Standard Swag Glossary
Swag Definitions & Terms
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Abrade: To roughen a mesh surface, yielding what is termed "tooth."
Absorption: Property which causes paper to take up liquids or vapors in contact with it. In optics, the partial suppression of light through a transparent or translucent material.
Acetate: Silk like in appearance and feel. Resistant to stretch and shrinkage. Fiber-forming substance is cellulose acetate.
Acrylic: Soft and woolly. Appearance varies from smooth and thin to a thick woven texture. Springs back when crushed.
Aetz: Imitation lace made on a Schiffli loom. The end result of the aetzing process.
Aetzing: The process of eliminating the base fabric leaving only the threads remaining, resulting in lace.
Airjet Yarn: Cotton and polyester garments which provide for a virtually "pill free" look, wash after wash.
Allover: Continuous embroidery which covers all of the fabric from selvage to selvage.
Analog Color Proof: Off-press color proof made from separation films.
Anti-Static: Prevents the accumulation of static electricity and helps keep the fabric from clinging to the wearer or to other garments.
Appliqué: Shaped pieces of fabric sewn onto one another for decoration that adds dimension and texture. Designs with appliqué are economical because they reduce the number of embroidery stitches needed to fill the design area.
Argyle: A diamond pattern woven into a garment with a checkerboard arrangement.
Art: All illustration copy used in preparing a job for printing.
Art Proof: Artwork submitted for client approval, usually a black and white stat of the camera-ready art.
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Baby Herringbone: Herringbone knit using fine yarns resulting in a lighter and smoother fabrication.
Baby Pique: Pique knit using fine yarns - same as baby herringbone.
Backed Cloth: Single textile material with an extra warp or filling added for weight and warmth.
Backing: Woven or non-woven material used underneath the item or fabric being embroidered to provide support and stability.
Back Pleats: Small folds in the back of a garment to allow for greater movement.
Banded Self Collar: A type of collar made of the same material as the shirt. The two basic kinds of this collar are the simulated, made of two pieces, or the true, made of four pieces.
Basket Weave: Variation of the plain weave in which two or more warp and weft threads are woven side by side to resemble a "basket" look. Fabrics have a loose construction and a flat appearance.
Beaded Placket: Design detail at the opening of the placket that is formed by rolling the underside of the top placket to the face creating a piped or ridge detail at the edge. Sometimes the beading is in a contrast color.
Bean Stitch: Three stitches applied back and forth between two points, in the same space as one regular stitch. This stitch is used to provide secure registration in place of a repeated, single stitch outline that may not align properly.
Bengaline: Lustrous durable fabric with heavy crosswise ribs, used to make coats and suits.
Besom Pocket: Reinforced top seam found on the pockets of golf shirts. This reinforced top seam keeps the pocket in shape and more durable.
Binding: A strip of material sewn or attached over or along the edge of something for protection, reinforcement or ornamentation.
Bio-Washed: Caps are dyed normally and then very gently washed with stones in a chemical solvent to create a very subtle worn look.
Bird's Eye: Small diamond pattern accentuated by a dot in the middle, resembling the eye of a bird. Commonly used in suitings.
Blanks: Undecorated items or apparel; also refers to "blank" goods.
Blanket Cloth: Thick heavily fulled woolen fabric with a softly brushed finish similar to an actual blanket, used for outerwear.
Blatt Stitch: A term used in Schiffli embroidery, referring to zig zag stitches laid close together. In Multi head embroidery, the term is Satin Stitch.
Blazer Cloth: General term for a variety of flannels and meltons used to make blazers.
Blends: Two or more types of staple fibers in one yarn to achieve color mixtures, unusual dyeing variations, or better performance characteristics. The most common blend is cotton and polyester.
Blind Embossing: Design stamped without metallic leaf or ink, giving a bas-relief effect.
Blind Stamping: Hot-stamping without fail. The approach, used often with leather, gives a more subtle imprint than hot stamping and a shallower imprint than debossing.
Bobbin: A pre-wound reel or spool of thread, usually plain white. The contents of the bobbin, the bobbin thread, are stitched to the back of the fabric.
Boiled Wool: Thick dense fabric that is heavily fulled to completely obscure its knitted construction. It has the suppleness of a knit, with the ability and shape retention of a woven fabric.
Bonding: The joining together of two fabrics permanently with a bonding agent (also known as heat sealing).
