1×1 Rib: Also 2×2 rib knit trim. The width of each rib is the same as the width between each rib. This helps the garment retain its elasticity.
Acrylic: A manufactured fiber derived from polyacrylonitrile. Its major properties include a soft, wool-like hand feel, it is machine washable and dryable, and has excellent color retention.
Anti-Bacterial: A fabric that has been chemically treated or a fiber that is created by incorporating the anti-bacterial chemical agent into the fiber formula, making the finished fiber or fabric resistant to, or inhibiting the growth of micro-organisms.
Azo-dye: Synthetic dye containing the azo group of two nitrogen atoms connecting aromatic ring compounds. Azo dyes are usually red, brown, or yellow, and make up about half the dyes produced. They are manufactured from aromatic amines.
Back Length: The dimension on a garment taken from the center collar attaching seam to the bottom of the garment, or in the case of a coverall, to the top of the waistband.
Bamboo fabric: Bamboo is a natural fabric made from the pulp of bamboo grass. Bamboo makes an excellent fabric with many positive aspects. Growing naturally and rapidly, bamboo is highly sustainable. The cultivation does not require the many harsh chemicals/pesticides that most other fabrics are grown with. Bamboo fabric is also very soft naturally. The fabric offers great moisture wicking and has some antibacterial properties. Bamboo is a great fabric against the skin and a comfortable choice for those irritated by other fabrics.
Base print: Applying a light colored layer of ink first before printing a logo on darker fabrics.
Bleach wash: The process of washing fabric or a garment with bleach to soften and distress the look of the fabric.
Blend: A term applied to a yarn or a fabric that is made up of more than one fiber. In blended yarns, two or more different types of staple fibers are twisted or spun together to form the yarn. Examples of a typical blended yarn or fabric is polyester/cotton.
Boat Neck: A wide neckline on a garment that passes just below the collarbone.
Breathability: The movement of water or water vapor from one side of the fabric to the other, caused by capillary action, wicking, chemical, or electrostatic action.
Brushed Cotton: Cotton fabric that is brushed to remove all the excess lint and fibers from the fabric, leaving an ultra soft, smooth finish.
Brushing: A finishing process for knit or woven fabrics in which brushes or other abrading devices are used on a loosely constructed fabric to permit the fibers in the yarns to be raised to create a nap on fabrics or create a novelty surface texture.
Buckram: Coarse, woven fabric, stiffened with glue, and used to stabilize fabric for stitching. Commonly used in caps to hold the front panel erect.
Burn out fabric: A modern and more unique embellishment process where the cotton is burnt out in a polyester-cotton fabric, leaving only the polyester and creating an image or texture that looks as though it’s a photo emulsion on the shirt.
Cap Sleeves: A length of sleeve that hits the upper arm between the elbow and the shoulder. Generally used for ladies’ garments.
Cellulose: A material derived from the cell walls of certain plants. Cellulose is used in the production of many vegetable fibers, as well as being the major raw material component used in the production of the manufactured fibers of acetate, rayon, and triacetate.
Chain link stitch: Stitches that resemble a chain link, formed with one thread fed from the bottom side of fabric. Can be done on a manual or computerized machine with a hook that functions as a needle.
Chino: Classic 100% cotton fabric made of combed two-ply yarns. Usually vat dyed, mercerized, and given a compressive shrinkage finish. Used traditionally for army uniforms and work wear.
Colorfastness: The ability of a fabric to withstand exposure to sunlight, dry cleaning and laundering without fading or running. The types of fiber, dye and treatment used for setting the color determine how colorfast a fabric will be.
Combing: In this process the fibers are arranged in a highly parallel form, and additional short fibers are removed, producing high quality yarns with excellent strength, fineness, and uniformity.
Corduroy: Cut pile fabric woven with either wide or narrow wales formed by using extra filling. Back may be either plain or twill weave, the latter being better quality.
Cover stitched armhole seam: Usually found in knit shirts, refers to the inside armhole seam being serged or finished.
CVC: (chief value of cotton) Fabric that is a combination of cotton and polyester, where majority of the fabric is cotton. In CVC yarn, the cotton content usually is more than 65%. If the cotton content is less than 65%, the yarn is still considered T/C yarn.
