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Over 100 years of industry knowledge
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ACID DYE Class of dye used on protein fibres, such as wool and silk, and nylon. ACRYLIC A man-made synthetic fibre derived from polyvinyl which can be textured and spun to produce a yarn similar to wool in handle and appearance. Various modified qualities exist mainly to confer extra advantages such as flame retardancy. ACRYLIC FOR WALLPAPER
Wearing away by rubbing. ABRASION RESISTANCE
JAMES DUNLOP / ANTIBES
Commonly used terms in the textile industry.
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ANTI-STATIC FINISH A starch-based finish which reduces the amount of static electricity generated by making the fabric more absorbent. ARGYLL Pattern originating in Scotland, showing blocks of solid colour, often geometric.
A water based latex used for ‘stickability’ in emulsion paints and adhesives.
ABRASION
Glossary
domestic washing from nonabsorbent, hydrophobic fibres such as polyester, and cellulosic fibre fabrics treated with durable press resins.
ACRYLIC BACKING FOR UPHOLSTERY
Abrasion resistance is the ability of a fabric to resist the effects of abrasion in use. This is measured using the Martindale or Wyzenbeek abrasion tests and is a measure of the relative wearability of fabrics in upholstery use. All upholstery fabrics must comply with the Australian standard set of tests for abrasion AS2687 – 1997, which includes the Martindale abrasion code AS2001.2.25, and the Wyzenbeek abrasion code ASTMD3597. Small samples of the fabric to be tested are mechanically rubbed against a standard abradant material and the number of cycles (rubs) is assessed at end point, for example when a number of threads are broken.
The backing adds stability to the fabric and increases resistance to seam slippage.
ABSORBENCY
ANIMAL FIBRE
Ability of a fibre to take up moisture.
Natural textile fibre from animal, e.g. silk, wool, cashmere, angora. Often called protein fibre.
ACETATE A man-made natural polymer fibre based on cellulose, often referred to simply as Rayon. It is used generally as a filament yarn to produce fabrics resembling silk.
AFTER TREATMENT Treatment given to some dyed textiles to improve the colour fastness or some other quality such as brightness.
Substance which chemically inhibits bacterial growth.
ALPACA
BAST
Natural animal hair from the alpaca.
Fibrous material from a plant, in particular the inner bark of a tree such as the lime, used as fibre in matting and cord etc.
ANGORA This term applies to both goat and rabbit hair. When manufactured, the long, fine goat hair fibres are called mohair. The rabbit hair is often mixed with wool for a soft, fuzzy novelty fabric.
BACTERICIDE
BASKET DYEING An artisanal process by which a fabric is dyed and tumble washed at the same time. The result is a stunning, irregular vintage appearance where each piece is unique. BATCH
Finish which chemically inhibits bacterial growth.
Lot of textile material (fibre, yarn or fabric) processed at the same time. Important because material from different dye lots or batches can show variation in colour.
ANTI-SOIL FINISH
BATCH DYEING
Finish which facilitates removal of soil or stains by ordinary
Dyeing by processing in lots or batches, where all the material in
ANTI-BACTERIAL FINISH
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one batch is subjected to one stage of the process at a time. BATH Vessel in which dyeing takes place. BATIK This printing or dyeing method consists of covering the design areas with a wax which resists the colour. When the wax is later dissolved, the waxed area appears as the colour of the undyed ground with fine cracked lines. BATISTE Fine, soft, plain weave fabric traditionally made from linen, now often made with other fibres, especially cotton. BIAS The angle of 45 degrees to both warp and weft yarns. BIOLOGICAL ATTACK Damage done to textiles by living plant and animal organisms. BIRDSEYE 1. Colour-and-weave effect where the pattern shows small, uniform spots. 2. The reverse side of a flatjacquard weft knitted fabric where the yarns are arranged to show minimum amounts of each colour in an all-over pattern. BLEACH/BLEACHING A process for improving the whiteness of textiles by removing natural colour matter from the cloth. BLEACHING AGENT A chemical reagent capable of destroying partly or completely the unwanted colour in textile materials, leaving them white or considerably lighter in colour. BLEEDING Loss of colourant from a coloured textile material in contact with a liquor, leading to an obvious
colouration of the liquor, and/or adjacent areas of the same or other materials. BLEND To blend is to mix fibres of different types together to form a yarn with improved characteristics. For example, nylon may be blended with cotton or wool to give increased strength and abrasion resistance, viscose may be blended with cotton to give increased lustre. Generally the fibres are blended during the spinning process to ensure consistency of end product. BLOCK PRINTING Wooden block on which the design for printing is in relief. The relief may be wood or hammeredin metal on wood, and large areas to be printed may be filled in with weft. One block is needed for each colour in the design. BLOCK PRINTING FOR WALLPAPER One of the oldest types of printing known. Traditionally uses carved wooden blocks that are inked before pressing onto paper.
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properties of one or more of the component layers. Bonded fabrics are also known as laminated fabrics and as combined fabrics. BOW A bow is a visible fault in printed or woven fabrics caused by a curvature or distortion in the warp or weft during processing. It is difficult to completely avoid this effect, especially with fabrics which are subject to wet processing, such as printed or plain-dyed fabrics. BOUCLE
A figured fabric, jacquard woven and generally multi-coloured in which the pattern is produced by floating the warp and/or weft yarns. Traditionally, brocades were woven in silk but nowadays many other yarns are used such as cotton, viscose and acetate etc. BRUSHED FABRIC Term used to describe a fabric where the surface fibres or filaments have been raised to form a soft fibrous nap, e.g. brushed cotton. Brushing is a finishing process which removes short loose fibres from the cloth.
BOLT
BUCKRAM
Customarily accepted length of fabric, which varies according to the type of cloth. Alternative name for piece.
Plain weave fabric, generally of linen or cotton, which is stiffened during finishing with fillers and starches. Uses include interlinings and bookbinding fabrics.
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BUTT JOIN When hanging wallpaper, the edges are lightly touching and not overlapped.
BUCKLING JOINS Where the butt join of wallpaper is proud of the surface. Normally associated with continued swelling of the wall.
jute in a plain weave construction. The main feature of these fabrics is their close set weave structure.
to describe a similar fabric using other fibres.
CARDED
A glazed, plain weave fabric of cotton where the chintz finish is produced by calendaring. The term fully glazed or resin glazed denotes fabrics which have been impregnated with resin or starch to give a more durable finish. It should be noted that no cotton chintz finish is permanent, and will be progressively reduced in dry cleaning and completely removed if washed.
CHINTZ
Refers to yarns where the fibres have been disentangled, cleaned, mixed and partially straightened on a carding machine during yarn manufacture CASHMERE Natural animal fibre from the cashmere goat. CELLULOSIC FIBRE Natural textile fibre from a plant, e.g. cotton, linen, sisal. The term is also used for man made fibres regenerated from plants. e.g. viscose, modal.
CHROME DYE Class of dyes used on wool. CLOTH General term which can be used for most textile fabrics.
CHAMBRAY Lightweight, plain weave cotton cloth with a dyed warp and a white weft.
BROCADE
BLUE STANDARDS
BONDED FABRIC
Print where a fabric containing two or more different types of fibre is printed with a substance that destroys one or more of the fibres. This results in a pattern where the printed parts of the cloth are much more open or sheer. Known as burn-out print, chemical print, devoré print or devouring print.
This word derives from the French ‘boucler’, meaning to curl or buckle into ringlets. Made in any fibre, this drawn-out, looped-yarn construction, which gives a curly appearance, is very popular in the knitting trade.
Standard samples of wool fabric dyed with specified blue dyes with known rates of fading. Used for light fastness assessment. Rating is on a scale of 1 to 8, where 1 shows very poor fastness and 8 shows extremely good fastness.
Material composed of two or more layers, at least one of which is a textile fabric. These are bonded closely together with an added adhesive, or by the adhesive
BURN-OUT PRINT
COATED PAPER A base paper that has a ‘white clay’ coating on it, (normally Kaolin or Precipitated Calcium Carbonate) giving it a very smooth printable surface.
CHEMICAL ATTACK CALENDER A calender is a machine in which heavy rollers rotate under pressure, like a mangle. The rollers are usually heated and one of them is highly polished and imparts a glazed finish to fabric which passes through. The fabric is often impregnated first with resin to make the resultant glaze effect more durable. CALICO A generic term for a plain weave cotton fabric of light weight, although heavier than muslin. CAMBRIC Lightweight, closely woven, plain weave fabric, usually made from cotton or linen. CANDLEWICK Tufted fabric, generally made from cotton, often used for bedspreads. CANVAS A generic term for heavy fabrics usually made from cotton, linen or
Damage to textile fibres caused by chemicals, e.g. acids damage cellulosic fibres, and wool is damaged by alkalis.
COCOON
CHEMICAL FINISH
Egg-shaped casing of silk spun by the silkworm to protect itself as a chrysalis or pupa.
Finish where a substance is applied to the cloth to improve the appearance, handle or performance of the fabric.
COLOURWAY One of several combinations of colours used for a particular fabric.
CHEMICAL PRINT See burn-out print, devoré print.
COLOUR FASTNESS
CHENILLE
Colour fastness is the ability of a fabric or wallpaper to resist the fading caused by sunlight, washing, dry cleaning etc. Colours are tested for fastness to light on a scale from 1 to 8, and fastness to rubbing, washing, dry cleaning etc on a scale of 1 to 5, (with 1 being the least durable and 5 and 8 the most durable).
A pile fabric woven using chenille yarns, usually in the weft, to produce a fabric usually softer and less uniform in appearance than velvet. The yarn is produced by binding short fibres (2-3 mm) into twisted yarns to form the distinctive velvety appearance and handle. CHIFFON
COMBED
Originally a very lightweight, sheer, plain weave fabric made from silk. Now can also be used
Refers to yarns where the fibres have been further disentangled after carding and before spinning.
