Short, accurate definitions of the terms most frequently used in knitting, yarn, dyeing, printing, finishing, quality testing and sourcing processes. You can search for a term using the search box above or filter by category. Once you find a term, you can move on to the relevant fabric guides or the fabric catalogue.

Single Jersey: The most basic knitted structure produced on a single-bed circular knitting machine, with one face flat and the other face looped (single jersey). Light to medium weight with a fluid drape.
Interlock: A structure obtained on a double-bed machine by interlocking two ribs; both faces are flat, with a full hand and good dimensional stability (interlock).
Rib (1×1): A knit with a 1×1 face/reverse loop arrangement that gives high widthways stretch (1×1 rib); used for cuffs, collars and waistbands.
2×2 Rib: A 2×2 rib structure; gives a more pronounced raised vertical line and a firmer hand than 1×1 rib.
Two-thread / Three-thread Fleece: A winter knit bulked with a backing yarn and able to be brushed on the inner face (two/three-thread fleece); the basis of sweatshirts and joggers.
Piqué: A knit that forms a small honeycomb/waffle texture on the surface (piqué); preferred for polo-type products.
Jacquard: A structure in which a multi-coloured or patterned motif is knitted into the surface through loop selection (jacquard).
Ponte di Roma: A double-bed, firm, low-stretch double-knit structure that holds its shape well; used in dresses and jacket-like knitted garments.
Weight (GSM): Grams per square metre (g/m²); the basic measure that determines a fabric's weight, firmness and drape.
Width: The usable width of a fabric or print (width); expressed as tubular width or open width.
Tubular / Open Width: The tube-shaped (tubular) or slit-and-opened (open-width) form of a knitted fabric; affects suitability for finishing and printing.
Spirality: The skewing of the vertical line in single-jersey knits caused by yarn twist; controlled with suitable finishing and balanced twist.
Machine gauge (gauge, E): Number of needles per 25.4 mm; the fineness of a knitting machine. A finer gauge produces smaller loops and a lighter, finer fabric, and must be matched to the yarn count used.
Tightness factor (K): The value K = √tex / loop length that indicates the tightness of the knit; the key engineering parameter governing fabric weight, dimensional stability and spirality.
Lycra / Elastane: An elastomeric yarn that gives the fabric stretch and recovery (elastane/spandex); usually added to the knit at a rate of 3–8%.
Combed: Cotton yarn from which short fibres have been removed by combing; smoother, more lustrous and more durable. Preferred in higher-end knits.
Carded: Uncombed, relatively hairy and economical cotton yarn; common in single jersey and sweat bases.
Open-end (rotor): A bulky, economical yarn produced by rotor spinning; its strength is lower than that of ring yarn.
Ring Yarn: A yarn produced by ring spinning that gives high strength and evenness.
Compact Yarn: A more even and stronger ring yarn with reduced hairiness; provides a cleaner fabric surface.
Vortex yarn (MVS): Yarn produced by air-jet vortex spinning (MVS); low hairiness, good pilling and abrasion resistance, relatively firm handle; an alternative to ring and open-end methods.
Viscose (regenerated cellulose): A regenerated cellulose fibre (viscose/rayon); high drape and soft hand, but loses strength when wet.
Modal: A high-strength modified viscose fibre; silky hand and good wash durability.
Tencel / Lyocell: A lyocell fibre produced by a closed-loop solvent process; sustainable, breathable and soft.
Polyester (PES): A synthetic fibre; disperse-dyed, durable and suitable for moisture-management finishes.
rPET (recycled polyester): Polyester recovered from sources such as PET bottles; can be certified under GRS/RCS.
Ne (English cotton count): A count indicating the length of yarn per unit weight; the higher the value, the finer the yarn (e.g. Ne 30/1).
Nm (metric count): The length in metres obtained from 1 gram of yarn; the higher the value, the finer the yarn.
Tex / Dtex: The weight in grams of 1000 m of yarn (direct count); the higher the value, the thicker the yarn.
Denier: The weight in grams of 9000 m of yarn; expresses filament fineness.
Twist (TPM): The number of turns per metre (turns per metre); affects the yarn's strength and hand.
Micronaire: A measure of cotton fiber fineness/maturity (via air permeability); typical premium range 3.7–4.2, no-discount band 3.5–4.9. It affects dye uptake and barré/streak risk.
UHML (fiber length): Upper-Half Mean Length; measured by HVI in inches/mm. Longer staple yields finer, more even and stronger yarn.
ELS (extra-long staple): Extra-Long Staple cotton (≥1-3/8 inch / ~35 mm); such as Pima/Supima, used for finer, stronger premium yarns.
Comber noil: The short-fiber waste removed during combing; typically 15–20%. Removing the short fiber improves the evenness and luster of combed yarn.
Reactive Dyeing: A dyeing method that forms covalent bonds with cellulosic fibres (cotton), giving high wash fastness.
Disperse Dyeing: A method in which polyester and synthetic fibres are dyed at high temperature/pressure.
Pigment Dyeing: Dyeing with pigment fixed onto the surface by a binder; soft vintage hand and low water consumption.
Garment Dye: Dyeing of the made-up garment; gives a washed/vintage look and batch-based colour flexibility.
Indigo: The vat dyestuff that gives the classic denim blue (indigo).
Fixation: The process of permanently setting a dye or print onto the fibre (fixation).
Metamerism: When two colours that match under one light appear different under another light source; requires light-source matching.
Greige Fabric: An undyed and unfinished knit; the input to all dyeing, printing and finishing processes.
Finishing: The set of wet and dry processes that give a fabric its final appearance, hand and performance (textile finishing).
Pretreatment: Preparation before dyeing: desizing, singeing, bleaching and, where required, mercerisation.
Finish (apre): A finishing treatment that gives the fabric a particular hand or surface effect (softness, stiffness, water repellency).