Bore: A sharp pointed instrument used to puncture goods, part of the Schiffli embroidery machine.
Boring: Open-work incorporated into embroidered designs; a sharp-pointed instrument punctures or bores the fabric, and stitches are made around the opening to enclose the raw edges.
Bouclé: French for buckled, curled or ringed. It describes a knitted or woven fabric characterized by loops, knots or curls on one or both sides, made with a variety of looped, curled or slubbed yarns in one or both directions.
Break for Color: To separate, by color, elements to be printed in different colors.
Brights (Color Families): Grouping made up of vibrant, primary colors such as blue, green, red, and yellow.
Broadcloth: Close plain weave fabric made of cotton, rayon, or a blend of cotton or rayon with polyester. The term broadcloth is also used in reference to a plain or twill weave wool or wool-blend fabric that is highly napped (brushed) and then pressed flat.
Brushing: Finishing process for knit or woven fabrics where brushes or other devices are used to raise a nap in fabrics to create a novelty surface texture. Used mainly in fall or winter seasons because of its warm feel.
Buckram: Coarse cotton woven fabric treated with a glue substance to stabilize fabric for stitching. It is commonly used for caps to hold the front panel in place.
Bug: Manufacturer's identification mark printed on a form or product, usually in an inconspicuous area.
Bullion: A hand made emblem, made with brass or silver hollow thread. These finished emblems are a product of India or Pakistan.
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Calendaring:: Essentially an ironing process that adds sheen to the fabric by the use of heavy rollers (or calendars), pressure and steam heat.
Chambray: A plain weave fabric, usually of cotton or rayon, or a blend of these.
Calvary Twill: Strong rugged fabric with a pronounced twill line on the back. Made with a steep 63-degree twill weave, worsted yarns and a very tight weave. Used for sportswear, uniforms, coats, and suits.
Camel: Made from the soft, caramel colored under fleece of the Bactrian camel of Mongolia and western China.
Canvas: Heavy, firm, strong plain weave or basket weave fabric often made of cotton. It is produced in many grades and qualities and may have a soft or firm hand.
Cashmere: Fine, downy undercoat hair of the cashmere goat from Tibet; produces luxuriously soft garments.
Cartoon: Prior to the modern method of digitizing on-screen, an enlarged picture or cartoon of a design was drawn, using the industry-standard six to one ratio (the cartoon being six times larger than the resulting design).
Chain Stitch: Named for its resemblance to a chain link, this stitch is usually applied using a single head embroidery machine.
Chalk Stripes: White or light-colored stripes woven against a dark background, like a chalk mark on a blackboard. They are usually more widely spaced than pin stripes.
Challis: High-quality, lightweight, especially soft fabric made with tightly spun worsted yarns and a plain weave, although sometimes a twill weave is used. Originally printed with small floral designs, now also made in plain colors and dark all-over prints. Used for scarves, blouses, and dresses.
Chambray: Plain weave fabric usually of cotton, rayon, or a blend of these. Chambray usually has yarn dyed yarns in the warp direction, and white yarns in the filling direction. It is often made in striped patterns. It is also frequently made with indigo or pigment dye to face with multiple washings.
Chenille: A form of embroidery, widely used in the college apparel markets, in which a large loop stitch is left on the top of the fabric. This embroidery utilizes the chain stitch described above. Uses heavy yarns of wool, cotton, or acrylic. Also known as loop piling.
Cheviot: Broad term for rough surfaced, heavily fulled woolen or worsted fabrics used to make suits and overcoats.
Chino: Twill weave fabric with a slight sheen, often made in a bottom weight fabric of cotton or cotton/polyester. Frequently, it is made of combed, two-ply yarns in both warp and filling and vat-dyed in khaki.
Clean-Finished Placket: Typically the interfacings of plackets are raw or edged, which means they can look ragged or uneven, particularly on light-colored shirts. By cutting the interfacing in a rectangle, turning the edges under and fusing them in place, there is a straight placket with no raw edges. All that shows inside the shirt is the smooth edge.
Cloisart: Hot-stamp procedure where the desired logo/copy is foil hot-stamped on a solid brass or metal base, then covered with epoxy dome.
Cloisonne: Product in which a colored paste, made from ground glass, is applied to recessed areas, then fired at 1400 degrees and polished by stone and pumice to achieve brilliant color. Since gullies and ridges separate each individual color, fine lines between them are difficult to
achieve.