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This removes short fibres and makes the remaining longer fibres lie more parallel, giving a stronger, finer, smoother and more lustrous yarn. CONSTRUCTION A method of describing the way a fabric is constructed. It commonly states the fibre type, the number of warp and weft yarns per inch or centimetre, and the count and type of those yarns. CONTINUOUS Describes a process where the material passes in a sequence through a number of stages without stopping. CONTINUIOUS FABRIC DIRECTION A drapery term indicating a fabric can be turned 90 degrees from the direction in which is was woven on the loom. In turning the fabric during manufacturing, you can run the roll continuously across a window without joins or seams. CONTINUOUS FILAMENT Yarn made of one or more continuous strands called filaments where each component strand or filament runs the whole length of the yarn. Continuous filament yarns are also known as filament yarns, and fabrics made from them can be called filament fabrics. CORDUROY This is a cut-filling-pile fabric, generally made of cotton, and distinguished by raised stripes of varying thicknesses. It tends to be strong and durable. The original meaning of this French word is ‘cloth of kings’. COTTON The most common textile fibre in use today, cotton is a vegetable seed hair fibre and derives from a wide variety of plants in the Gossypium family. These fibres
are the protective coating of the seeds in the cotton plant. Cotton is said to have originated in India sometime around 5,000 B.C. and has been in continuous use as a textile fibre for at least 5000 years. Nowadays, cotton is grown all over the world and its characteristics and properties vary enormously according to country of origin and type. Fibre length varies from less than 30 mm for short staple types, to 60 mm or more for long staple qualities. Generally speaking, the longer the staple length, the finer the quality of cloth that can be woven from it. Cotton can withstand heavy wear and holds up under vigorous, repeated washings. It absorbs both dyes and bleaches extremely well, and retains considerable moisture without feeling wet, hence its reputation for ‘breathing’. Cotton is extremely resistant to pilling (the formation of unsightly little balls of fuzz on the fabric’s surface). A perfect example of the inimitable qualities of natural fibres, cotton has a luxurious handle, a specific lustre and innate durability. COTTON COUNT Indirect count system used for cotton and other fibres spun on the cotton system. The count number is the number of hanks, each measuring a standard 840 yards, that weigh one pound. 30s cotton count means that 30 hanks, each of 840 yards, weigh one pound. 40s cotton count means that 40 hanks, each of 840 yards, weigh one pound. COUNT SYSTEM A particular system used to express by number the size of a yarn. All count systems are based on the relationship between the length of a yarn and the mass or weight of the yarn. With indirect count systems the weight is fixed and the length is variable: a higher
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count number indicates a finer yarn. With direct count systems the length is fixed and the weight is variable: a higher count number indicates a thicker yarn.
CRIMP
DAMASK
The waviness of a fibre, e.g. wool fibres have a characteristic natural crimp. Man made fibres can be produced with crimp if required.
CREASE-RESISTANT
CROCKING
Refers to the ability of a fabric to resist creasing and/or recover from creasing. Resilient fibres such as wool make good creaseresistant fabrics, while less resilient fibres such as cotton and linen give fabrics poor crease-resistant properties.
This term refers to the rubbing off of dye from a fabric as a result of insufficient dye penetration or fixation. It can happen when the fabric is either wet or dry.
A fabric usually of jacquard construction and usually selfcoloured in which the pattern is produced by the contrasting lustre or reflection created by warp and weft satin weaves.
CREASING Formation of unwanted folds and puckers in fabric during use, which adversely affect the appearance. CREASE-RESISTANT FINISH Wet finish applied to fabrics which crease to improve their resistance to and recovery from creasing. CRÊPE Fabric where the crêpe effect is produced in finishing by treatment with embossing rollers, engraved with a crêpe pattern, which impart a crêpe effect onto the fabric, through heat and pressure. CRÊPE DE CHINE Lightweight, plain weave crêpe fabric, made with highly twisted continuous filament yarns in the weft, alternating one S and one Z twist, and with normally twisted continuous filament yarns in the warp. The crêpe effect is relatively unpronounced.
Dimensional Stability is the ability of a fabric to resist the effects of shrinking or elongation during use or in washing or dry cleaning. There is an Australian test to measure this and the result is quoted in percentage terms, eg 3% shrinkage indicates that the fabric will shrink 3 cm in every metre. Dimensional stability can vary considerably from one type of fabric to another.
DEGRADATION Undesirable change in the properties of a textile, due to chemical and/or biological change.
CROSS DYED
DEGRADE
DIP DYEING
A process in which different fibres in a blend are dyed different hues in the same dye bath. Fabric woven from different yarns, eg cotton and polyester, cotton and modacrylic, in which one of the components takes the dye differently to the other, resulting in a two-tone effect.
Cause chemical and/or biological decomposition.
DENIER
This dyeing technique involves the fabric being manually manipulated. A portion of the design is covered with plastic or absorbent paper and then dipped into the dye bath. The resulting stain effect is random and changes piece to piece.
CRUSHED VELVET
The mass or weight in grams of 9,000 metres of a fibre, filament or yarn.
Class of dye used on cellulosic fibres.
Pile fabric where the pile is laid in different directions in finishing, giving the fabric varied lustre. CUPRO Man made natural polymer regenerated cellulosic fibre. CUT PILE Pile fabric where the loops of yarn are cut to allow the fibre ends to spread out to form a surface of projecting fibre ends, e.g. velvet, corduroy.
DELAMINATION Where the face layer of the wallpaper or fabric appears to be separating from the backing layer.
DIRECT DYE
DENIM
DISPERSE DYE
Hardwearing cotton twill weave fabric with dyed yarn more closely set in the warp, and unbleached, undyed yarn of a coarser count in the weft.
Class of dye used on some man made synthetic and modified cellulosic fibres, e.g. polyester, acetate and triacetate.
DESIZING
A type of loom on which small geometric figures can be woven in, as a regular pattern. Originally, and still, a mechanism for controlling a loom to create a pattern in the weave. More usually now the term describes the style of fabric woven on such a loom, usually a small scale repeating design either colour woven or piece dyed.
DOBBY
Removal from the fabric of size or starches put on the warp yarns to strengthen them for the strains of weaving. DEVORÉ Descriptive of fabric that has been devoré printed. DEVORÉ PRINT
CRÊPE YARN Spun or filament yarns that are very highly S or Z twisted and used for the production of crêpe fabrics. CRETONNE
DAMAGE FROM SUNLIGHT
A printed fabric usually of cotton and heavier than chintz, often with a textured weave.
Certain fibres are weakened by exposure to strong or prolonged sunlight, e.g. nylon becomes weaker and, if white, turns yellowish.
Print where a fabric containing two or more different types of fibre is printed with a substance that destroys one or more of the fibres. This results in a pattern where the printed parts of the cloth are much more open or sheer. Also known as burn-out print, chemical print and devouring print.
Colour-and-weave effect produced by combining a 2/2 trill with a 4 and 4 order of colouring in warp and weft. Very small versions of this effect are known as houndstooth check.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY
Compound woven fabric where two sets of warp yarns and weft
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DOGSTOOTH CHECK
DOUBLE CLOTH
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yarns allow the face and back fabrics to show completely different patterns. Some yarns from one fabric interlace with the other fabric so that the fabrics are held together. Alternatively a third, finer, hidden warp interlaces with both fabrics binding them together.
through the spinneret into warm air which causes the solvent to evaporate.
DOUBLE CUT (SPLICING)
A rough, slubby silk yarn. Today this more usually describes a fabric with a deliberately pronounced slub effect in the weft, made from silk or rayon. This fabric is made from the textured, slubbed silk yarn reeled from a cocoon created by twin silk worms. As it is difficult to reel the two filaments evenly from such cocoons, a heavier, long slub yarn results.
A decorating technique where you overlap wallpaper by 1-2 cm and then cut straight through both sheets of wallpaper together. You then remove the off-cuts from both the sheet underneath and from the one above. Performed to achieve a perfect butt join. DOUPION Silk-breeding term meaning double cocoon, used to describe the irregular, raw rough silk reeled from double cocoons. DRAPE How a fabric hangs or falls and how it behaves when folded, pleated or gathered. Drape is affected by the properties of the fibre(s) in the fabric, yarn type, fabric structure, finish and weight.
A closely woven, plain weave cotton cloth similar to canvas in construction but less heavy.
DURABILITY Ability of a textile to perform adequately for its expected time span. DURABLE FINISH Describes any finish reasonably resistant to normal usage, washing and/or dry cleaning. DYE
DRIP-DRY
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Capable of drying without creasing when hung up after washing. DRY CLEAN To clean a textile article by treatment with an organic solvent as distinct from a water based solution. Examples of such solvents are white spirit, perchlorethylene and trichloroethylene. DRY SPUN
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DUPION/DUPPIONI
A heavy twill fabric of similar construction to denim, but often also with a satin face.
Describes man made filaments produced by dry spinning, where the dissolved polymer is converted into filaments by extrusion
possible to achieve extremely bright and vivid colours which are reasonably fast to washing but not particularly fast to light. For this reason they are mainly used for apparel.
DUCK
A colorant, usually organic, which is designed to be absorbed by or made to react with a fabric in order to impart colour with some degree of permanence.
DRILL
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Vat dyes impart a high degree of colour fastness to light, washing and dry cleaning. Their fastness results from their chemical make-up, in that the dye is applied to the cloth in a modified form and is subsequently processed so that the dye solution bonds to the fabric at a molecular level and is almost impossible to remove. Reactive dyes also bond to the cloth but not as permanently as vat dyes. Their main advantage is that it is
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Direct dyes are simple to apply to cloth and have good fastness to light but rather poor fastness to washing. They are therefore quite suitable for heavier fabrics which require dry cleaning. Traditionally British printers and dyers have used vat dyes, in contrast to those in Europe who mainly rely on direct or reactive dyes.
DYEBATH Vessel in which dyeing takes place. DYEING This process colours fibres or fabrics with either natural or synthetic dyes. Dyes differ in their resistance to sunlight, perspiration, washing, gas, alkali and dust, in their effectiveness on different fibres, their reaction to cleaning agents, their solubility and method of application. DYESTUFF Alternative name for dye. DYE-LOT Batch of dyed material that has been processed as one, i.e. dyed in the same dye batch with identical treatment from beginning to end of the dyeing process.
be processed into yarn that is extremely fine, strong and smooth.
ENZYME WASH The use of a cellulose enzyme to produce a stone washed look without damaging fibres. This process also softens the hand of a treated fabric.