Damask labels: Amazing detail and quality woven labels. Constructed with a tight, high definition weave that can produce the highest quality labels. Damask labels have a higher thread density weave than a satin label.
Denier: The weight measurement of filament yarns and fibers. The low numbers represent the finer sizes and the higher numbers, the heavier yarns.
Denim: Denim is a twill weave cotton-like fabric made with different colored yarns in the warp and the weft. Due to the twill construction, one color predominates on the fabric surface.
Digitize: Term used for converting artwork into a series of commands to be read by an embroidery machine’s computer.
Discharge printing: Discharge is one of the more common print methods
being done by many clothing companies today. This print method
works great for those trying to achieve a soft hand feel.
This method can be used for small or large panel printing.
When looking at fabric printed with discharge the natural fibers
show rather than the plastic look created by plastisol. No more
thick-heavy traditional plastic prints to get bright colors on darks.
Double knit: Double knit means that both sides of the fabric have a face. On double knit both the front and rear sides of the fabric will look similar, while on single knit you will easily notice the face and the backside of the fabric.
Double Mercerized: A treatment of cotton yarn and fabric to increase its luster and affinity for dyes. The material is immersed under tension in a cold sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), then neutralized in acid. The process causes a permanent swelling of the fiber, increasing its luster, strength and affinity for dyes. Mercerization causes the fabric to be easier to care for.
Double-Needle Stitched: A finish used on a sleeve and/or bottom hem that uses two needles to create parallel rows of visible stitching. It gives the garment a cleaner, more finished look and adds durability.
Dyes: A substance applied to fabrics which stains the fabric with to a permanent color.
Enzyme washed: A process of washing using organic substances that cause transformation or accelerate the aging of dyes.
Eyelet: A small round hole through the fabric for threading a lace, string, or rope through.
Face: The side of a fabric that offers a finished or polished appearance. The face is normally used for outward print and decoration.
Filament: A fine or thinly spun thread or fiber.
Finish: General term for processes used in converting raw goods into finished cloth. Bleaching, mercerizing, steaming, singeing, and dyeing are typical finishing processes.
Flash: Used in silk-screening-applying a layer of white ink on a dark garment and quickly drying before applying additional ink colors. Prevents dark garment fibers from degrading the imprint quality.
Fleece Fabric: A soft bulky deep-piled knitted or woven fabric used hooded pullovers and zip-ups. Typical fabric weights for these garments are around 280-320gsm. Often made with synthetic fibers.
Foil: The process of applying metallic or colored foil imprints with a heated magnesium die to the surface of vinyl or leather. Can be combined with debossing.
40’s: Referring to the yarn count of the fabric.
Full Cut: Refers to a garment’s fit as being generous and roomy.
Fuze cut: When a fabric or label has locked edges after cutting to keep the material from fraying.
Garment dyed: Apparel dyed in garment form rather than fabric form. This is a popular fashion treatment used by designers.
Garment washed: After a garment is sewn it is washed to cut down on shrinkage and add softness to the garment.
Grommet: An eyelet placed in a hole in fabric, used assist something passing through the fabric while also helping prevent the fabric from being torn. Sometimes used for ventilation or for drainage on clothing.
GSM: Grams per square meter, used to measure fabric weights.
Gusset: Added panel of fabric in a seam to provide action movement.
Hand Feel: The tactile qualities of a fabric. The way it feels to the touch – soft, firm, elastic, etc.
Hangtags: Something attached to a product to display product information such as fabrics, sizing and/or pricing. Many companies use this as a valuable sales tool to help promote the positive aspects or benefits of the product. Hangtags can get as creative as your imagination and can be made out of basically anything.
Heather fabric: A yarn that is spun using pre-dyed fibers. These fibers are blended together to give a particular look. (For example, black and white may be blended together to create a grey heathered yarn.) The term, heather, may also be used to describe the fabric made from heathered yarns.