CMYK: Cyan, magenta, yellow, black subtractive colors for process color reproduction.
Collar: The upright or turned over neckband of a coat, jacket or shirt.
Collectibles: Premiums designed to have inherent value based upon their perceived collectibility.
Color Blocking - merchandising and/or cutting term whereby a certain type or block of colors ends up in the same place every time on the finished garment.
Color Correction: Any method, such as masking, dot-etching, re-etching and scanning, used to improve color rendition.
Color Families: Traditional tones are classic and timeless shades often deep and saturated. These colors include navy blue, forest green, burgundy, olive, along with khaki and cream.
Color Proof: First or early printing of a finished color ad, combining impressions from each of the separate progressive color plates.
Color Separation: Separation of multicolored original art by camera or laser-scan techniques to produce individual separated colors. There are four common separations: yellow, magenta, cyan and black.
Colorfast: Prevents the dyed color of a garment from fading due to sunlight, body moisture, laundry bleaches, or stained removal.
Column Stitching: Tightly placed zig zag stitching. Straight or curved, it is commonly used in lettering and in borders. Also known as Satin Stitching or Steil stitching.
Combed Cotton: Cotton that has been combed to remove short fibers and straighten long fibers for a smooth, finer hand.
Combing: The combing process is an additional step beyond carding. In this, the fibers are arranged in a highly parallel form, and additional short fibers are removed, producing high quality yarns with excellent strength, fineness and uniformity.
Cool Knit: A piqué variation with a defined surface texture resembling a "waffle" pattern.
Compacting: Mechanical process in which knit fabrics are compressed in the lengthwise direction to tighten the construction and control shrinkage.
Complex Fill: A digitizing term used to describe a pre-defined section of a design that includes areas of knock out (fabric show through).
Comprehension Straps: Straps which securely hold the inner contents of a bag.
Comprehensive Layout: Final stage of a layout, finished to very closely resemble how the printed piece will look.
Condensed Format: Type of embroidery machine output format. The recording of only the points digitized which are later expanded to include all the stitches the machine will stitch in the format required.
Continuous Tone Art: Photography, painting or other piece of art in which black-and-white tones gradually merge into one another.
Contrasting: Using an embroidery thread color different from the color of the garment. For example, yellow and white thread used to embroider a navy blue shirt.
Cool Knit: A variation of pique that results in a different texture and surface appearance. It resembles a "waffle" pattern.
Cooperative (Co-op) Program: Arrangement whereby the marketing elements (usually dealers) of a company order specialties from a specific distributor who has been awarded the exclusive right to imprint the corporate logo, in return for advantages to the company and dealers.
Coordinating: Thread colors are chosen that coordinate with the garment. For example, a navy blue shirt with a dark green collar and cuffs would have a dark green embroidery.
Copy: Written content of advertising or editorial matter in the media.
Cord Locks: A stopper or toggle on a draw cord that keeps the cord from retracting
Corduroy: A cut filling pile cloth with narrow to wide ribs. Once corduroy was a cotton fabric, now it can be found in polyester, and manmade blends.
Cotton: Soft vegetable fiber obtained from the seed pod of the cotton plant and one of the major fashion fibers in the textile industry. The longer the fiber, the better the quality. Lengths vary from less than one half inch to more than two inches.
Cotton-Carded: Coarse, uneven yarns are made from lower grade short staple cotton fibers into less expensive fabrics.
Cotton-Combed: Smooth, even yarns are made of long staple cotton fibers into fine weave or fine gauge knit fabrics.
Cotton-Ring Spun: Spinning process that further refines a yarn to achieve the desired yarn size. This results in a smoother and more uniform yarn and produces fabrics that take dyes evenly and have superior hand feel.
Cotton-Sueded: Fabric that goes through a brushing process to raise the nap and give the garment a soft hand.
Cover Stitch: Multi needle decorative topstitch traditionally used on underwear, T-shirts, henley's, and long johns, but more recently used as a fashion/design detail on a variety of knits.
Cover Stitching: Using two needles to overlap threads underneath, covering the over-edged seams with a smooth seamed layer of threads.
Coverage: The geographic area reached with specified intensity by an advertising medium. Also that reaction of an audience that is reached one or more times by a particular advertising schedule.
