Textile Terminology

Also: abrasion resistance fabric, abrasion test, wear resistance...

A fabric's resistance to surface wear from rubbing — the property, not the test. Several different instruments measure it and they do not agree with each other.

Also: air jet weaving machine, pneumatic loom, AJL

A high-speed shuttleless loom that uses compressed air jets to propel the weft yarn across the warp.

Also: air permeability of fabric, breathability, air permeability test...

The volume of air that passes through a fabric under a specified pressure in a given time, reported in litres or cubic metres per square metre per minute.

Also: antimicrobial, anti-odor, bacteriostatic...

A fabric treatment that inhibits the growth of bacteria and microorganisms, reducing odor and improving hygiene.

Also: acceptable quality limit, AQL sampling, AQL inspection...

Acceptable Quality Limit: the number of defects in a sample that a lot is allowed to contain and still be accepted, under a defined sampling plan.

Also: hopsack weave, matt weave, panama weave

A variation of plain weave where two or more warp and weft threads are woven as one, creating a checkerboard pattern.

Also: B/L, BL, ocean bill of lading...

A legal document issued by a carrier acknowledging receipt of cargo for shipment, serving as a contract of carriage and document of title.

Also: room darkening fabric, light blocking fabric, opaque curtain fabric...

A densely woven or coated fabric designed to block light completely, commonly used for curtains and window treatments.

Also: optical white fabric, bright white fabric, whitened fabric...

Fabric that has been chemically treated to remove natural color and achieve a bright white appearance.

Also: bluesign system, bluesign approved, bluesign certified...

A holistic system for sustainable textile production that screens chemical inputs and monitors manufacturing processes.

Also: calender finish, glazing, polishing...

A mechanical finish that runs fabric between heated and/or pressure rollers to smooth, polish, compress, or emboss the surface.

Also: GHG footprint, carbon emissions, climate impact...

The total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product.

Also: cationic fabric, what is cationic fabric, what is cationic...

A polyester modified so it accepts cationic (basic) dyes — giving deeper, more vivid shades, and two-tone effects when blended with regular polyester.

Also: whiteness level, fabric whiteness, CIE whiteness value...

A standard measurement scale used in the textile industry to quantify the degree of whiteness of a fabric, particularly important for bleached products and hotel linens.

Also: Cost Insurance Freight, CIF meaning, what is CIF...

An Incoterm where the seller pays for costs, insurance, and freight to bring goods to the port of destination, though risk typically transfers when goods are loaded at origin.

Also: circularity, closed-loop economy, regenerative economy...

An economic system designed to eliminate waste through continuous use of resources via reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling.

Also: colorfastness, dye fastness, color stability...

The resistance of a fabric's color to fading or running when exposed to washing, light, rubbing, or other conditions.

Also: export invoice, sales invoice, CI...

A legal document issued by the seller to the buyer detailing the goods sold, prices, and terms of sale, required for customs clearance.

Also: Certificate of Origin, origin certificate, CO...

An official document certifying the country where goods were manufactured or produced, required for customs clearance and preferential tariff treatment.

Also: Delivered Duty Paid, DDP price, door-to-door delivery

An Incoterm where the seller delivers goods to the buyer's location, cleared for import, with all duties and taxes paid.

Also: den, D, fiber fineness...

A unit of measurement for the linear mass density of fibers, defined as the mass in grams per 9,000 meters of fiber.

Also: desize, desizing process, remove warp size...

A preparation step that removes warp size (starch, PVA, or blends) from greige cloth so water, dye, and chemistry penetrate evenly in scouring and bleaching.

Also: inkjet printing, DTG printing, DTP...

A modern printing method that applies ink directly to fabric using inkjet technology, allowing for complex designs without screens.

Also: disperse dye printing, polyester printing, thermosol printing

A printing method using disperse dyes specifically designed for synthetic fibers like polyester, requiring heat for fixation.