Hemp fabric: Hemp is a highly sustainable weed that offers many benefits when used for clothing. Hemp grows rapidly and requires no harsh pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. The plant needs little water to grow. When comparing two areas of equal size, an area with hemp would produce 300% more fiber than the same size area of cotton. Hemp offers so many health and comfort benefits. It’s hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, and is non-irritating to the skin. Research indicates that hemp is able to kill staph and other bacteria that come in contact with its surface. As you wear hemp it only gets more comfortable. Hemp fabric is very durable and long lasting. We use hemp both on its own and blended with other fibers such as organic cotton, polyester and spandex. Hemp works great for a wide range of garments including t-shirts, pants, jackets, and headwear.
Herringbone: Broken twill weave giving a zig-zag effect.
Inseam: The distance from the bottom of a pant or short leg to the crotch. The measurement is taken along the inside leg seam that joins the front and the back leg panels.
Interlock fabric: The stitch variation of the rib stitch, which resembles two separate 1 x 1 ribbed fabrics that are interknitted. Plain (double knit) interlock stitch fabrics are thicker, heavier, and more stable than single knit constructions. Typically used in ribbed fabrics for cuffs or waistbands.
Jacquard: Woven-in pattern created by a special loom. A raised design or pattern woven into the fabric as opposed to being printed on the
Jersey Knit: Single knit fabric with flat vertical ribs on the right side and dominant horizontal lines on the back side. Fabric stretches from 20 to 25% across the grain. Most commonly used for T-shirts
Knit fabric: Fabrics made from only one set of yarns, all running in the same direction. Some knits have their yarns running along the length of the fabric, while others have their yarns running across the width of the fabric. Knit fabrics are held together by looping the yarns around each other. Knitting creates ridges in the resulting fabric. Wales are the ridges that run lengthwise in the fabric; courses run crosswise. Knitted fabrics tend to mold and fit easily to body shape: woven fabrics, in contrast, drape.
Lock Stitch: Commonly referred to as a lock-down or tack-down stitch, a lock stitch is formed by three or four consecutive stitches of at least a 10-point movement. It should be used at the end of all columns, fills and at the end of any element in your design where jump stitches will follow, such as color changes or the end of a design. Lock stitches may be stitched in a triangle, star or in a straight line. Lock stitch is also the name of the type of stitch formed by the hook and needle of home sewing machines, as well as computerized embroidery machines.
Lycra®: An elastomeric fiber that is blended with other fibers. Can stretch 500 percent without breaking. Holds dyes well and is resistant to heat. It is the most popular brand of spandex in the world.
Lyocell: Lyocell is a fabric most know better by its brand name Tencel®. It has a soft finish, packs light and is made from cellulose (vegetable matter), or wood pulp, typically a mix of hardwood trees like oak and birch. This makes it a natural fabric, and it is noted for its durability and strength, in addition to its eco-friendly manufacturing techniques.
Mercerized: A treatment of fine cotton yarn or fabric that increases shine, luster and strength. Its ability to absorb dyes produces vibrant colors. Mercerized cotton is cotton that has been treated with sodium hydroxide to bring out these certain properties.
Mesh: A type of fabric characterized by its net-like open appearance, and the spaces between the yarns. Mesh is available in a variety of constructions including wovens, knits, laces, or crocheted fabrics.
Nap: A downy surface given to a cloth when part of the fibers are raised from the basic structure and brushed.
Neck tape: Protective band of tape sewn over the seam between the shell and the collar for a more comfortable feel to the garment.
Non-woven fabrics: Materials that are produced by interlocking or bonding fabrics together.
Nylon: The first completely synthetic fiber developed. Known for its high strength and excellent resilience, nylon has superior abrasion resistance and high flexibility.
Open end: A technology for creating yarn without using a spindle. The disadvantage is mainly that the open end is limited to coarse counts, cloth made from open-end yarn having a ‘fuzzier’ feel and poorer wear resistance.
Outseam: The distance from the bottom of the pant leg to the top of the pant at the waist. The measurement is taken along the outside leg seam that joins the front and back leg panels, and includes the width of the waistband.
Oxford weave: A group of cotton or man-made fabrics made with a modified plain weave or basket weave. Mainly used as shirting material.
PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM™ (PMS): An internationally recognized numerical standard of color matching artwork for reproduction on an item.