ELASTENE Man made synthetic polymer fibre with very high elasticity. ELASTICITY
EXTRUSION
Ability of a textile (fibre, yarn, or fabric) to stretch and return to its original shape.
ECRU A French term for greycloth which has passed into common English usage to denote an unbleached, undyed fabric in a natural colour. EDGE COLOURING Where the ends of finished wallpaper rolls are coloured in a shade similar to the printed face, helps reduce the risk of white edge fibres showing when hung. EDGE CURL Where the edge of the wallpaper will not adhere to the wall and continues to spring away. The term is equally applicable to paper that has just been pasted and refuses to lie flat, continuing to curl up on itself. EDGE TO EDGE SHADING Where one side of the wallpaper appears darker than the other. Not noticeable until the second sheet has been hung beside it. EGYPTIAN COTTON Cotton is grown all over the world and its characteristics and properties vary enormously according to country of origin and type. Fibre length varies from less than 30 mm for short staple types, to 60 mm or more for long staple qualities. Generally speaking, the longer the staple length, the finer the quality of cloth that can be woven from it. Sea Island cotton is the longest but is produced in minuscule quantities owing to its difficulty of cultivation. The finest type in commercial cultivation is Egyptian cotton which can
The process of forming filaments from fibre-forming substances by forcing them in plastic or molten form, or in solution, through the holes of the spinneret.
EMBOSSING Production of a relief pattern on a fabric by passing it through an embossing calender, where one of the heated metal bowls is engraved with a pattern. ENDS The warp yarns that run the whole length of the woven fabric, and lie parallel to the selvedges. ENGRAVED
FABRIC
Term used in textile printing to indicate that the image for each colour in the design has been transferred to the printing machinery, e.g. engraved screens, engraved copper roller.
Cloth made from yarns and/or fibres. FABRIC FAULT Imperfection in cloth, which can arise from any stage in processing between fibre and finished product.
ENGRAVED ROLLER Describes a method of printing cloth where the image for each colour is either etched or engraved into the surface of the roller. The print paste is held in the engraved areas, and transferred to the cloth during printing.
FADE/FADING A change in the colour of a fabric caused by one of a number of different things, e.g., light, washing, dry cleaning, abrasion, etc. The change is normally one of a reduction in depth of shade, but can equally be one of colour change due to loss of one or more of the component colours of the dye formula.
ENZYME One of a number of naturally occurring complex proteins that speeds up a specific biochemical reaction without itself being changed. It acts as a catalyst.
FANCY YARN Yarn with deliberately produced irregularities in its construction. These irregularities are generally formed by varying the speeds at which one or more of the component yarns are delivered to the twisting machine and fibres may be incorporated for particular types of fancy yarn. Fancy yarns
ENZYME FINISH Commonly applied to a ground cloth either prior to dyeing, printing or during finishing. This process is used to accelerate a chemical reaction.
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are made from a variety of fibre types and are used for decorative effects in fabrics.
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FASTNESS Measurable quality of a colourant, that indicates how well the colourant resists fading from various agencies, e.g. light, washing, rubbing, dry cleaning.
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FAULT An unwanted defect in the fabric caused by one or more of the many different weaving, dyeing or printing problems that can occur, such as knots, neps or slubs in the weaving, out-of-register or bowed printing, or uneven dyeing.
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FELT (1) Fabric made directly from fibres containing at least 50% of animal hair, usually wool. Manufacture relies on the property of wool and other animal hair fibres to become entangled when exposed to heat, moisture and intermittent mechanical pressure. (2) Fabric woven or knitted from staple fibre yarns containing some wool or animal hair, where in finishing the woven or knitted construction is completely obscured by the smooth felted surface of the fabric. (3) Needlefelt: a non woven fabric where fibres are entangled by the mechanical action of barbed needles. FELTING SHRINKAGE Shrinkage of wool and other animal hair fibres due mainly to the scale structure on the fibre surface. Can be reduced by modification of the fibre surface to make it smoother. FIBRE The basic raw textile material which occurs in many different forms and is spun into yarns to produce fabrics. The broad categories of fibres are:
Natural fibres which occur in nature from animal (protein based), vegetable (cellulose based) or, more rarely, mineral origins. Wool, silk, cotton and linen are all examples of natural fibres. Regenerated fibres formed from a solution of naturally occurring polymers, and having the same chemical constitution as the substance from which they are derived. The commonest types in furnishing use are based on cellulosic polymers, e.g., Viscose, acetate, cupro. Synthetic/man-made fibres produced from polymers built up from chemical elements or compounds, in contrast to those made from naturally occurring fibrous substances. Acrylic/modacrylic, polyester and nylon are the commonest man-made furnishing fibres.
FIBRE LENGTH The distance between the two ends of the fibre. FIBRE THICKNESS The average diameter of the fibre. FILAMENT YARN A yarn made from a continuous fibre or fibres, as distinct from a yarn spun from staple fibres. The only naturally occurring filament fibre is silk. All synthetic manmade fibres are manufactured as continuous filaments, and may be used or chopped into staple fibres and spun into yarn. FILLER A composition for filling in small imperfections in cracks and walls. Used prior to hanging wallpaper. FINISH A term broadly used in the textile industry to denote: •
A chemical substance added to the fabric during processing
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in order to impart various desired properties, e.g., Flame retardant, easy care, shrinkresist, Scotchgard. •
A mechanical process carried out on a fabric to produce a desired effect, e.g., Compressive shrinkage, calendaring/glazing.
FINISHING
FLAT-BED SCREEN
FRIEZE
GINGHAM
Wood or metal frame over which is stretched a fine mesh fabric of silk, nylon, polyester or metal gauze. One screen is needed for each colour in the design, and the areas of mesh surrounding the image to be printed are blocked out so the print paste cannot penetrate.
In classical architecture it is the area between the ceiling and picture rail at the top of a wall – used commonly nowadays as another name for border.
Lightweight, plain weave, traditionally cotton fabric where dyed and white yarns are arranged to show a pattern of small checks.
FUNGI
Process that removes the cotton fibres (lint) from the seed.
FLAX
Processing, physical or chemical, of textile material that improves the appearance, handle or performance.
The fibre extracted from plants of the species Linum usitatissimum which is processed to produce linen fabrics.
FIXATION
FLEECE WOOL
Process which effects permanent combination of the colourant with the fibre after printing and drying of the cloth.
Any wool shorn from a living sheep.
FIRE PROPAGATION The first part of a controlled ‘fire resistance’ test whereby wallpaper is subjected to flame, face on. It is then timed to see how quickly the wallpaper ignites and the flame starts to spread. FIRE RESISTANT/FLAME RETARDANT Describes a textile with a chemical finish which will suppress, significantly reduce or delay combustion of the material. Also known as fire retardant. FLAME SPREAD The second part of a controlled fire resistance test whereby, once wallpaper has ignited (see fire propagation) it is timed to see how fast the flames spread. FLAMMABILITY The ability of a textile to burn with a flame under specified test conditions. FLANNEL Light to medium weight wool fabric, often grey, of plain or twill weave with a soft handle. It may be slightly milled and raised.
FLOAT A length of yarn which ‘floats’ over a number of other yarns in a woven fabric. This is typical of satins, damasks and other jacquard woven fabrics.
GINNING
Plant forms which have no chlorophyll and derive nourishment from organic matter. Examples include moulds and mildews.
GLASS FIBRE Man Made fibre obtained by drawing molten glass.
FUR
GLAZE
The skin of animals with hair on it, e.g. fox fur, mink. A fur is not a textile because the fibres are still attached to the skin. If the fibres are removed from the skin they can be used as textile fibres, e.g. wool can be obtained from sheepskin.
A smooth, glossy finish on a fabric deliberately produced by calendering, usually in conjunction with resin impregnation. GLITTER PRINT Print where areas of the cloth are printed with an adhesive resin, onto which glitter particles are shaken. GRAIN The direction in a fabric parallel to the warp yarns and the selvedges.
FLOCK Very short fibres, which may be coloured, that are used in flock printing.
GRAVURE A print process using a cylinder that has tiny cells engraved in it, these holes fill up with ink, the excess is scraped off the cylinder surface before the cells release their cargo of ink onto the wallpaper.
FLOCK PRINT Areas of the cloth are first printed with an adhesive resin, and then very short fibres, known as flock, are applied by spraying or shaking. The flock adheres to the printed adhesive and when dry, the surplus flock is removed. The result is a velvet-like surface, which may be enhanced by using an electrostatic charge causing the flock to stand erect from the fabric surface. The adhesive can make the fabric stiff where printed. FOLDED YARN/TWISTED YARN/DOUBLED YARN A yarn in which two or more single yarns are twisted together to form a new yarn which is stronger, finer, more lustrous and more abrasion resistant than a single yarn of the same combined weight and size.
G.S.M. Acronym for ‘Grams per Square Metre’. Used to describe the weight of wallpapers, vinyls and textiles.
GREYCLOTH/GREIGE
GABERDINE
Cloth that is woven before dyeing or treatment. Fabric as it comes off the loom prior to subsequent bleaching, dyeing, printing,etc. Synonymous with ‘Loomstate’.
Steep twill fabric, originally made from worsted wool, where the ends are set much more closely than the picks. Often used for raincoats due to its firm structure and waterrepellent properties.
GREY SCALES Series of neutral grey colour chips or colour cards, showing increased contrasts between pairs. Used to visually assess contrasts between other pairs of patterns, e.g. the magnitude of change in colour of a specimen undergoing a fastness test, in relation to the degree of staining on uncoloured adjacent material. Rating is on a scale of
GEORGETTE Fine, lightweight, plain weave, crêpe fabric, usually having two highly twisted S and two highly twisted Z yarns alternately in both warp and weft.
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1 to 5, where 1 shows very poor fastness and 5 shows extremely good fastness. GROUND Background part of the design in a fabric. Also the structure that forms the main body of the cloth. Also referred to as Base cloth.
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Process where a thermoplastic fibre (as fibre, filament, yarn, fabric or garment) can be set into a permanent shape by applying heat under tension, followed by cooling whilst maintaining the tension. HEAT TRANSFER PRINTING Transfer of a printed coloured design from one material (usually paper) to another (fabric) by passing the paper and fabric through heated rollers, or by using a heated press. HEMP Natural vegetable bast fibre from the hemp plant.
