Researchers investigated the influence of variable input tension on the stress state inside a fabric roll. A nonlinear function described the load deformation behavior of the fabric under compression. A proposed numerical method solved nonlinear integral equations to find stress terms. The investigation described fibe winding tension functions. Results indicated that uniform winding tension did not produce the highest quality fabric rolls. Linearly decreased winding tension eliminated buckling problems within fabric rolls, particularly for highly compressible and delicate fabrics. The magnitude of desirable tension level depended on fabric properties. 7 refs.