Peach wash finish: A “peach fuzz” like finish applied to washed poplin with a light nap for a soft, supple feel.
Permeability: A textile characteristic that allows air, water, and water vapor to penetrate and pass through it.
Pigment dye: Washed down colors that will continue to soften and age with washing. Great for outdoor and casual looks.
Pilling: When tangled balls of fiber appear on the surface of a fabric, as a result of wear or continued friction or rubbing on the surface of the fabric.
Pima cotton: Pima cotton is a type of cotton grown primarily in the United State’s Southwest. It is considered to be one of the superior blends fabric.
Piping: A narrow tape used to bind seams, or used for decoration.
Piqué: Knit or woven, with raised dobby designs including cords, wales, waffles, or patterns. Woven versions have cords running lengthwise, or in the warp direction. Knitted versions are double-knit fabric constructions, created on multi-feed circular knitting machines.
Plaid: Patterns consisting of colored bars or stripes that cross each other at right angles.
Ply: The number of single yarns twisted together to form ply yarn; also the number of ply yarns twisted together to form cord. By twisting two or more yarns together, a stronger single yarn is created.
Poplin fabric: Fabric made using a rib variation of the plain weave. The construction is characterized by having a slight ridge effect in one direction, usually the filling. Poplin is used for many types of casual clothing, and frequently used for mens pants.
Polyester: A manufactured fiber that is the second most commonly used fiber. Polyester has high strength (although somewhat lower than nylon), excellent resiliency, and high abrasion resistance. Low absorbency allows the fiber to dry quickly.
Preshrunk: Fabrics that have received a treatment to cause shrinking. This is often done on cottons before cutting the fabric in order to remove the tendency for shrinkage in the finished garment.
Prewashed: Fabric that has been washed prior to the manufacturing of the garment. T-shirts are common articles of clothing made from prewashed fabric. One of the biggest advantages of prewashed garments is retention of size and shape. Articles made from pure cotton or a high percentage of cotton will shrink when first washed. Prewashed garments are more likely to retain their size and shape because any shrinking of the material was done prior to manufacturing. Similarly, prewashed fabrics also tend to fade less, which means they better retain their color and aren’t likely to bleed when first washed.
Printed fabric: A fabric with a pattern printed on it with an ink or dye.
Printed label: A piece of fabric that is used to display a logo, artwork, or washing instructions (care label) that has been printed on. Printed labels can be made from a variety of fabrics although most are made of cotton or satin.
Raglan sleeves: Sleeves are all one piece from collar to cuff, allowing for ease of movement.
Rayon: Rayon is not an artificial fiber, because it is derived from naturally occurring cellulose. It is not, however, a natural fabric, because cellulose requires extensive processing to become rayon. Rayon is usually classified as a manufactured fiber and considered to be “regenerated cellulose”. Rayon is used in a variety of textile applications, including shirts and skirts, and appears in both woven and knitted forms.
Recovery: The capacity of a fabric to return to its original dimensions after being stretched out of shape.
Registration: The distance required between elements of artwork to produce a high-quality imprint.
Resolution: Term used when discussing requirements for specific imprint/art methods. Generally involves required “lines per inch” or “dots per inch” to produce the specified end result or quality of appearance.
Rib Knit: A basic stitch used in weft knitting in which the knitting machines require two sets of needles operating at right angles to each other. Rib knits have a very high degree of elasticity in the crosswise direction. This knitted fabric is used for complete garments and for such specialized uses as sleeve bands, neck bands, sweater waistbands, and special types of trims for use with other knit or woven fabrics.
Ring Spun Yarn: Yarn made by continuously twisting and thinning a rope of cotton fibers. The twisting makes the short hairs of cotton stand out, resulting in a stronger yarn with a significantly softer hand.
Ripstop fabric: Ripstop fabric is a woven, lightweight, nylon-threaded material that resists tearing and ripping. Ripstop fabric can be water resistant and is commonly used for boardshorts and jackets. Ripstop fabric is made by weaving nylon threads throughout a base material in interlocking patterns. Many fabrics can be used to make ripstop fabric, including cotton, silk, polyester, or polypropylene, with nylon content limited to the crosshatched threads that make the material tear-resistant.