IKAT
JACQUARD
A fabric produced by the Ikat method which originated in Indonesia and Malaysia, where the design is produced by selective resist dyeing of the warp and/or weft yarns prior to weaving, to create the typical soft, geometric design.
An intricate method of weaving invented in 1801. A series of punched cards relating to the motif, regulate the raising of stationary warp thread mechanisms. In many mills, cards have now been replaced by computer discs.
IN REGISTER VINYL
HANDLE
HERRINGBONE
The quality of a fabric as judged by the sense of touch in terms of such characteristics as roughness/ smoothness, harshness/suppleness, smoothness/coarseness of a fabric's surface, as well as a curtaining fabric's ability to 'drape' well.
Twill fabric where the direction of the twill is reversed, producing a pattern resembling herring bones.
A printed vinyl wallpaper with an emboss exactly matching the printed design, giving an appearance of ‘relief ’ to the design.
HESSIAN
INDIAN COTTON
This rough, coarse material is made from the major bast fibres (flax, hemp, etc), and is similar to burlap.
Type of cotton characterised by relatively short coarse fibres.
HONEYCOMB
Natural dark blue dye from the indigo plant. Now manufactured synthetically, and often used for the dyeing of denim for jeans owing to its tendency to fade.
HANK Unsupported coil of yarn, where the two ends are tied to maintain the shape of the coil. Alternative name for skein. HANK DYED Yarn that is dyed as yarn while wound in hanks, after yarn manufacture and before fabric manufacture. HAIR FIBRE Animal fibre other than sheep’s wool and silk, e.g. cashmere, mohair. HALF-TONE Gradations of tone within one coloured area. HAND SCREEN PRINTING Flat-bed screen printing where the screens are moved manually along the length of the fabric.
knitting is the plain jersey stitch. The loops are formed in one direction so that face and back of the fabric appear to be different. The strength of the individual yarns and the density of the construction (how tightly and closely together it is woven or knitted), affects the feel, cost and performance of the fabric.
HEAT SETTING
Woven fabric where the interlacing of warp and weft yarns forms ridges and hollows, producing a cellular appearance which resembles beehive honeycomb. HOPSACK A heavy cloth with a modified plain weave, formed by weaving two warp and/or two weft yarns as one, to give a characteristic hopsack effect. HORSEHAIR Natural animal hair fibre from the mane and tail hair of horses and ponies. HOUNDSTOOTH CHECK Small colour-and-weave effect produced by a combination of a 2/2 twill and a 4 and 4 order of colouring. Larger versions are known as dogstooth check.
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INDIGO
INJECTION (DYEING)
•
•
A type of loom mechanism which permits the control of individual warp yarns in an unlimited repeat size, by means of punched cards or electronics. Fabrics woven on jacquard looms are usually large designs which may be piece dyed as in the case of damasks, or yarn dyed, e.g., Tapestries, brocades, lampas, etc.
JUTE Natural vegetable bast fibre from the jute plant.
Method of space dyeing where different dyes are injected into cones of yarn through hollow needles. INTAGLIO Type of printing where the image is either etched or engraved into the printing surface, and the colourant is held in the areas below the surface. INTERLINING A thick, soft fabric used for interlining curtains, with a raised or brushed surface finish, which creates heat and acoustic insulation and keeps out the light.
LAWN Fine, plain weave fabric, traditionally of cotton or linen. LENO Woven fabric where some warp yarns are made to diagonally cross other warp yarns between the picks by a special mechanism on the loom. This allows yarns that are widely spaced to be firmly held in place. LIGHTFASTNESS The ability to resist ultra violet in sunlight, reducing the risk of colours fading. LINEN Linen is yarn spun from flax fibre, known as a bast (or stem) fibre, taken from the stalk of the plant of the linum usitatissimum. The archaeological remains of Stone Age man in the Swiss Lake Dwellings show bundles of flax fibres, spun linen yarn and even fragments of linen fabric. Until the late 1800s, linen was the world’s most important textile fibre, but with the advent of the industrial revolution and the great textile inventions, it was replaced by cotton which is easier and cheaper to raise and process. Flax is a smooth and lint-free fibre with good lustre. It is highly absorbent, with good affinity for dyes, however its poor elasticity makes it prone to wrinkles. This same quality gives it strength and rigidity in a finished fabric. When used in fabrics for home furnishings, linen is often blended with cotton to soften its stiffness. It can be combined with nylon to increase its abrasion resistance, as it is not particularly resilient. Unless it is treated or blended, it soils and wrinkles easily. The word ‘linen’ is often mis-used to refer to any natural coloured, un-dyed fabric, or any fabric containing a modicum of the actual fibre. It is
LACE Open work fabric usually with a ground of mesh or net on which patterns are worked either as the ground is made or at a later stage. The yarns are looped, twisted or knotted to achieve the openness of the fabric and the pattern. Machine made laces are often named according to the machines on which they have been made, e.g. Leavers lace, rachel lace. LAMBSWOOL Wool from the fleece of lambs (young sheep up to the stage of weening). LAMÉ A general name for fabrics where metallic threads are a conspicuous feature. LAMINATED FABRIC
KAPOK Natural vegetable bast fibre obtained from the flax plant. KNITTING Knitting is a method of constructing fabric by interlocking series of loops of one or more yarns. The basic structure in
Material composed of two or more layers, at least one of which is a textile fabric. These are bonded closely together with an added adhesive, or by the adhesive properties of one or more of the component layers. Laminated fabrics are also known as bonded fabrics and as combined fabrics.
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important to read fabric content labels or, in the event these are not available, to ask the salesperson or manufacturer. LINEN UNION Fabric woven originally with a linen warp and cotton weft, but nowadays more usually with a cotton warp and linen weft, to give a characteristic ‘slubby’ appearance. LINING Fabric used in making garments and interior furnishings, such as inside a cushion cover or accompanying a curtain, where its properties do not modify the main fabric but do enhance the performance properties of the article as a whole. LINING PAPER A basic, unprinted, uncoated paper, that is hung underneath the final wallcovering. Helps reduce imperfections in the wall and gives a uniform surface to hang from. LLAMA Natural animal hair fibre from the llama. LOOM A weaving machine. LOOMSTATE See under Greycloth/Greige LUSTRE
MOKUM / INFINITE
The sheen of a fibre. This is dependent on the amount of light that is reflected from the fibre. Fibres with a high degree of lustre can be described as bright.
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MATELASSÉ A double or compound fabric with a quilted appearance sometimes accentuated by the use of wadding threads. MÉLANGE
MADDER Natural red plant dye. MAN MADE FIBRE
Describes a yarn produced by mélange printing of slubbings, tops or slivers, where bands of colour are printed at intervals. MERCERISATION
Man made blend where two or more different filaments are spun at the same time.
So called because the process was discovered by John Mercer in 1844. The treatment of yarn or fabric of cellulosic type (usually cotton), with a caustic solution to enhance various qualities such as: lustre (sheen), the ability to take colouration, strength and stability. Particularly used for satins and damasks to enhance lustre and drape.
MANUFACTURED FIBRE
MERINO WOOL
Alternative, and increasingly used, term for man made fibre.
Wool from the merino sheep, which produces the finest wool fibres.
A manufactured fibre, e.g polyester, as distinct from a fibre that occurs naturally. MAN MADE FILAMENT BLEND
MARL Two slubbings or rovings of different colour or lustre are run together and drafted into one. Generally the term is used loosely to describe a yarn showing two distinct colours. MARTINDALE A test used in Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, for measuring the resistance to abrasion (rubs), as a means of assessing wearability in upholstery fabrics. It is created by applying a specific weight to the fabric, using a circular motion. Small samples of the fabric to be tested are mechanically rubbed against a standard abradant material and the number of cycles (rubs) is assessed at “endpoint”, i.e., when a number of threads are broken. MATCH Two samples where the colour of one is identical, or very close, to the colour of the other.
MESH Open fabric formed either by the way in which yarns are twisted around each other or knitted to form holes. The holes in the mesh may be square, hexagonal, rounded or diamond. METAL FIBRE Man made fibre made from any metal METALLIC PRINT Print where a metallic pigment has been used. Finely ground copper and aluminium alloys are mixed into a suitable binder to give gold, silver, copper and bronze effects. METALLIC YARN Yarn which contains metal, usually aluminium, used for decorative effects in fabrics. METAMERISM The phenomenon whereby the colour of an object appears to
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change under different lighting types. Typically it may be noted when two fabrics seem to be an identical match under daylight, but under domestic lighting (tungsten) or ‘office’ lighting (fluorescent), they are no longer an acceptable match, appearing different to each other in shade. MICROFIBRE Extremely fine manufactured fibre or filament of 1 decitex or less. MIGRATION The movement of an added substance, e.g. a dye from one part of a textile material to another. MILDEW A growth of certain species of minute fungi, which flourish in damp, warm conditions, and which may cause stains on certain fabrics which are difficult to remove. MILDEW RESISTANCE Ability of a fibre to resist attack by mildew. MINIMUM CARE Describes fabrics where crease resistance is good during wear and washing, and minimum ironing is necessary to maintain a good appearance. MIXTURE/MIXED YARN A yarn or fabric composed of fibres of different types, spun together to give improved characteristics to a fabric, e.g., the use of nylon in cotton warps to give increased strength and abrasion resistance. MOCK LENO Woven fabric that imitates the open mesh appearance of a leno fabric by the arrangement of warp and weft yarns. MODACRYLIC A modified (usually ‘FR modified’) acrylic fibre, or yarn spun in such fibre.
MODAL
MOULD
NATURAL (FIBRE)
Man made natural polymer regenerated cellulose fibre.
A growth of certain species of minute fungi, which flourish in damp, warm conditions.
A textile fibre occurring in nature which is animal, vegetable or mineral in origin.
MOHAIR Natural animal fibre from the angora or mohair goat. MOIRÉ Traditionally the term moiré describes a fabric which has been subjected to heat and heavy pressure by specially constructed rollers, to present a ‘rippled’ or watermarked appearance. The effect is caused by the differential reflection from flattened and unflattened parts of the fabric. The term moiré is also incorrectly used to describe fabrics where the watermark effect is produced by printing the moiré pattern onto the surface of the fabric, or weaving it as a jacquard design.
