and weaving. The handle will be stiff and lacking volume. The fabrics are weighed, measured, labelled and assembled into batches for processing. Any faults are noted.

The finisher has to design a procedure to produce a fabric that is clean and free from contaminants, has a soft handle and drape and any additional desired aesthetics, such as stretch or waterproof finish. The fabrics must be of the correct dimensional stability for garment making and the correct finished width (normally 150cm).

Modern finishing machinery is equipped with computer data storage of operating parameters and processing details, video and touch screen display/control to ensure reproducibility of finish. These modern developments help to maintain quality between orders and also reduce operator error.

Flexibility of operation and batch processing remain important for wool, because of the relatively small lot sizes. For example, scour/milling machines combine these two processes in one piece of equipment.