Rivet: used to increase strength at crucial points on a garment.
Rise: The length of pants from the top of the waistband at the fly opening, around the crotch, to the top of the back waistband at the center.
Rubber label: A molded label that can offer great depth and 3D effects. Emboss, deboss, or just print on them.
Running stitch: Sequential stitching which runs in a single direction.
Sand wash: A garment washing process that is intended to remove any residual stiffness from the material used to make the clothing item. The aim of sandwashing is ensuring that the clothing feels soft to the touch. After being treated for softness, the sandwashed garment can still undergo anti-wrinkling treatments and manage to retain the soft-brushed feel created by the treatment. Sandwashing also can be used to create a distressed the look of the fabric.
Satin label: A label that is woven with satin threads. Can be a woven or printed label. Satin labels usually will have a shiny appearance.
Satin stitch: In sewing and embroidery, a satin stitch is a series of flat stitches that are used to completely cover a section of the background fabric. In order to maintain a smooth edge, shapes can be outlined with back, split or chain stitch before the entire shape including the outline is covered with satin stitch. A satin stitch is often used to outline and attach appliques as well.
Screen printing: Screen printing is a traditional method of putting color onto something by forcing ink through a fine mesh screen and transferring the ink onto another surface. In order to screen print on something, the design has to be separated among colors and then each color has a separate screen holding each color layer. Screen printing is ideal for larger quantities of prints but can be expensive for smaller orders requiring more than one color.
Seam sealing: A process in which the stitch line of a garment is made leak proof by the application of seam tape or seam-sealing glue.
Selvage or Selvedge: The thin compressed edge of a woven fabric which runs parallel to the warp yarns and prevents raveling. It is usually woven, utilizing tougher yarns and a tighter construction than the rest of the fabric.
Serging: An overcasting technique done on the cut edge of a fabric to prevent raveling.
Set-in sleeve: Sleeves constructed to run from the shoulder to the cuff.
Shrinkage: Term refers to the amount of size reduction in fabric after washing or drying. Most 100% cotton items have been pre-shrunk and no more than a 4-5% shrinkage should be expected.
Silicone label: A PVC-free garment label made with silicone. These labels can offer excellent detail and great colors. Silicone has a lower toxicity and less chemical reactivity than rubber labels.
Silicone washed: A process of washing using silicones that increase softness to give a silky hand feel.
Single jersey knit: Single jersey means that just one side of the fabric has a face. The machine knits only one side of the fabric. Double knit means that both sides of the fabric have a face. On double both the front and rear sides of the fabric will look similar, while on single knit you will easily notice the face and the backside of the fabric.
Slim Fit: A garment that has a cut that is considered smaller, or tighter fitting than that of a standard sized garment.
Slub cotton: Slub yarn is spun in such a way (varying twist) that the width changes along the length of the yarn (the slub is the short thick section). Depending on how it’s made these variations might be regular or irregular (both in size and spacing). It can be 2 ply or single.
Spandex: A synthetic fabric with a polymer base, like nylon or polyester. Spandex, however, has unique properties that make it well suited to certain applications, such as sports apparel. Spandex is able to expand up to 500% and spring back without losing its integrity, although over time, the fibers may become exhausted. Unlike many other synthetic fabrics, spandex is a polyurethane, and it is this fact that is responsible for the fabric’s peculiarly elastic qualities.
SPI: (stitches per inch) System for measuring density or the amount of satin stitches per inch of an embroidery.
Spinning: This final operation in the production of a natural yarn, consists of the drawing, twisting, and the winding of the newly spun yarn onto a device such as a bobbin, spindle, cop, tube, cheese, etc. In manufactured fibers, the spinning process is the extrusion of a spinning solution into a coagulation bath, a heated air chamber, or a cooling area in order to form a continuous filament or tow.
Stitch (backstitch): Used at the beginning and end of stitching to reinforce and prevent raveling. Also called backtack or stay-stitch.
Stitch (blind): A stitch that is not visible on one side of the fabric.
Stitch (contrasting): When the stitching thread contrasts the garment color.
Stitch (zig-zag): A stitch made on a sewing machine in which the needle bar comes down alternately on the right and left side of an imaginary center line. Also refers to the type of machine producing this stitch.