MULTICOLOUR PRINT
NEEDLEPUNCHED FABRIC
Print where more than one colour is used.
Nonwoven mechanically bonded fabric made by using barbed needles which are continuously punched into the fibre web and withdrawn. This causes the fibres to become entangled. Needlepunched fabrics are also known as needle bonded fabrics, needle felted fabrics and needled fabrics.
MUSLIN An open, plain or simple weave lightweight fabric
NEP A small knot of entangled fibres which form a raised knot-like fault in cloth; a short slub. NET NAP
Yarn made up of a number of strands or filaments, each of which runs the whole length of the yarn.
The surface effect of a fabric produced by raising and/or brushing to create an appearance and handle similar to the pile of a velvet, but much shorter.
MOQUETTE
NAPPING
A patterned upholstery fabric with areas of warp pile where the loops are left intact (uncut moquette), or where the loops have been cut by wires or blades (cut moquette). Cut moquettes may also be produced by face-to face weaving.
This process, virtually the opposite of shearing, raises the fibres of a cloth to the surface by means of revolving cylinders covered with metal points (the modern substitute for the thistles that were once used). This is the finish used for such fabrics as outing flannel, wool broadcloth, knitted goods and blankets.
MONOFILAMENT YARN
MOTH DAMAGE Damage inflicted on wool and other animal fibres by the larvae of the moth. MOTHPROOF FINISH Finish which makes the fibre unpalatable to the larvae or grubs which hatch out from the eggs laid by the moth. MOTIF Figure or prominent part of a pattern, as distinct from the ground or background.
NATURAL (FABRIC) Undyed; without finish or added colour. Natural fibres are found in plant or animal life. Their physical and chemical structures have often been the inspiration for man-made fibres. Generally more costly, natural fibres wear well, boast a higher comfort and ‘breathability’ factor, and have an especially desirable feel and lustre that is difficult to replicate, and justifies the added expense.
Open mesh fabric where the openness of the fabric is achieved either by the way in which yarns are twisted round each other or knitted to form holes. The holes in the net may be square, hexagonal, rounded or diamond. NONWOVEN Term covering textile structures made directly from fibres rather than yarn. Bonding of the fibres to form a fabric is achieved by a number of methods, including adhesive bonding, mechanical bonding, thermal bonding and solvent bonding. NON-FLAMMABLE Not capable of burning with a flame under specified test conditions. NOVELTY YARN Name for fancy yarn in the United States. NYLON Nylon is a polyamide fibre made from basic petrochemicals. Its positive attributes include exceptional strength, durability, abrasion resistance, elasticity,
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washability and flexibility. Nylon is stronger, yet weighs less, than any other commonly used fibre. Its fibres are smooth, non-absorbent and dry quickly. This means that dirt does not cling and can be quickly removed, but it also means that it doesn’t breathe.
OMBRÉ A French term meaning shaded which is often used to describe a fabric in which the colours are graduated from light to dark, and often into stripes of varying shades.
ORGANZA
PAN PRINTING
A sheer, lightweight, plain weave fabric, with a relatively firm drape and handle, traditionally made from fine continuous filament silk yarns. Now often made using other fibres.
An old type of printing process, using a trough with a slit.
as opposed to yarn dyed fabric where the yarns are dyed prior to weaving.
PATTERN
PIGMENT
Generally a repeating design, although pattern may be random, i.e. there is no exact repeating unit.
Insoluble colour, which can be applied to textiles by mechanically dispersing very fine particles of the pigment in a medium, and fixing to the cloth with a suitable heatsetting resin.
OTTOMAN First made over 500 years ago, today’s version is a rib construction with a highly pronounced horizontal rib effect, reminiscent of grosgrain, and produced by weaving a fine, close-set warp over thick and/or bunched weft yarns. Originally made with a silk warp and wool weft but nowadays more usually a cotton, mercerised cotton or viscose warp and a cotton weft. May be plain coloured, striped or with dobby or jacquard designs interwoven.
O.B.A./F.B.A. Optical Brightening Agent or Fluorescent Brightening Agent. A substance used to increase the apparent whiteness or brightness of fabrics, by converting ultraviolet radiation into visible light. It can be applied to fabrics during processing, and is also to be found in most proprietary washing powders and detergents. OFF-GRAIN A general term to describe fabrics where the warp and weft are not at right angles to each other, as a result of some defect in processing. OFF-SHADE Describes a match that is not commercially acceptable. OPACITY Degree of opaqueness; not translucent or transparent. ORGANDIE Lightweight, plain weave transparent fabric, with a permanently stiff finish.
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PATTERN REPEAT The size of one complete unit of a design in both vertical and/or horizontal directions. For practical purposes when dealing with drapery fabric, normally only the vertical dimension is quoted, as it affects calculations of quantity required for curtains etc. Repeats may be straight or half-drop, and this must be taken into account in the calculations. PEELABLE Where the surface of a wallcovering can be stripped in one piece leaving only a backing sheet that can be soaked off with ease. In the main ‘peelable’ applies to vinyls as these are made in two parts, a backing paper and a vinyl coating. PERCALE
PACKAGE-DYED Describes textiles that have been dyed on a package, e.g. yarn on perforated cones and cheeses, warp yarn on a perforated warp beam. PAISLEY A decorative design based originally on an Indian pine cone motif, which was popular as far back as the 17th century. It has subsequently been produced in thousands of variations, both printed and woven, and was particularly used for shawls. The name originated from the town of Paisley, near Glasgow, where this style of design was woven in the 18th century, based on the early imported designs.
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This closely-woven, plain-weave cotton fabric, often used for sheets, holds colour well and has a finish that gives good temporary lustre. PICKING The insertion of the weft yarn or pick through the shed. The second of the three basic operations that occur in weaving. PICKS The weft warns that run across the fabric from selvedge to selvedge.
PIGMENT PRINTING Printing using pigments, rather than dyes. The pigment is mixed into a binder containing thickener, a softener, a catalyst and a heatsetting resin. Fixation is achieved by baking to cure the resin, and no other after treatment is necessary. PILE Surface effect on a fabric formed by tufts or loops of yarn such as in velvet or chenille fabrics. Pile usually has a direction which can be determined by running the hand along the fabric in each direction and assessing the degree of resistance offered. PILE FABRIC A fabric where, during its construction, some yarns are raised up to form the pile, which may be of cut and/or uncut loops. PILLING The effect created by the entangling of surface fibres during washing, cleaning or wear and tear, causing small ‘balls’ or ‘bobbles’ to appear on the surface of a fabric. Generally not a problem with cotton or wool flat-weave fabrics, and more likely to appear in polyester or knitted fabrics.
PIECE
PILLS
Customarily accepted length of fabric, which varies according to the type of cloth. See bolt.
Unsightly balls of fibre which stand up from the surface of the cloth.
PIECE DYED
See tartan. Also name for the shawl or wrap of Highland costume, usually a tartan.
Plain coloured fabric which is dyed ‘in the piece’ after weaving,
PLAID
PLAIN WEAVE The simplest of all weave constructions in which the warp yarns interlace alternately over and under the weft yarns. This results in a very even, flat construction when yarns of equal size are used in warp and weft, but quite pronounced ribbed or slubbed effects are produced when the yarns are of markedly different size or type. PLANT FIBRE Natural textile fibre from a plant, e.g. cotton, linen. PLASTER BOARD A board used for making false walls, composed of plaster core sandwiched between two layers of stiff paper or board. PLIABLE Descriptive used for wallpaper that has gone floppy and soft, indicating paper is suitable ‘soaked’ out. PLISSÉ Describes fabrics with a puckered or crinkled effect. From the French word for pleated. PLUSH Woven pile fabric with a longer and less dense pile than velvet. Warp and weft knitted plush fabrics are also produced with cut or uncut pile, depending on the fabric. POLYAMIDE Nylon; either as fibres, spun into yarn, often blended with cotton, or as continuous filament yarn. POLYESTER A man-made synthetic-polymer fibre resembling cotton. Production of the polyester fibre is similar in many ways to the intricate process used to manufacture nylon. The chemical compounds, however, are quite different and account for the
differences in the behaviour and performance of these two synthetic fibres. Developed around the same time as other synthetic fibres (late 1920s), polyester became the fastest growing fibre of the 1960s, particularly popular as a blend with cotton and rayon/viscose. Polyester is an extremely resilient and springy fibre. It reverts to its original position whether wet or dry, regardless of whatever twisting or wringing it undergoes. It does not wilt or droop in hot, muggy weather but, because it is virtually insensitive to moisture, it does not breathe and can be very ‘sticky’. It is a lightweight, strong fibre that resists abrasion and is not damaged by sun. Through the creation of blends, polyester adds its qualities of wrinkle resistance, crease and shape retention, and insensitivity to moisture to a wide range of fabrics. It can however, pill severely, collect static electricity and soils easily. POLYETHYLENE Man made synthetic polymer fibre. POLYMER A large molecule built up by the repetition of small, simple chemical units. POLYMER RESIN Substance used in a finishing treatment to produce a particularly durable effect, e.g. glazing of a cotton fabric, permanent press on non-thermoplastic fibres such as viscose. POLYOLEFIN A term used to describe manufactured fibres in which the fibre-forming substance is any long-chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of ethene (ethylene), propene (propylene), or other olefin units. The term includes the generic names – polypropylene and polyethylene. The characteristics
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of polyolefin include: light weight, high strength and abrasion resistance, excellent elastic recovery, good resilience and stain resistance. This has led to its wide use in carpets, upholstery and outdoor fabrics. POLYPROPYLENE Man made synthetic polymer fibre. POLYURETHANE Man made synthetic polymer fibre. PRE-PASTED Used to describe a wallcovering/ vinyl that has dry paste already on the reverse side of the sheet, becomes active when that paper is immersed in water. PRE-SHRUNK Fabric which has been treated during processing to significantly reduce the amount of residual shrinkage in the finished fabric. This may be done by mechanical means, e.g., Sanforising or compressive shrinkage, or by chemical means, e.g., resin stabilisation. It is important to note that there will still be a degree of shrinkage remaining, although this will be considerably reduced. PRIMER Generally used as an intermediary coat between wallpaper and the surface to be decorated, particularly on non porous surfaces, i.e. laminate board, glass, etc. Dries with a slightly rough feel to it which the adhesive from the wallpaper can ‘lock’ into.
from earliest recorded history, and up until the 19th Century they were produced exclusively with wooden blocks, stencils or handpainting. The advent of copper roller printing then allowed the reproduction of more complex and finely engraved designs on an industrial scale, and this was subsequently largely superseded by flat-bed, and more recently, rotary screen printing. Whilst the methods have changed over the years, basically the principle has remained the same. The design is ‘built up’ on the cloth by printing individual colours, each requiring its own block, roller or screen to produce the complete pattern in repeat.
