Textile Terminology

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: antimicrobial, anti-odor, bacteriostatic...

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

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 finishing process where fabric passes between heated rollers under pressure to create a smooth, lustrous 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: Cost Insurance Freight, CIF price, CIF terms

An Incoterm where the seller pays for costs, insurance, and freight to bring goods to the port of destination, though risk 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: 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, small figured fabric

Fabric woven on a dobby loom, featuring small geometric patterns created by the weave structure itself.

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: 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, Ex Factory, EXW price

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

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, consolidated shipment...

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 shipping point, FOB origin

An Incoterm where the seller delivers goods on board the vessel at the named port of shipment, with risk transferring to the buyer at that point.

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, loom-state fabric...

Unfinished woven fabric directly from the loom, before any bleaching, dyeing, or finishing processes.

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, g/m², fabric weight...

Grams per Square Meter - a standard measurement of fabric weight that indicates the density and thickness of textile materials.

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: 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 small fabric sample dyed in a laboratory to match a target color before bulk production.

Also: Letter of Credit, Documentary Credit, L/C...

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

Also: delivery time, production time, turnaround time...

The total time from order placement to delivery of finished goods.

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: 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, sweat-wicking, moisture management...

A fabric treatment that draws moisture away from the body and spreads it across the fabric surface for quick evaporation.

Also: minimum order, minimum quantity, min order qty

The smallest quantity of a product that a supplier is willing to sell in a single order.

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: packing slip, PL, shipping list...

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

Also: peach skin, sanded microfiber, brushed polyester...

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, bleached fabric, scoured fabric...

Fabric that has been scoured, bleached, and treated to be ready for the dyeing process.

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: 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, dyeable fabric, prepared fabric

Fabric in a state suitable for dyeing, having undergone necessary pre-treatment processes.

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

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

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, yarn-dyed solid, plain dyed 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: 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 pattern characterized by diagonal lines or ribs created by offsetting the weft threads.

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

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

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: water-resistant, hydrophobic finish, DWR...

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: 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.