Covert: Rugged, water-repellent fabric made with a compact twill weave and tightly twisted worsted yarns. Usually, two shades of a color are twisted together, creating a two-ply yarn with a flecked or specked appearance. Used for top coats, suits, and sportswear.
Crepe: Textured surface fabric found in both wovens and knits. It can be used in knits as the reverse side of a special jacquard. A crinkly surface is achieved via use of high twist yarns, chemical treatments, weave, construction, or some form of embossing or surface treatment. Crepes are available in an unlimited variety of fibers and blends and in may different constructions.
Crew Collar- a rounded, ribbed collar cut loose to the neck.
Cromalin Proof: Chemically created facsimile of a full-color reproduction.
Crop: To eliminate a portion of a picture, illustration or photography that contains unnecessary material, or to highlight a certain area of the image.
Crop Marks: Indicators on artwork to show where an illustration is to be cut or sized.
Cross Cut: Fabric knit on a pique machine, which is altered slightly to provide a unique stitch. The face of the fabric is two-toned, which gives it a dimensional, textured look and feel. The garment stitching will have a horizontal appearance rather than a vertical one.
Cross Grain: Grain or fibers stitched diagonally or irregularly.
Crown: The upper-most part of the cap of a hat that is sewn to either a hatband, brim or sweat band.
Custom: Designing a specific garment to fit the needs of a client.
Cut: Broad term encompassing all plates associated with letterpress and hot-stamp printing.
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Denier: Can be of any number of thread counts that help make a garment more durable and stronger. i.e., 600 vertical threads and 600 horizontal threads (referred as 600d)
Denim: Twill weave, yarn dyed fabric, usually made of cotton/polyester blend. The warp yarns are colored and the filling yarns are white.
Denim Weights: Weight is determined by weighing one yard of fabric. Some popular denim weights are: 5 oz., 7 oz., 9.5 oz., 10 oz., 11.5 oz., 12 oz., and 14.5 oz.
Density: Amount of stitches in a given area.
Diagonal: Another name for any fabric with a visible twill line.
Die: Mold into which molten metal, plastic or other material is forced to make a specific shape. Also, a tool of very hard material used to press a particular shape into or onto a softer material.
Die Charge: Charge by the supplier for creating a die from artwork supplied by the supplier.
Die-Casting: Process where molten metal is injected into the cavity of a carved die.
Die-Cutting: Using sharp steel blades to cut shapes from printed sheets.
Die-Stamp: Steel plate engraved with the desired image, generally used to apply a gold or silver imprint.
Die-Striking: Method of producing emblems and other flat specialties. A blank, cut from a metal sheet, is struck with a hammer that holds the die.
Digital Color Proof: Off-press color proof produced from digital data without the need for separation films.
Digitized Typesetting: Creation of typographic characters and symbols bythe arrangement of black-and-white spots called pixels.
Dipping: Resin is applied to finished garment. The garment is then creased and dipped in a vat of chemicals to set in the resin.
Dobby Weave: A decorative weave, characterized by small figures, usually geometric, that are woven into the fabric structure. Dobbies may be of any weight or compactness, with yarns ranging from very fine to coarse and fluffy.
Donegal Tweed: Woolen tweed fabric that is characterized by thick, random multicolored slubs.
Double-Faced Fabrics: Heavy, reversible fabric made by weaving two separate cloths together with an extra binder in the warp or filling. Also called double cloth.
Double Knit: A circular knit fabric knitted via double stitch on a double needle frame to provide a double thickness. Most double knits are made of polyester.
Double-Needle: Two rows of parallel stitching at the sleeve and/or bottom hem for a cleaner, more finished look.
Double-Stitched: The finish on a sleeve and/or bottom hem that uses two needles to create parallel rows of visible stitching. It gives the garment a cleaner, more finished look and adds durability.
Down: The soft, fluffy under feathers of ducks and geese, primarily used as insulation in outerwear.
Draw Cord: A cord or ribbon run through a hem or casing and pulled to tighten or close an opening or drawstring.
Drop Needle: Knitting technique that disengages a knitting needle so as to prevent knitting a stitch. This results in a vertical rib-like appearance. Typically this technique is done on interlock (double knit) constructions.
Drop Seam - a seam that is cut and lays below the shoulder of the garment.
Drop Shadow: Graphic device in which type is reproduced with an offset second image on one edge, giving a shadow effect that visually lifts the primary type and makes the image appear three-dimensional.
