Fabrics & fibers
- Polar fleece
- Knit polyester fabric brushed to create a soft pile, commonly on both sides. It is widely used for throws and blanket faces. Weights around 200–300 GSM are common, but warmth, drying behavior, washability and pilling depend on fiber, construction, finish and care instructions.
- Coral fleece
- A polyester fleece with a relatively long, fluffy pile. It often feels denser than basic polar fleece. Common weights may fall around 260–320 GSM, but naming and ranges vary by producer and specification.
- Sherpa
- A nubby, curly pile fabric designed to resemble shearling. It is often used as a reverse face where loft and warmth are desired. Weight ranges vary, and thermal performance should be evaluated in the finished construction.
- Micromink
- A short-pile, dense polyester fleece with a smooth hand. It is used for home throws and double-face constructions. Commercial names and weight ranges are not standardized, so compare measured samples.
- rPET fleece
- Polyester fleece containing recycled PET feedstock. Recycled-content percentage and any chain-of-custody certification apply only to the stated material and supply-chain scope. Hand-feel and performance depend on yarn, construction and finish rather than recycled content alone.
- Ripstop nylon
- A woven nylon with reinforcement threads arranged in a grid. The grid can help limit tear propagation after a puncture, but it does not make the fabric tear-proof. It is used in lightweight outdoor shells; tear, drying and sand-shedding claims require defined tests. Note that 210T and 420D describe different measurement systems.
- Oxford polyester
- A basket-weave woven polyester, often specified by denier, used for ground-contact shells and outdoor products. Abrasion performance and coating adhesion depend on yarn, weave, coating, conditioning and test method.
- Jacquard wool
- Pure wool or a wool blend woven on a jacquard loom so multi-color or textured patterns form in the construction. Fiber content, dimensional stability and care performance should be verified for the specified fabric.
Weight & construction
- GSM (g/m²)
- Grams per square meter — the mass of a fabric per unit area. Within comparable fibers and constructions, higher GSM often indicates more material and may increase warmth or density, but GSM alone does not establish thermal performance, softness or quality.
- Denier (D)
- A mass-based measure of yarn linear density used for many synthetic fibers. A higher denier means a heavier yarn of the same material, not automatically a more durable fabric. Durability also depends on weave, yarn strength, coating and test conditions. A designation such as 210T is not a denier value.
- Pile
- The raised surface fibers on fleece or velvet fabrics. Pile length and density influence hand, loft, appearance and shedding, but the result also depends on fiber, brushing, finishing and care.
- Hem
- The finished edge of a blanket, often folded, bound, overlocked or decoratively stitched. Edge durability and appearance depend on the fabric, stitch type, seam allowance, thread and use conditions.
Waterproof backing
- PEVA
- Polyethylene vinyl acetate, a polymer film commonly used as a barrier layer and typically specified as PVC-free. Flexibility, barrier performance, odor and low-temperature behavior depend on formulation and gauge. Recyclability should not be assumed for a laminated finished product.
- PU (polyurethane)
- A coating or film used to add a liquid barrier to textiles. Hand, weight, abrasion resistance and hydrostatic performance vary by chemistry, thickness, application and finished construction.
- TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane)
- A flexible thermoplastic film used as a textile barrier layer. Toughness, flexibility and barrier performance depend on grade, thickness, lamination and seams. End-of-life claims depend on the complete construction and available collection system.
- Heat-bonded (vs glue-laminated)
- Heat bonding joins layers with heat and pressure, sometimes with an intermediate web or scrim. Adhesive lamination uses a separate adhesive layer. Neither method guarantees wash durability; compare peel strength and wash-aging results under a defined test method.
Decoration methods
- Flat embroidery
- A logo or design stitched into fabric with computerized embroidery equipment. Available thread colors, stitch density, minimum detail and puckering risk depend on the design, fabric, backing and equipment setup.
- 3D puff embroidery
- Embroidery over a foam underlay to create a raised effect. It is generally suited to broad shapes; small details and wash durability depend on digitizing, foam, stitch coverage and care conditions.
- Dye-sublimation print
- A heat-transfer process primarily used on polyester, in which disperse dye moves into the fiber under heat. Color, detail, hand and wash fastness depend on fiber content, pretreatment, ink, time, temperature and the specified test method.
- Jacquard weave
- A construction in which the pattern is formed by controlling yarn interlacing on a jacquard loom. The result may use color, texture or both; resolution and reverse-side appearance depend on the weave and yarn plan.
- Screen print
- Ink is pressed through a stencil onto the fabric, often one color layer at a time. Ink chemistry, curing, hand, wash resistance and restricted-substance compliance must be specified and tested for the intended material and market.
- Woven label
- A small label whose text or artwork is formed by woven yarns, then sewn into a seam, corner or hem. Legibility and durability depend on yarn count, weave density, fold, placement and attachment method.
Certifications
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100
- A certification system that tests a listed textile article against specified harmful-substance limits. Product class, article scope, certificate number and validity matter; a certificate does not automatically cover every product associated with a company.
- GRS (Global Recycled Standard)
- A voluntary standard covering recycled content, chain of custody and additional processing criteria. A claim depends on the certified entities, material scope, content threshold and current transaction records; buyer requirements vary.
- REACH
- European Union chemicals regulation. Obligations depend on the substance, article, role in the supply chain and destination market. Test reports may support due diligence but do not replace an applicability assessment.
- CPSIA
- United States law that includes limits and testing or certification duties for certain children's-product hazards. Applicability depends on product classification, age grading, materials, components and intended market.
- BSCI
- A site-level social compliance assessment framework covering topics such as labor conditions, working hours, wages and safety. An audit result is time- and site-specific and is not a product certification.
Commercial terms
- MOQ
- Minimum Order Quantity — the smallest quantity accepted for a stated item or configuration. It may vary by material, color, size, decoration, packaging, production setup and capacity.
- Lead time
- The elapsed time between agreed milestones, such as order confirmation, material approval, production completion or shipment. A usable quotation should state the start point, end point, approval assumptions, capacity conditions and whether transit is excluded.
- FOB
- Free On Board, an Incoterm for sea or inland-waterway transport. The seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the named port, where risk transfers to the buyer. State the named port and Incoterms version in the agreement.
- DDP
- Delivered Duty Paid, an Incoterm under which the seller carries broad responsibility through delivery at the named destination, including import duties where legally possible. The named place, Incoterms version, tax treatment and import-clearance feasibility must be confirmed.
- AQL (acceptance quality limit)
- An acceptance quality limit used with a defined sampling standard and plan. An AQL value alone is incomplete: lot size, inspection level, sampling standard, defect classes and acceptance or rejection numbers must also be stated.
- Pantone TCX vs Pantone C
- TCX textile references and C coated-paper references use different physical standards and may not appear identical. Neither guarantees the result on fabric; specify the exact code, reference type, lighting, tolerance and approval method.
Have a term that needs clarification? Drop us a line and suggest it for this glossary.