Also: dobby weaving machine, dobby head, electronic dobby loom

A weaving loom with a dobby mechanism that controls groups of warp threads to create geometric patterns.

Also: dobby fabric, dobby pattern, dobby weave...

Dobby weave fabric has small geometric patterns woven into the cloth on a dobby loom—the design is part of the structure, not a print on the surface.

Also: automatic drawing-in, warp drawing machine, threading machine...

A textile machine that automatically threads warp yarns through the heddles and reed of a loom.

Also: dual jet, double weft insertion, double-jet weaving

A water-jet weaving method that puts two wefts—or two yarns—into one pick, so the cloth is usually loftier than single-jet, and often shows a two-tone face.

Also: 3D textured fabric, relief pattern fabric, pressed pattern fabric...

Fabric with a raised or textured pattern created by heat and pressure, giving a three-dimensional surface effect.

Also: Environmental Social Governance, ESG criteria, ESG factors...

A framework evaluating corporate behavior across Environmental, Social, and Governance factors for sustainable business practices.

Also: Ex Works, EXW meaning, what is EXW...

An Incoterm where the seller makes goods available at their premises, with the buyer bearing costs and risks from that named place onward.

Also: width, cuttable width, usable width...

The measurement of fabric from selvedge to selvedge, typically expressed in centimeters or inches.

Also: fair labor standards, ethical labor, decent work...

Workplace standards ensuring workers receive fair wages, safe conditions, reasonable hours, and freedom from discrimination and forced labor.

Also: Full Container Load, Less than Container Load, what is FCL...

FCL (Full Container Load) means booking an entire container; LCL (Less than Container Load) means sharing container space with other shipments.

Also: fire-retardant, FR finish, fire-resistant...

A fabric treatment that reduces flammability and slows the spread of fire, meeting safety standards for various applications.

Also: Free On Board, FOB meaning, what is FOB...

FOB means Free On Board: a named-port Incoterm where the mill’s price typically covers delivery of the goods on board the vessel at the agreed port — risk and further freight usually pass to the buyer after that point. Write the port name and currency on the PO.

Also: fabric inspection 4 point system, fabric inspection 4-point system, fabric inspection system 4 point...

Refers to two key textile standards: the universal 4-point visual fabric inspection system (ASTM D5430) for roll grading, and the four-point diaphragm burst test (ISO 1419) in Newtons.

Also: Global Organic Textile Standard, organic textile certification, GOTS certified...

The worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria throughout the entire supply chain.

Also: grey fabric, gray fabric, grey cloth fabric...

Greige fabric (also grey or gray fabric) is unfinished cloth straight from the loom—before bleaching, dyeing, printing, or finishing. It is not the same as PFD dye-ready cloth.

Also: Global Recycled Standard, GRS certification, recycled content standard...

An international standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of recycled content, chain of custody, and social/environmental practices.

Also: GRS certification, Global Recycled Standard certified, recycled content certified...

Products or facilities that have been verified by an accredited third party to meet Global Recycled Standard requirements.

Also: grams per square meter, gram per square meter, g/m²...

GSM (grams per square meter, g/m²) is the standard measure of fabric weight: how many grams one square meter of cloth weighs.

Also: sublimation printing, thermal transfer, transfer printing...

A printing method where designs are first printed on paper then transferred to fabric using heat and pressure.

Also: herringbone weave, broken twill, herringbone twill...

A broken twill weave that reverses the diagonal direction at regular intervals, producing a zigzag or V-shaped pattern across the cloth.

Also: Harmonized System Code, tariff code, customs code...

An internationally standardized numerical code used to classify traded products for customs, tariffs, and trade statistics.

Also: fabric inspection machine, perching machine, cloth inspection frame...

A textile machine used to examine fabric for defects, measure length, and grade quality before shipping.

Also: jacquard weave, figured fabric, damask

Intricately patterned fabric woven on a jacquard loom, capable of producing complex designs woven into the fabric structure.