Drop-Shipping: Individual packaging, address and delivery of a product to a specific address, usually the recipient's or client's.
Drop Tail (or Extended Tail): A longer back than front for the purpose of keeping the shirt tucked in during activity.
Duck: A heavy, closely woven material, often cotton, used for heavyweight shirts or outerwear.
Dummy: Simulation of a finished printed piece.
Dye Transfer: In photography, a process of producing color prints by tanning photographic emulsions and using them to transfer dye solutions to film or paper coated with gelatin.
Dyed Garment: Fabric that has been dyed after the shirt is assembled. Many different types of dyeing process can be used. i.e., pigment, direct, or reactive.
Dyeing: Method used to impart color to textiles. It involves the use of complex organic or chemical dyestuffs, which under proper conditions will actually combine with the textile fibers. There are many ways fabric can be dyed.
Dyeing - Indigo: Indigo dye is a substance taken from the indigo plant. There are many chemical imitation indigo dyes. Indigo dye color can only be achieved through a process of dyeing, where yarn is dipped into a dye bath and is then allowed to oxidize. The number of dips determines the depth of the indigo color, the more dips, the darker the color.
Dyeing - Piece: Fabrics are dyed solid colors after they have been woven or knit, but before they are sewn into a garment. Piece dyed goods can be used in making solid and color-blocked shirts.
Dyeing - Pigment: Textile color by the use of pigments differs from reactive dyes in that pigments do not combine with the fiber molecules as reactive dyes do. Pigments hold onto the textile materials with resin binders in much the same way that paint holds to a wall. It is intentionally expected that pigments will wash out through repeated washings.
Dyeing - Reactive/Wet Prints: Reactive print dyeing process produces rich colors that are very colorfast because the dye absorbs or is bonded into the fibers. Reactive dyes produce bright colors on cottons and can dye acrylics, nylon, silk, wool, and blends of these fibers. These prints produce a nice, soft hand. This process is used on print shirts.
Dyeing - Top: Yarns are dyed before the yarn is spun when the yarns are in the top state, which gives an uneven dyed or heather appearance to the yarn. Top dyeing results in a natural look of the two colors blended. This process is used on heathered and natural color shirts.
Dyeing - Vat: Vat dye is obtained through oxidation. It is usually very bright and will hold up better when bleached than most other dyes. The process is very colorfast in all respects. This is an expensive procedure and is used mainly on high-end products.
Dyeing - Yarn: Yarn is dyed prior to the weaving or knitting of the goods and after the spinning of the yarn. Done in either total immersion or partial immersion of the yarn. This process is especially used in patterns such as jacquards and stripes that require knitting.
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Earth Tones (Color Families): Neutral shades reminiscent of colors found in nature, such as deserts, mountains, and valleys. Many of these shades serve as a base of apparel, particularly in clothing (suits, etc.). Colors include tan brown, sage, and charcoal.
Eco Spun: Fleece outerwear fabric made from at least 50% materials reclaimed from recycled plastic pop bottles.
Electronic (Engraving): Any artwork from child's signature to newspaper is reproduced as long as it can be wrapped around a cylindrical drum.
Embedment: Medallion, logo or everyday object is buried deep in what appears to be solid glass but instead is acrylic.
Emblem: Logo or design with a finished edge, commonly an insignia of identification.
Embossing: A surface effect achieved on fabric by means of passing cloth through a series of engraved rollers that impart figures or designs to its surface. Rollers work through heat and pressure.
Emboss and Color-Fill: Combining hot-stamping with embossing (opposite of debossing). A raised image is stamped with foil. True embossing cannot be performed on vinyl.
Embroidery:
1. Design stitched onto fabric through the use of high speed,
computer-controlled sewing machines.
2. Art of creating and producing ornamental needlework
consisting of designs worked on fabric with high luster
threads either by hand or machine.
End-on-End: A two ply weave of different color yarns that run parallel to each other so that both colors are visible, creating a soft contrast in the garment.
Engineered Stripes: Usually yarn dyed knitwear made on modern knitting equipment with wide bands of multiple colors. The effect is not possible to achieve on less sophisticated repeat machines. This is a jersey or pique fabric with different, more complicated needle selections.
Engraving: Cutting an image into metal, wood or glass by one of three methods; computerized engraving, hand tracing or hand engraving.