PRINTING The process of applying colour to a fabric to produce a pattern. Printed fabrics have been made
term is also used to categorise fabric in terms of its fibre content, construction, weight, finish, etc. and is more or less synonymous in this context with generic type.
RAFFIA Natural vegetable leaf fibre obtained from the raffia palm.
PURE SILK
RAMIE
Silk, in which there is no metallic or other weighting of any kind, except that which is an essential part of dyeing.
Natural vegetable bast fibre from the ramie plant. RAILROADING
Polyvinyl acetate – an additive to some adhesives that give it very strong bonding capabilities. Also used as a general bonding agent in the building trade.
Applying fabric to furniture so that the weft or filling runs vertically. Turning it 900 from the direction that it came off the loom. When railroaded, a length of fabric can be used to cover an entire sofa back without prominent seams.
PVC
RAW SILK
Alternative name for polyvinyl chloride, a man made synthetic polymer. It is a chlorofibre.
Continuous filaments containing no twist, drawn off or reeled from cocoons. The filaments are unbleached, undyed and not degummed.
PVA
RAYON
PRINT PASTE Thickened liquid used to print fabric. Print pastes for dyes contain dye, water, a thickener and other chemicals which promote dye/fibre combination.
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QUALITY The features or characteristics of a product or service that affect its ability to satisfy implied or stated needs. Commonly it expresses the concept of ‘high’ quality. The
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Generic name for a number of regenerated cellulose fibres and the yarns produced from them. Included in this group are: viscose, acetate, modal and cupro. Rayon is a generic term for man-made fibres composed of pure cellulose regenerated from either wood or cotton pulp. Although the substance originated much earlier, it was not until 1886, when Count Hilaire de Chardonnet disclosed his commercial process for
manufacturing artificial silk at the Paris Exhibition, that production of rayon became widespread all over Europe. Rayon filaments can be processed to produce viscose rayon fibres of various strengths and stretch, allowing it to approximate such widely differing fabrics as crepe, flannel and knits. The fact of its vegetable origin explains some of rayon’s resemblances to cotton. Like cotton, rayon fibres are strong and extremely absorbent, receptive to dyes, and fairly smooth and lustrous. REACTIVE DYE Class of dye used on cellulosic and protein fibres. RECOVERED WOOL Wool rags from garment manufacturing and old, used garments. Rags are classified as new or old, depending on whether the material has been used or not. RECYCLED WOOL See recovered wool. REELING Process of unwinding the silk filaments from the cocoons.
resists dye, and the fabric is then dyed. The dye fixes only where the fabric has not been printed with the resist. The print paste may contain a colour not affected by the resist that gives a new colour on the cloth where printed.
REPELLENT Describes a degree of resistance to a particular agency, e.g. water repellent. RESIDUAL SHRINKAGE The latent potential shrinkage in a fabric after processing is completed. This is the amount the fabric is likely to shrink in subsequent washing or cleaning, and varies considerably according to fibre content, weight, construction, and finish of a fabric. For practical purposes most furnishing fabrics are in a range between 2% for printed cottons or poly/cottons, and up to 7-8% for heavy linen unions. Shrinkage is normally less in dry cleaning than in washing.
REVERSIBLE A fabric which can be used on either side. RIB Weft knitted structure where all the loops on some wales are intermeshed to the front of the fabric and all the loops on the remaining wales are intermeshed to the back of the fabric. RINSING Treatment with clean water to remove unwanted matter, such as surplus chemicals.
RESILIENCE Ability of a fibre or fabric to spring back to its original shape after being damaged.
ROT
RESIN
Decay caused by natural forces.
Substance used in a wet finishing treatment to give a particular property to a fabric, e.g. durable press.
Cylindrical metal mesh screen made of nickel used in rotary screen printing.
ROTARY SCREEN
RESIST
REGENERATED CELLULOSIC FIBRE Man made fibre produced from plant material by chemical treatment which changes the physical form, e.g. viscose from wood pulp from trees.
RUBBING Abrasive action on a textile which can affect the appearance, through damage to the structure, and can affect the colour, if the colourant used is not resistant to rubbing.
Describes a degree of resistance to a particular agency, e.g. crease resistant. RESIST DYEING
Type of printing where the image is in relief, or raised, on the printing machinery.
Dyeing of fabric or yarn where a physical or chemical resist has been applied prior to dyeing. Examples include ikat, batik and tie-dyeing.
One complete unit of the textile design, containing all the elements of the design. The unit may be repeated in one of a number of ways to form the pattern on the fabric.
Ability of a fibre to withstand decay caused by naturally occurring algae and/or fungi.
RESISTANT
RELIEF
REPEAT
ROT RESISTANCE
Substance applied to a textile to prevent the uptake and fixation of dye in a subsequent dyeing or printing process.
RESIST STYLE Style of printing where a white or coloured pattern shows on a darker coloured ground. The fabric is printed with a substance that
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on flat screens, or a metal mesh on rotary (cylindrical) screens. The colourant is forced through the mesh by a squeegee or blade which traverses the screen in flat-bed printing, while the screen remains stationary. In rotary printing, the screen itself rotates and the squeegee remains stationary. SAFFRON
SEALER
Natural yellow plant dye. Term used to describe silk or manufactured fibre fabric finished to give a peach-skin appearance and handle. Originally achieved by gentle abrasion with a sand and water mixture, and now generally done by washing with detergents and enzymes rather than sand.
Normally described as a primer/ sealer, it is used on particularly porous surfaces that need to be decorated, chipboard, brick etc., where ‘sizing’ would be inappropriate. It effectively glazes over the top of the porous surface stopping any penetration of adhesive from wallpaper. It has a slightly roughened ‘keyed’ feel when dry that acts as a primer.
SATIN/SATEEN
SEAM SLIPPAGE
These terms have become more or less synonymous with one another as both are smooth fabrics produced by ‘floating yarns’, conventionally over four threads (known as 4 and 1). A satin is a fabric where warp yarns float over weft, and sateen is where weft yarns float over warp.
This refers to a fabric’s propensity to pull apart at the seams when pressure is exerted. It occurs more with fabrics made of smooth yarns, especially those produced from man-made filament yarns. A simple test is to exert mild pressure at key points on an upholstered item; if the seam bares its teeth, this is slippage
SAND-WASHED
SCOURED Fabrics, usually cotton, linen or linen unions which are washed in aqueous solutions to remove natural oils, starches and impurities but without the use of stronger enzyme or chemical solvents, such are used in bleaching or dyeing. The resultant fabric has a natural look and may still contain some cotton seeds and other imperfections which would be removed by bleaching. SCREEN PRINTING A process developed originally from stencilling, in which a colourant is forced through unblocked areas of a mesh onto the fabric beneath. The mesh may be a fine woven silk or synthetic fabric
SEERSUCKER A fabric with characteristic alternating flat and puckered areas, usually in vertical stripes and produced in a number of different ways. Commonly the fabric is woven with warp yarns under varying tension or by using yarns with different shrinkage properties. This lightweight crepe-stripe effect fabric is often made with pastelcoloured stripes. Its construction gives a slight puckered effect. SELVEDGE The two outer vertical edges of a fabric which are formed during weaving. They are invariably of different weave construction to the body of the fabric, and their
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main purpose is to give strength to the edges of the fabric, especially during processing, and to prevent fraying.
strongly contrasting colour, eg, blue/orange, red/green. This is most pronounced in silk or silklike fabrics.
SHADE
SHRINKAGE
Term loosely employed in the dyeing industry to describe a particular colour or depth, e.g. pale shade, fashion shade, mode shade.
Reduction in length or width of a fabric, usually caused by washing or dry cleaning, although certain sensitive fabrics can shrink through changes in atmospheric humidity or heat.
SHANTUNG Plain weave dress fabric showing random yarn irregularities, due originally to the unevenness of the tussah silk filaments. Now often made using different fibres.
SHRINK BACK Where a gap opens up between two sheets of wallpaper as the paper starts to dry out.
SHEARING
SHRINK RESISTANT
This operation of levelling the nap on cloth is frequently employed in the woollen and worsted trades, as well as in the case of certain cotton and synthetic fibres. Shearing regulates the height of the nap (protruding fibres) found on the surface of goods by cutting off the loose ends with a sharp blade.
Fabrics which have a degree of dimensional stability which conforms to specified standards, as a result of mechanical or chemical processing. It does not mean that the fabric will not shrink at all.
SHEER A generic term for various kinds of semi-transparent fabrics such as voile, muslin, organza, net, etc. SHIBORI An ancient Japanese dyeing technique, with the earliest known example dating back to the 8th century. The name comes from the verb root shiboru meaning to “wring, squeeze and press” and emphasises the hand created process which involves precise folding, pinching, twisting and bunching of the fabric before binding or knotting and submerging it in dye. There are infinite ways you can shape and compress cloth for Shibori, each manipulation resulting in a unique blurry edged repeating pattern. SHOT EFFECT An iridescent colour effect in a fabric produced by weaving a warp of one colour and a weft of
SILK The fibre, yarn or fabric produced from the natural protein secretion of the silk moth larvae, which is unreeled as a continuous filament from the cocoons. Smooth, sensuous, sleek and shiny, first cultivated in China more than 4,000 years ago, silk was used as a means of exchange by the Chinese aristocracy. The principal species used in production is the mulberry silkworm which is the larva of the silk moth, Bombyx mori. The silk fibre is composed of two filaments excreted from the glands of the worm, cemented together by an insoluble gum which is very sensitive to strong light. Silk has a lower density than wool, cotton, linen or rayon, and is therefore lighter in weight. It can soak up to 30% of its weight in moisture, and still feel dry. It is extremely strong (a filament of silk is as strong as an equal filament of steel) and has excellent wrinkle recovery. Silk comes in many distinct forms, from very fine, to raw, to
the irregularly textured duppioni which is excreted from the glands of twin silk worms. In its varying states it performs differently; sometimes heavily constructed and durable, sometimes delicate and fragile.
the appearance of such fabrics, but excessive slubbiness may be judged to be a defect. Slubs are also used for special effects in certain fancy yarns. SOAK TIME The time wallpaper should be left for it to fully expand, before application to the wall.