Also: jacquard weaving machine, jacquard head, electronic jacquard

A weaving loom with a jacquard mechanism that controls individual warp threads to create complex woven patterns.

Also: color sample, dye sample, color match...

A lab dip is a small fabric sample dyed in a lab to match a target color so both buyer and mill can approve shade before bulk dyeing.

Also: Letter of Credit, what is letter of credit, letter of credit meaning...

A bank-issued document guaranteeing payment to the seller upon presentation of compliant shipping documents.

Also: lead time meaning, what is lead time, production lead time...

The total calendar time from order confirmation (and any required approvals) until goods are ready to ship or delivered, depending on the commercial terms.

Also: gauze weave, cross weave, doup weave...

An open weave structure where pairs of warp threads twist around each other, locking the weft threads in place.

Also: light fastness rating, colour fastness to light, color fastness to light...

How much a fabric's colour fades under exposure to light, measured on a numbered scale where a higher grade means less fade.

Also: lyocell fabric, tencel lyocell, Tencel™ lyocell...

A cellulosic fiber spun from wood pulp in a closed-loop solvent process. Weaverine does not spin cellulosics; polyester buyers usually spec microfiber or peachskin instead.

Also: martindale abrasion, martindale cycles, wear resistance...

A test that measures how many times a fabric can be rubbed before it shows visible wear, reported as a Martindale cycle count.

Also: memory fabric, shape memory fabric, imitation memory fabric...

A high-performance woven polyester fabric with shape retention properties, allowing wrinkles to smooth out with a simple hand stroke without ironing.

Also: mercerization, mercerised, luster finish...

A chemical treatment using caustic soda that increases luster, strength, and dye affinity of cellulosic fibers.

Also: microfibre, ultra-fine fiber, micro denier fabric

Synthetic fabric made from extremely fine fibers, typically less than 1 denier, known for softness and durability.

Also: factory direct, manufacturer direct, direct from mill...

Purchasing fabric or products directly from the manufacturing facility, bypassing intermediaries.

Also: quick-dry, quick dry fabric, polyester quick dry fabric...

A fabric engineering treatment or yarn structure that draws moisture away from the body via capillary action and spreads it across the outer face for rapid evaporation.

Also: minimum order quantity, minimum order, min order qty...

The smallest quantity a mill will produce or sell in a single order for a given fabric specification (often per color or design).

Also: Oeko-Tex Standard 100, OEKO-TEX certification, Confidence in Textiles...

A worldwide testing and certification system for textile products ensuring they are free from harmful substances.

Also: oxford cloth, oxford shirting, pinpoint oxford

A modified basket weave using a heavier weft thread and finer warp threads, creating a textured, durable fabric.

Also: pa coating, PA coating fabric, polyacrylate coating...

A polymer coating using polyacrylic acid ester applied to the reverse of woven polyester to provide water resistance, anti-fraying, and windproofing while maintaining fabric hand.

Also: packing list meaning, packing list shipping, export packing list...

A detailed document listing the contents, quantities, and packaging details of a shipment, used for customs clearance and cargo verification.

Also: peach skin, peach skin fabric, peached fabric...

A soft, brushed polyester fabric with a velvety texture resembling the skin of a peach.

Also: percale weave, percale cotton, hotel percale

A closely woven plain weave fabric with a crisp, cool feel, typically used for high-quality bedding.

Also: prepared for dye, prepared for dyeing fabric, scoured and bleached base...

PFD fabric is cloth that has been scoured and usually bleached so it takes dye or print evenly — unlike greige (loom-state) cloth, which still needs wet preparation. PFD is a stage, not a finished shade.

Also: surface printing, binder printing, pigment dyeing

A printing method using insoluble pigments bound to fabric surface with binders, suitable for all fiber types.

Also: anti-pilling, pill resistance, pilling grade

A fabric's ability to resist the formation of small fiber balls (pills) on its surface due to abrasion and wear.