Enzyme Wash: Washing process that uses a cellulose-based solution to obtain garments that appear to have been stone washed or acid washed.
Enzyme Washed: Chemical wash that gives fabric a very soft finish, smoother appearance or reduces shrinkage.
Etched: Imprinting method in which the product to be imaged is coated with a protective coating that resists acid. The image is then exposed, leaving bare metal and protected metal. The acid attacks only the exposed metal, leaving the image etched onto the surface.
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Face: The right side or the better looking side of the fabric.
Facing: A piece of fabric that is sewn to the collar, front opening, cuffs or arms of a garment to create a finished look.
Felt: Non-woven fabric made by layering thin sheets of carded wool fibers, then applying heat, moisture, and pressure to shrink and compress the fibers into a thick matted cloth that will not ravel or fray.
FH: Freehand
50/50 - 50 percent cotton/50 percent polyester fabric; also referred to as polycotton.
Fired Decals: Decal that actually becomes part of the piece to which it is applied.
Fill Stitch: A series of running stitches commonly combined to cover large areas.
Findings: Pockets, linings, zippers and other supplementary items used in the manufacture of
garments.
Finishing: Processes performed after embroidery is complete. Includes trimming loose threads, cutting or tearing away excess backing, removing topping, cleaning any stains, pressing or steaming to remove wrinkles or hoop marks, and packaging for sale or shipment.
Flannel: Light to heavyweight plain or twill weave fabric with a napped surface. Can be made of cotton or wool. The brushing process creates insulating air cells that provide more warmth than plain cotton.
Flax / Linen: Flax is the plant, linen yarns are made from flax. Linen is stronger that cotton. It is one of the oldest textile fibers known.
Fleece: Luxurious fabric with a thick deep nap that provides warmth without weight. May be twill or plain weave. The term correctly applies only to wool fabrics, although there are so-called fleeces of other fabrics.
Flexography: Imprinting method for paper in which a flexible rubber plate is wrapped around a cylinder. As the paper moves under the plate, it is pressed against it by another roller, and the ink is transferred on the paper.
Foil Stamping: Process in which a metal plate or die is heated and then pressed against foil into a surface, causing the pigments of the foil to transfer to the surface. Also called hot-stamping.
Football Jersey - a jersey shirt with a slight v-neck, stitched yoke and one-half to three-quarter-length sleeves.
Four-Color Process: Printing process that creates color productions by overprinting screens that individually print reds, yellows, blues and blacks of variable specified intensities.
French Terry or Fleece: Pile knit fabric with uncut loops on one side. It is called fleece if the loops are sheared and brushed. A pile, woven fabric with uncut loops is called terry cloth.
Fulfillment House: Service firm that processes premium and specialty orders, often packaging and mailing the items. Other services offered include warehousing, fulfillment, accounting, and coupon-redemption management.
Full-Fashioned: Knitting process whereby the pattern shape of an individual garment piece is formed on the knitting machine as opposed to being cut from a piece of cloth. Full-fashioned garments are typically expensive sweater knits where the sleeve is knit together with the body of the machine. Full fashioned collar trims allow for one to control the shape/angle of the collar points.
Fused Lining - a lining that is fused to the two outer plies with solvent, heat and pressure. It's used to stabilize or stiffen parts of a garment, such as a pocket or collar.
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Gabardine: Popular fabric with a smooth face and a dull sheen, made with a tight twill weave and worsted yarns. Fabric has a distinct, closely set diagonal rib on the face and a plain back. Made in various weights for men's and women's outerwear, sportswear, suits, dresses, and uniforms.
Garment Wash: Process of industrially washing garments after they have been manufactured that softens and pre-shrinks.
Garment-Washed: This means a cap has been sewn and made and then washed in a washing facility. This creates the popular faded, worn look around the edges and looks more natural than the material pre-washed caps.
Gauge: Measure of the fineness or coarseness of knit fabrics. Refers to the number of loops (knit stitches) in an inch. The higher the gauge, the finer the fabric.
Grommets: Found underarm or in the back neck, grommets are small holes that allow for air circulation and ventilation.
Grommet-Sewn Slot: Caps that have a back strap made of cotton or leather and buckle, and have a slot where the end of the strap tucks into the hat. This slot can either be
trimmed with stitching creating a sewn slot, or with a metal creating a grommet.
Gun Club Check: Double-check design that uses three colors to form a larger check over a smaller check.