Stitch count: Accumulated total of stitches required to complete an embroidered or applique embellishment.
Stone wash: The process of washing fabric or a garment with stone to soften and distress the look of the fabric.
Sublimation: Sublimation is when a substance transitions between the solid and gas states without going through a liquid phase. To sublimate a fabric it must be white and must be composed of at least 85% polyester. The sublimation will work on natural/synthetic blends but works best with a higher polyester content since the sublimation will only adhere to the polyester fibers and will washout of the natural fibers.
Taffetta: Basic plain weave that is crisp and smooth on both sides, usually with a sheen. Warp and filling approximately of the same count. May be plain, printed, striped, checked, plaid, or antique with uneven threads.
Taped Seams: When a strip of fabric is sewn over the seam of a garment to prevent distortion and give the garment a cleaner, more quality look. In outerwear, taped seams aid in waterproofing.
T/C: (terylene/cotton) Fabric that is a combination of cotton and polyester, where majority of the fabric is polyester.
T/R: (terylene/rayon) When the fabric is composed of more than 50% polyester this fabric is smooth, colorful, has a good hand-feel, good stretching properties, absorbent, anti-wrinkle, and has minimal shrinkage. Commonly used for suits or pants.
Tencel®: Tencel® is the registered trade name for Lyocell, which is a biodegradable fabric made from wood pulp cellulose. Tencel® is considered to be environmentally friendly and a good choice for people with sensitive skin.
Terry: A typical uncut pile weave fabric. This fabric is formed by using two sets of warp yarns. One set of warp yarns is under very little tension; when the filling yarns are packed into place, these loose yarns are pushed backward along with the filling yarns, and loops are formed. Typical uses include towels, robes, and apparel.
Thread count: Thread count refers to the number of threads, both vertical and horizontal, in a one-inch square of fabric. Thread count is affected by a number of factors, including ply and thickness of the threads used. The ply of the fabric refers to how many threads are wrapped together into a single thread. Single-ply fabrics use threads on their own, while two-ply fabrics twist two pieces together into a stronger thread, as well as doubling the thread count of the fabric. Using finer threads also allows for more thread to fit in a square inch. Finer thread often results in smoother, softer fabrics. This is one reason high thread count fabrics are considered more desirable than fabrics with a low thread count.
30’s: Refers to the yarn count in a knit fabric.
TPX numbers: Similar to PMS numbers but used in the textile industry rather than the paper printing industry. PMS number are an international color numbering system used to match exact color requirements.
Trimming: Operation in the finishing process that involves trimming the reverse and top sides of the embroidery, including jump stitches and backing.
Twill: A fabric whose weave is made up of 2 or 3 warp yarns or threads to every one weft. Weave with diagonal ribs and large number of variations. Diagonals may be set at sharp or blunt angles, may be embedded or raised. Important types are flannels, serges, gabardines, and surahs.
V-Neck: A mens or womens shirt where the neck comes down in the front to create a more open chest and has the appearance of the letter V.
Viscose: The most common type of rayon. It is produced in much greater quantity than cuprammonium rayon, the other commercial type.
Warp: Lengthwise yarns found in all woven fabrics. The warp is stronger and denser than the weft (crosswise) yarns.
Weft: The horizontal (crosswise) threads that intersect the warp (lengthwise) threads in a woven fabric.
Weight: The weight of fabric per oz/yard2, or can also be represented by g/m2. Knit fabrics are measured by weight, while woven fabrics are usually measured according to length.
Welt: A welt is a pocket opening treatment. The welt is a cut and sewn piece of fabric that is used to finish the pocket opening.
Wickability: How well fabric disperses moisture to allow it to pass through to the surface of the fabric, so evaporation will take place.
Woven label: A piece of fabric that is used to display a logo, artwork, or washing instructions (care label) that uses a weave of threads to create image or text. Printed labels can be made from a variety of fabrics although most are made from satin.
Yarn dyed: A fabric such as plaid, check or strip where the color is in the dyed threads or yarns before weaving or knitting cloth, as opposed to the color being printed on the fabric after being woven.