SINGEING Preparatory finishing process where unwanted fibres protruding from the surface of the cloth are removed by passing the fabric very quickly over either an open flame or very hot metal plates.
SOIL RESIST/SOIL RELEASE A finish applied to fabrics to inhibit staining/soiling of the surface and/or to facilitate its removal in washing or dry cleaning, eg, Scotchgard. A general term used to describe a class of textile finishes which encourages the release of stains from fabrics by ordinary washing. Two such finishes are Scotchgard, and Teflon, noted for their resistance to extremes of temperature and chemical action. The finishes have the added advantage of creating anti-static and anti-pilling properties. In varying forms, they can be added by the fabric finisher, the retailer or the consumer.
SISAL Natural vegetable leaf fibre from the sisal plant. SIZE Substances put onto warp yarns to strengthen and lubricate them for the strains of weaving. SIZING Process of applying size to warp yarns. SIZING/SIZE FOR WALLPAPER A weakened mix of wallpaper adhesive that is used to fill up a porous surface, i.e. plaster. Its purpose is to stop the wall from stealing the moisture from the back of the wallpaper.
SOLUTION DYE The process where the pigment or colour is bonded in the solution and colour fibre is extruded. Colour goes through the entire fibre and is clear, clean and fast.
SKEIN
SPACE DYEING
Unsupported coil of yarn, where the two ends are tied to maintain the shape of the coil. Alternative name for hank.
Production of random or regular multi-colour effects on yarn by applying colourants at intervals along the yarn. Alternative methods of space dyeing include injection dyeing and knit-de-knit.
SKEW A fabric condition in which the warp and weft, although perfectly straight, are not at right angles to each other.
SPECIALTY FIBRES Textile fibres grown from the skin of animals other than sheep, e.g. mohair, cashmere, camel, angora, cashgora.
SLUB A thicker section in a yarn. Occurring frequently as it does in natural fibre products such as cotton, linen, silk, etc, this effect is usually taken as a characteristic of
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SPINNERET Metal plate perforated with holes through which the fibre-forming
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substances in either a plastic or molten state, or in a solution, are extruded in man made fibre manufacture.
used for sizing yarns in weaving, and in finishing to improve the appearance and handle of some fabrics.
Removal of dye or finish from a textile.
SPLICING
Used to describe a staple fibre yarn where the fibres are twisted together in order to form a continuous yarn.
STATIC ELECTRICITY Electricity produced by materials rubbing together. Can be a problem with synthetic fibres with low absorbency. Solved by building in anti-stat properties during fibre manufacture, or by applying an anti-stat, starch-based finish.
Process where a substance changes from a solid to a gas when heated with no intermediate liquid stage. On cooling the process reverses, i.e. vapour to solid. Some disperse dyes will sublimate and can be used for transfer printing.
SPUN SILK
STENTER
See double cut. SPUN
Staple fibre silk yarn produced from silk waste which has been largely degummed. SQUEEGEE A metal or rubber blade similar in principal to a car’s windscreen blade, used to force ink through the wire screen when hand or rotary screen printing. STAINING 1. Undesirable local discolouration caused by accident in processing or use. 2. In colour fastness testing, the transfer of colourant from the sample being tested to adjacent white material. 3. In textile printing the soiling of areas of the cloth during washingoff. STAIN REPELLENT FINISH Finish which inhibits the absorption of water-based and oilbased liquids. Trade names include teflon. STAPLE FIBRE A textile fibre of finite length, varying from 1.25 cm to 90 cm, depending on the fibre. STAPLE LENGTH Characteristic fibre length of a sample of staple fibres. STARCH Carbohydrate component extracted from certain plants and
Machine with moving endless bands of either pins or clips which hold the selvedges and carry the fabric in open width through a hot air cabinet. The machine is used for drying, heat-setting, controlling fabric width and other finishing processes. STENTERING Process of passing a fabric through the stenter. STONE-WASHING Treatment where fabrics or garments are deliberately aged or distressed by the mechanical action of either pebbles, pumice stones or other abradants during washing. STRENGTH Ability of a textile, as fibre, yarn or fabric, to withstand physical stress. STRETCH Term specifically used in the textile industry to describe a fabric or yarn with greater than usual extensibility and recovery. STRIKE OFF To produce colour samples of printed designs in order to assess colour balance, correctness and appropriate interpretation of engraving, etc, prior to commercial production. Also the sample produced by this process, sometimes called a fent.
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STRIPPING
SUBLIMATION
SYNTHETIC POLYMER FIBRE Man made textile fibre where the fibre-forming material is synthesised or built up from simpler chemicals, in contrast to fibres manufactured from naturally occurring fibre-forming polymers
TERRY-TOWELLING
TOILE
A woven warp-pile fabric where the loops are formed by applying a high tension to the ground warp and a very low tension to the pile warp. Beating-up does not occur on every pick, so that when a pick is beaten-up it causes the other picks to be moved into the main body of the cloth, at the same time forming the pile loops on the face and back of the cloth.
French word for fabric, and now also implies fabric of a certain type, i.e., a plain weave, light to medium weight cotton.
SUBSTRATE
TEXTILE MÉLANGE
A material to which dyes and chemicals may be applied.
Term applied to fibres, filaments and yarns and the products made from them. Derived from the Latin texere: to weave.
SURFACE PRINT A print process that proceeds Flexo printing, uses water based inks. SYNTHETIC FIBRES Great strides have been made in the field of synthetics which now boasts a world of fibres. In its simplest form, the manufacture of man-made fibres resembles the work of silkworms. A man-made liquid substance, forced through the fine holes, solidifies much like the continuous filament extruded by the worm. Synthetic fibres occasionally approximate some of the attributes of natural fibres, and often manifest great strength and durability. Sometimes these fibres have a tendency to ball or roll up on the surface of certain fabrics. It occurs when fibre ends escape from the yarn used in making the fabric, and work their way up to the surface. Once there, they are exposed to rubbing and abrasion, causing the formation of balls of fuzz called ‘pills’. Pills that appear on natural fabrics will usually work their way out and be eliminated in the cleaning process. As synthetic fibres tend to be stronger, and because of their propensity to accumulate static, the pills cling permanently to the surface. Polyester, nylon and acrylic are especially prone to pilling.
TRANSFER PRINTING Transfer of a printed coloured design from one material (usually paper) to another (fabric), normally under the influence of heat and/or moisture and pressure. Dye transfer from the paper to the fabric occurs because the dyes are preferentially absorbed by the fibres. The process is mainly used for polyester fabrics. Most transfer printed fabric does not require a washing-off process, which is advantageous from an environmental standpoint.
TEXTURE
TAFFETA One of the oldest fabrics known to man, this is named after the Persian fabric “taftan”. A plain weave, closely woven, crisp fabric, smooth on both sides, with a faint weft-way rib dense construction, and typically ‘crunchy’ handle. Traditionally made from silk, but now also in silk/viscose and other silk mixtures, as well as polyester and viscose. TAPESTRY Originally a closely woven fabric in which coloured threads were inserted by hand to produce a figured pattern. Nowadays the term is more loosely used to describe figured fabrics in which the pattern is created by the use of two or more different types of yarn in each direction. TARTAN Originally a woollen fabric of 2/2 twill, woven in checks of various colours, and worn by Scottish clans, each clan having its own distinct pattern. Now descriptive of a wider range of fabrics with this type of patterning. Tartans are sometimes called plaids.
The surface appearance and handle of a yarn of fabric.
TUFTED FABRIC
TEXTURED YARN
Fabric where tufts of yarn are inserted with special needles into an already constructed ground fabric. The base fabric can be woven, knitted or non woven. The pile loops formed by the tufting machine can be cut or left uncut.
Man made filament yarn that has been treated by one of a variety of methods to introduce durable crimps, coils and loops and the length of the filaments. THERMOPRINTING
TUSSAH SILK
Printing of a fabric with special colourants which change their colour according to temperature.
A coarse, uneven silk produced by the wild silkworm. It is generally beige or brown in appearance, and is usually a spun yarn as the filament is unable to be reeled in the same way as cultivated silk.
THREAD A term synonymous with ‘yarn’ in general. THROWN SILK Yarn twisted from continuous filament silk.
TWEED Originally a coarse, medium to heavy in weight, rough-surfaced, woven wool fabric. Now a term applied to many fabrics, of varying constructions and fibre content, showing a characteristic rough, textured surface.
TICKING General term applied to fabrics used for mattress covers, pillows, etc. TIE-DYE Resist method of patterning cloth by tying, stitching or knotting the fabric before dyeing. After dyeing the cloth is undone to reveal the pattern. The cloth can be retied and dyed to produce more complex patterns. Also known as Shibori.
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TWILL A fabric with a diagonal rib effect produced by a weave construction not unlike that of a drill or satin.
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TWILL WEAVE Weave pattern where the interlacing of the yarns shows a diagonal pattern on the cloth. TWIST The spiral formation given to fibres during spinning to ensure cohesion. The degree of twist in spun and filament yarn influences the character of the yarn.
UNCUT PILE Surface on a fabric consisting of loops of yarn. UNION A fabric made with a warp of one kind of fibre and the weft of another. UNION DYEING Dyeing of a combination of different types of fibres to achieve a single solid colour.
VELOUR A pile fabric with the pile laid in a single direction creating a smooth appearance.
G L OSSA RY
of loops which are cut as wires are withdrawn from each row, or by effectively weaving two fabrics face-to-face; joined together by the pile thread and finally separated by a knife as the fabric comes off the loom.
absorption, but allows the passage of air and water vapour. WATERPROOF Describes a fabric or finish where there is total resistance to penetration by water, e.g. PVCcoated cotton, rubberised fabric.