Also: piqué, waffle weave, honeycomb weave...

A weave structure that creates a raised, textured pattern with a waffle-like or honeycomb appearance.

Also: tabby weave, taffeta weave, 1/1 weave...

The simplest and most common weave structure where warp and weft threads interlace alternately, one over one under.

Also: polyester, polyester yarn, PET fiber...

A synthetic fiber spun from PET polymer, woven by Weaverine on waterjet looms into 100% polyester home-textile cloth.

Also: pongee fabric, pongee material, polyester pongee...

A fine, soft plain-weave fabric with a light, slightly crisp hand — in polyester, a thin lining and shell cloth rather than a bedding weight.

Also: gripper projectile loom, Sulzer loom, missile loom

A shuttleless loom that uses small bullet-shaped projectiles to carry the weft yarn across the warp.

Also: rapier weaving machine, flexible rapier loom, rigid rapier loom

A versatile shuttleless loom that uses flexible or rigid rapiers to carry the weft yarn across the warp.

Also: rPET, regenerated polyester, eco-polyester...

Polyester fiber made from recycled materials, typically post-consumer PET plastic bottles, offering an eco-friendly alternative.

Also: discharge printing, reserve printing, batik printing

A printing technique where a resist agent is applied to prevent dye absorption in specific areas, creating patterns.

Also: ready for dye, ready for dyeing, rfd fabric...

RFD fabric is cloth prepared so it can go straight to dyeing—cleaned, absorbency-ready, and usually bleached—unlike greige (loom-state) fabric, which still needs wet preparation.

Also: rotary printing, roller printing, cylinder printing...

A high-speed printing method using cylindrical screens that rotate continuously, ideal for large-volume production.

Also: pre-shrinking, compressive shrinkage, sanforized...

A mechanical pre-shrinking process that controls fabric shrinkage to less than 1%, ensuring dimensional stability after washing.

Also: sateen weave, cotton sateen, polyester sateen

A fabric woven with a satin weave structure using spun yarns, resulting in a lustrous, smooth surface.

Also: hotel satin stripe, sateen stripe, satin stripe sheeting...

A woven cloth whose stripe is made of satin-float bands next to a plainer ground, usually the same colour, so the stripe reads as sheen rather than printed or yarn-dyed colour.

Also: satin structure, sateen weave, atlas weave...

A weave structure with long floats that create a smooth, lustrous surface, typically with a 4/1 or higher pattern.

Also: GHG Protocol scopes, emission scopes, carbon emission categories...

A classification system for greenhouse gas emissions based on their source: direct operations, purchased energy, and value chain activities.

Also: scouring textile, scouring process, textile scouring process...

An alkaline cleaning step that removes oils, waxes, sizes leftovers, and process residues so water, dye, and chemistry wet the cloth evenly.

Also: seam slip, seam slippage test, seam shear...

The unwanted movement of one fabric panel across another along a seam when the seam is pulled, opening or distorting the join under load.

Also: seersucker fabric, cotton seersucker, puckered fabric

A puckered cotton weave with alternating smooth and gathered stripes. Weaverine does not weave cotton seersucker; polyester buyers usually spec dobby texture or washed-cotton crinkle instead.

Also: selvage, self-edge, self edge...

The self-finished lengthwise edge of a woven fabric, where the warp turns back and is locked so the edge cannot fray.

Also: shrinkage, dimensional change, fabric shrinkage...

The percentage of dimensional change in fabric length and width after washing or other processing.

Also: singeing fabric, define singeing, singe finish...

A preparation step that burns off protruding surface fibers with a gas flame or hot plate so the cloth face is clean before dyeing, printing, or finishing.

Also: slasher, sizing unit, warp sizing machine

A textile machine that applies sizing agents to warp yarns to improve their strength and weaveability.

Also: slasher sizing machine, slasher dyeing machine, continuous sizing machine...

