because of the variety of machinery available and the range of fabrics that most machines are capable of producing, a comprehensive comparative economic assessment of the different makes and models is quite impracticable. however, a superficial comparison of machines representative of the different weft insertion systems is possible, including an assessment of the effect upon certain costs of single and multi-width weaving, and of different shift systems. the method of approach adopted has been to calculate certain weaving costs for the two 150 cm wide fabrics, one a plain weave cotton printer requiring a single-colour weft insertion, and the other a plain weave yarn dyed gingham requiring four-colour weft insertion