VINYL Vinyl is a man-made, non-woven plastic material, sometimes laminated onto a fabric backing. Vinyl-coated fabrics, which vary widely in quality and cost, are commonly used as upholstery covers. The better vinyl-coated fabrics are frequently finished to resemble leather. They drape and tuck fluidly, have a soft handle, can be made to match common leather styles and colours, and can be used in conjunction with leather on an upholstered piece to reduce cost. VINYL FOR WALLPAPER A printable plastic coating that is applied to a backing paper to make it a durable, scrubbable wallpaper. VISCOSE A manufactured (regenerated) fibre produced by the viscose process from a cellulose base. It resembles cotton in chemical make-up and quality, and may be continuous filament or spun yarn. In furnishing fabrics it is invariably used as a blended yarn with cotton, or as a mixed fabric with cotton or linen.
WADDING Lofty sheet of fibres used for padding, stuffing or packing. WARP The yarns which run vertically, or lengthwise, in woven goods. Textile fabrics are woven using warp yarns, referred to as ends, and weft yarns commonly referred to as picks. WARP FLOAT A length of warp yarn on the back or surface of the cloth that is between intersections. WARP PRINT Print where the warp yarns have been printed before the cloth is woven. When the cloth is woven, often with an undyed weft, the design shows on both sides of the cloth with a subtle, blurred effect on the edges of the printed colours where the warp yarns have moved slightly relative to each other during weaving. WARP YARN The yarn that is used in the warp of a woven fabric.
VISCOSITY
WASH AND WEAR
A measurement of the thickness of inks, adhesives, paints, etc.
Describes fabrics and garments where crease resistance is good during wear and washing, and minimum or no ironing is necessary to maintain a good appearance.
VOILE A very lightweight, open weave fabric made from fine yarns, typical of ‘net’ curtains.
VELVET A pile fabric in which the pile (tufts) are woven into the warp. The effect is produced in one of two ways: either by the weaving
WATER REPELLENCY Relative resistance of a fabric to surface wetting, water penetration and water absorption. WATER REPELLENT Describes a fabric that resists surface wetting, water penetration and water
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WAX Substance used as the mechanical resist in batik dyeing and printing. WAX PRINT Resist print where molten wax is printed onto the cloth prior to application of the ground colour. WEAVE The order in which the warp and weft yarns interlace in one repeat of the pattern. Weaving Method of constructing cloth by interlacing warp and weft yarns. WEFT An individual yarn which interlaces with warp yarn at right angles in weaving fabric. Also known as a filling pick. WEFT FLOAT A length of weft yarn on the back or surface of the cloth that is between intersections. WEFT YARN The yarn that is used in the weft of a woven fabric. WET SPUN Describes man made filaments produced by wet spinning, where the dissolved polymer is converted into filaments by extrusion through the spinneret into a coagulating bath of chemicals, causing the filaments to solidify. WHITE PIGMENT Extremely opaque pigment that can be printed on dark grounds. Colour can be added. The handle of the fabric is relatively stiff where printed.
WILD SILK Silk fibres from species other than Bombyx mori. WOOL Wool is the protective covering of the sheep. Chemically, wool is a proteinaceous fibre called keratin, similar in composition to human hair. It is resilient, soft and warm, and insulates the sheep against both heat and cold, keeping its body temperature even. Owing to the physical make-up of the individual fibres, it can be processed in a wide variety of ways to produce an infinite range of different woollen yarns. Woollens are spun from softer, wool fibres into bulkier, heavier fabrics with less sheen. It is endowed with ‘memory’, a natural elasticity that enables it to spring back when stretched, creating a highly wrinkle-resistant, extremely resilient fabric. Wool’s oily nature repels dirt, and will absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture without feeling damp. It is subject to insect attack if not specially treated.
YARN Textile fibres are spun or extruded to produce yarns, the basis of all woven textiles. YARN DYE The process where yarn has been dyed prior to weaving the fabric.
Z TWIST Twist in yarn where the direction of the twist follows the direction of the central part of the letter ‘Z’, i.e. top right to bottom left.
WORSTED A wool fabric in which the yarns have been spun from combed wool in contrast to wool fabrics where the yarns are spun from carded wool. Worsteds are specially spun from uniform wool fibres and woven into smooth, lustrous fabrics. These long, fine fibres don’t sag or stretch, are light and easy to upholster, and wear well. WOVEN FABRIC Fabric made by interlacing two sets of yarns, the warp and the weft. WYZENBEEK An American abrasion test for upholstery fabrics, measured in double rubs, and created through a specified weight applied in a backwards and forwards motion, creating a ‘double rub’.
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WASHING
Textile definitions
Do not bleach
Use diluted bleach as required
Use Non Chlorine bleach as required
Do not wash
Hand wash only
Hand wash Gentle
Machine wash cool
Machine wash cool Gentle cycle
Machine wash warm
Machine wash warm Gentle cycle
Machine wash hot
Machine wash hot Gentle cycle
DRYING
ABBREVIATIONS
Acetate Acrylic (Polyacrylic)
AC (PAN) PC
Lycra (Elastane)
(EA) EL ME
Metallic (Lurex)
Alpaca
WP
Mixed Fibres
Angora
WA
Modacrylic
Bamboo
BA
Modacrylic Fire Retardant MAF
Chenille
CH
Modal
MD
Coir (Coconut)
CC
Mohair
WM
Cotton
CO
Nylon (Polyamide)
Cupro (Stabilised Viscose) CUP Feather
F
(MTF) TR MA
PA OLF
Olefin
(PES) PL
Polyester
Glass
GL
Polyethylene
PE
Half Drop
HD
Polypropylene
PP
Hemp
CA
Polyurethane
PU
Inherently Fire Retardant Polyester
Polyvinylchloride (Vinyl) PLF
Inherently Fire Retardant Polyester (Trevira CS) PLF TCS Jute
JU
Latex
LA
Leather
LE
Linen
LI
PVC
Quarter Drop
QD
Ramie
RA
Rolled full width on tube
R.F.W.O.T.
Rolled half width on tube
R.H.W.O.T.
SI
Silk
Tumble dry high heat
Tumble dry gentle cycle
Do not tumble dry
Do not wring
Dry flat
Drip dry in shade
AG
Silver Solution Dyed Acrylic
SD PC
Solution Dyed Nylon
SD PA
Solution Dyed Olefin
SD OLF
IRONING
Solution Dyed Polyester SD PL STL
Stainless Steel
TD
Third Drop
Do not iron
Low iron max 110°C
Med iron max 150°C
Hot iron max 200°C
Do not steam
(CV) VI
Viscose (Rayon) Wood
WD
Wool
WO
PROFESSIONAL CLEANING
2
2
2
2
2
2
W
S
Gentle cycle Wet wash using biodegradable soap
Recommends the use of a dry foam shampoo
RPL
Recycled Polyvinylchloride (Vinyl) RPVC
2 6 x4
Tumble dry medium heat
RU
Rubber
Recycled Fire Retardant Polyester RPL FR Recycled Polyester
Tumble dry low heat
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Gentle cycle
2
2
Use petroleum solvent only. 2 Gentle cycle 2
2
Do not dryclean
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12 1
3
13 2
4
11
5
12
14 3
USAGE
15 Code No.s 4
Usage Code No.s Icon
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Wallcovering definitions
6 Updated Usage Icon 16/03/2012 Updated 16/03/2012 13
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Drapery
Code Code No.s 7 19No.s
2
48
Top of bed
19
6
12
20
7
13
21
Fabric priced per repeat unit
8
Weighted
14
1014
10
17
14 7 7
1318
Marine IMO certified
11
Fire retardant properties
12
18
191111 1520
Paste the Paper
Paste the Wall
Pre-paste
Moderate light fastness
Free Match
Straight Match
19
Environmental
22
Half Drop
Horizontal Hang
Reverse Hang Alternate Lengths
Strippable
Dry Removable (Peelable)
Wet Removable
Spongeable
Washable
Scrubbable
• Do not allow paste to come in contact with decorative surface of the product.
Crypton finish®
Stain Repellant
For non-woven polyester based product
WW DRAPERY SAMPLE SHOWN Acoustic properties CONTINUOUS
Outdoor
Wide Width
ONLY USE FABRIC CONTINUOUSLY
2.
13
20
3.
21
4.
14 Fabric is multi directional
15
201212 17 21
17
21 1813 2213
18
22
DRAPERY SAMPLE SHOWN WIDE WIDTH
ONLY USE FABRIC WIDE WIDTH
Fabric is wide width
1.
2.
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DRAPERY SAMPLE SHOWN CONTINUOUS ONLY USE FABRIC CONTINUOUSLY
DRAPERY SAMPLE SHOWN
3. is continuous/Railroaded Fabric WIDE WIDTH
4.
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• Carefully remove all excess paste immediately with a damp sponge, failure to do so will result in serious damage to the decorative surface of the product. PASTE THE WALL
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1.
• Soak or relax time will be clearly stated on the instruction sheet that is around every roll of paper. • Butt all joins, do not overlap.
DIRECTIONAL ATTRIBUTES
181010 1419
Panel Fabric
ATTRIBUTES
15
17 9 9
Accessory
11
5
9
1217
• Make sure paste is applied evenly across the entire sheet. • In some cases, DO NOT paste more than one length at a time.
18
Wall covering
66 13913
15 8 8
Upholstery residential heavy duty
17
10
4
39
1115
15
Upholstery residential medium duty
Updated Updated16/03/2012 16/03/2012 9
3
Upholstery commercial heavy duty
44 11711 55 12812
Upholstery residential light duty
8
In all cases follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Do not over soak the product.
11 8 20
33 10622 10
Not suitable for roman blinds
14
Usage UsageIcon Icon
37
22 9521 9
7
1
PASTE THE PAPER For traditional paper based products.
5
17 15
WALLCOVERING DEFINITIONS
The decorator can paste the wall and not the back of the wall covering. As the polyester base is less dense than traditional paper based products, an oil based pigmented sealer must be part of the wall preparation otherwise ghosting or show through will occur. We recommend central heating is turned off during the drying period. PRE-PASTED PAPER Dried paste is embedded on the paper’s back surface. Activate by submersion in a water trough or by contact with a pre-paste activator.
ONLY USE FABRIC WIDE WIDTH
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