A high-speed sizing machine that combines multiple warp beams, applies size, dries the yarn, and winds onto a weaver's beam in one continuous process.

Also: soft finish, hand builder, fabric softening...

A fabric treatment that enhances the softness and hand feel of textiles through chemical or mechanical means.

Also: piece-dyed fabric, plain dyed fabric, solid color fabric

Fabric that has been dyed a single, uniform color throughout the entire material.

Also: 3-proof, triple protection, water-oil-stain repellent...

A fabric finish that repels water, oil, and stains, commonly known as '3-proof' treatment in the textile industry.

Also: print sample, print strike, color strike...

A sample print produced to verify design, colors, and registration before bulk printing production.

Also: print strike-off, color strike-off, approval sample...

A printed fabric sample produced for customer approval before bulk production, showing the exact colors and print quality to be expected.

Also: supply chain visibility, traceability, supplier disclosure...

The practice of openly sharing information about suppliers, manufacturing processes, and sourcing throughout the product value chain.

Also: taffeta fabric, taffeta material, what is taffeta...

A crisp, tightly woven plain-weave fabric with a smooth, slightly lustrous face — in polyester, a lining and curtain cloth, not a soft bedding hand.

Also: tearing strength, tear resistance, Elmendorf tear

The force required to continue tearing a fabric after an initial cut has been made, measured in Newtons or pounds.

Also: breaking strength, grab strength, strip strength

The maximum force a fabric can withstand when pulled in one direction before breaking, measured in Newtons or pounds per inch.

Also: TC, threads per inch, TPI...

The number of threads (warp and weft combined) per square inch of fabric, often used as a quality indicator for bedding.

Also: twill pattern, diagonal weave, serge weave...

A weave that shows diagonal lines (wales) because weft floats are offset from one pick to the next.

Also: velvet fabric, velveteen, pile fabric

A pile fabric with a dense, plush face cut from double-woven layers. Weaverine does not weave pile velvet; polyester buyers usually spec peachskin or embossed texture instead.

Also: viscose fabric, viscose rayon, rayon...

A regenerated cellulosic fiber spun from wood pulp—the most common rayon process. Weaverine does not spin cellulosics; polyester buyers usually spec microfiber or moisture-wicking finish instead.

Also: warp weft, warp threads, weft threads...

The two thread systems in a woven fabric: the warp runs lengthwise under tension, the weft runs across it, interlaced by the weave.

Also: warper, beam warper, sectional warper...

A textile machine that winds yarn from multiple packages onto a warp beam in parallel arrangement.

Also: washed microfiber, crinkled polyester, enzyme-washed polyester...

A specialized finishing process applied to polyester fabric that creates a soft, slightly crinkled texture mimicking natural washed cotton or linen, without any cotton content.

Also: water jet weaving machine, hydraulic loom, WJL

A shuttleless loom that uses a high-pressure water jet to propel the weft yarn across the warp shed.

Also: DWR finish, durable water repellent, water repellent fabric...

A fabric treatment that causes water to bead up and roll off the surface rather than being absorbed.

Also: winder, cone winder, package winder...

A textile machine that transfers yarn from one package form to another while removing defects and improving package quality.

Also: easy-care, non-iron, crease-resistant...

A fabric treatment that reduces wrinkling and creasing, allowing textiles to maintain a smooth appearance with minimal ironing.

Also: yarn dyed, yarn-dyed woven

Fabric woven from yarns that were dyed before weaving, so stripes, checks, and two-tone faces are in the cloth rather than printed or piece-dyed later.

Also: Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals, ZDHC Programme, ZDHC Roadmap...

A multi-stakeholder initiative working to eliminate hazardous chemicals from the textile and footwear supply chain.

Also: Zero Liquid Discharge, zero effluent discharge, closed-loop water system...

A water treatment process that eliminates all liquid discharge from industrial facilities, recovering water for reuse.