Brushing (raising): Combing the fabric surface with wires to raise a pile (raising/brushing); applied to fleece and brushed-back fabrics.
Mercerisation: Treating cotton with caustic under tension to increase lustre, strength and dye uptake.
Bio-polishing: Enzymatic (cellulase) removal of loose surface fibre ends; gives a smoother surface, reduced pilling and brighter colour (enzymatic cleaning).
Fibrillation: The lifting of micro-fibrils on the surface of fibers such as lyocell; with controlled enzyme/finishing it can yield a peach-touch effect or, if uncontrolled, unwanted fuzzing.
Sanforising: A mechanical pre-shrinking process; reduces dimensional shrinkage after washing.
Compacting: Achieving shrinkage control by compressing the width and weight in knit finishing.
Stenter: A finishing machine that sets the width and weight and performs heat-setting and drying.
Heat-set (heat fixation): Dimensional setting by heat treatment in fabrics containing elastane/synthetics.
Wicking (moisture transport): A capillary finish that carries sweat to the surface and enables fast drying; critical in activewear.
Hydrophilic / Hydrophobic Finish: A finish that makes the surface moisture-attracting (hydrophilic) or water-repelling (hydrophobic).
Antimicrobial Finish: A finish that suppresses bacterial growth and odour formation.
Fastness: The resistance of a fabric's colour to washing, rubbing, light and perspiration (fastness).
Colour Fastness: A type of fastness that measures the permanence of colour against factors such as washing, light, rubbing and perspiration (colour fastness).
ΔE (Delta E): A measure of the perceptual difference between two colours; KARCEM targets within-batch and batch-to-batch colour consistency with a ΔE<1 tolerance.
CMC(l:c) / ΔE2000: Advanced colour-difference formulae used in textiles (CMC 2:1 and CIEDE2000); give results closer to visual perception.
Lab-dip: A colour approval sample prepared before bulk production; evaluated and approved using ΔE.
Crocking (rubbing fastness): The evaluation of colour transfer in dry and wet rubbing on a 1–5 scale.
ISO 105: The series of colour fastness test standards (e.g. C06 washing, X12 rubbing, B02 light).
AATCC: US textile test methods (e.g. 61 washing, 8 crocking, 16 light fastness).
Pilling: The balling of fibres on the surface; measured by the Martindale or box method.
Martindale: A test instrument/method that measures abrasion and pilling resistance by number of cycles.
Dimensional Stability: A fabric's retention of its measurements after washing and use; low shrinkage rate (dimensional stability).
4-Point System: An inspection standard that grades fabric faults from 1 to 4 points according to their size.
GSM Tolerance: The acceptable deviation margin from the target weight; typically ±5% for knits.
g/tex (fiber strength): The unit of fiber strength (grams/tex); on the HVI report it indicates the strength of the cotton. A higher value means stronger yarn with fewer breaks.
ESPR: The EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation; establishes the framework for durability, recyclability and DPP in textiles.
DPP (Digital Product Passport): A digital traceability record per product; becomes progressively mandatory under ESPR.
MRSL: A list of chemicals restricted from use in manufacturing (Manufacturing Restricted Substances List, ZDHC).
ZDHC: The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals programme; chemical management through MRSL and wastewater guidelines.
ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge): A water-management approach in which wastewater is recovered and discharge is reduced to zero.
REACH / SVHC: The EU chemicals regulation and substances of very high concern (Substances of Very High Concern).
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100: A certificate documenting products that have passed harmful-substance testing.
GRS (Global Recycled Standard): Textile Exchange standard verifying recycled content (min. 20% to certify; min. 50% to use the logo / make a label claim) plus social, environmental and chemical-input criteria; tracked via Scope and Transaction Certificates.
RCS (Recycled Claim Standard): Textile Exchange traceability standard verifying recycled content from 5% upward on a content-only basis (RCS 100: 95–100%; RCS Blended: 5–95%); no social or environmental criteria.
OCS (Organic Content Standard): Textile Exchange standard verifying organic fibre content from raw material to final product via chain of custody; tracks content only, with no processing or chemical criteria (cf. GOTS).
CCS (Content Claim Standard): The chain-of-custody framework (Textile Exchange) underlying GRS, RCS and OCS; it enables certified content to be tracked along the chain.
Scope Certificate (SC): A document showing that a facility is authorized to process a given material or standard; it is not shipment-specific and on its own does not constitute product proof.
Transaction Certificate (TC): A document accompanying each shipment that proves those specific goods conform to the certified content. The real proof of a claim is the TC, not a logo.
Mass balance: A chain-of-custody model in which certified and non-certified input are tracked proportionally; it provides weaker traceability than physical segregation.
CBAM: The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism; imposes a border cost on carbon-intensive imports.
EPR: Extended producer responsibility; the obligation to collect/recycle textile waste.
Scope 3: Indirect greenhouse gas emissions originating in the supply chain; the major part of the total footprint in textiles.
CMT: A production/processing-only service following the brand's instructions and most often using its materials (commission / cut-make-trim).
MOQ (minimum order quantity): The lowest order quantity accepted for production; may vary by colour/weight.
Lead Time: The time from order approval to delivery.
Incoterms (FOB/CIF): Trade terms that define the sharing of cost and responsibility in international delivery.

Glossary of Textile Terms

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