Gusset: Inlaid piece of fabric, usually triangular, between arm and body of shirt. Allows ease of movement.
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Half-Moon Label Mount: Fabric sewn inside the back of the garment just below the neck to add hanger appeal and to allow for placement of the label without visible stitches.
Halftone: Engraving made by photographing through a glass screen that breaks the subject into small dots of varying intensities of gray, ranging from white to black.
Hand: Quality of characteristic of fabrics perceived by sense of touch, e.g., softness, firmness, drapability, fineness of the feel.
Harris Tweed: A trademark for an imported tweed made of virgin wool from the Highlands of Scotland, spun, dyed and hand woven by islanders in Harris and other islands of the Hebrides.
Heat-Transfer Printing (Direct Transfer Process): Imprinting method in which an image is screened onto a transfer substrate, which is then laid directly on the material to be imprinted. The image is transferred from the substrate to the material through heat and pressure.
Heat-Transfer Printing (Sublimation): Process in which a design is transferred to a synthetic
fabric by heat and pressure. The heat causes the inks to turn into a gas so that they penetrate the fabric and combine with it to form a permanent imprint. Also called a plastocal transfer.
Heather Yarn: Tow (or more) toned yarn which is knit or woven to create a soft tonal effect.
Henley: Knit shirt with buttoned placket at the neckline with no collar.
Herringbone: Broken twill weave fabric created by changing the direction of twill from right to left and back again. This creates a chevron pattern. Herringbone fabrics are made in a variety of weights, patterns, and fiber types. Herringbone patterns can also be knitted as a jacquard.
High Cotton: Type of cotton fabric that results in a soft hand. Therefore, it has little or no lint and a tighter knit, which makes for ideal screen printing.
High Profile: Determines the look of a cap. A high-profile cap's arch begins at 3 inches.
Hologram: Combination of several layers of refractive material that causes the image to have a three-dimensional effect.
Hoop: A round device made from wood, plastic or steel with which fabric is held in place for machine embroidering.
Homespun: Rough, coarse, tweed-like fabric made with thick, uneven yarns and a plain weave. Once made by hand, now produced on power looms.
Honeycomb Pique: A knit fabric that is characterized by a wider waffle-like appearance, which actually allows the wearer more comfort.
Hot Stamping: Dry imprinting process in which a design or type is seton a relief die that is subsequently impressed by heat and pressure onto the printing surface.
Hot Type: Type composed by machine and made from molten metal.
Houndstooth: Popular wool pattern made with a variation of the twill weave to form jagged broken checks. It is not widely used to make many types of fabrics, especially suitings.
Hydrophilic Fibers: Fibers which absorb water readily, such as cotton, linen or rayon.
Hydrophobic Fibers: Fibers that are normally non-absorptive and repel water, such as nylon and polyester.
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Imprinted Product: Merchandise featuring a company's logo, slogan, or other corporate identification.
Indigo Dyeing: Indigo dye is a substance taken from the indigo plant. There are many chemical imitation indigo dyes. Indigo dye color can only be achieved through a process of dyeing where yarn is dipped into a dye bath and is then allowed to oxidize. The number of dips determines the depth of the indigo color-the more dips, the darker the color.
Injection Molding: Process in which molten metal or plastic is injected into the cavity of a carved die.
Interfacing: Fabrics used to support, reinforce and give shape to fashion fabrics in sewn products. Often placed between the lining and the outer fabric, it can be made from yarns or directly from fibers, and may be either woven, non woven or knitted. Some interfacings are designed to be fused (with heat from an iron), while others are meant to be stitched to the fabric.
Interlining: An insulation, padding or stiffening fabric, either sewn to the wrong side of the lining or the inner side of the outer shell fabric. The interlining is used primarily to provide warmth in coats, jackets and outerwear.
Interlock: The stitch variation of the rib stitch, which resembles two separate 1 x 1 ribbed fabrics that are inter knitted. Plain (double knit) interlock stitch fabrics are thicker, heavier and more stable than single knit constructions.
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Jacquard KIT: Type of woven or knitted fabric, which is constructed on a special machine that uses needle selection which results in intricate, complex all-over designs. Single knit jacquards are commonly knit with two separate colored yarns that are knit together in a row. Double knit jacquards are knit with up to five separate colored yarns across a row. Double knits are generally much more intricate, more colorful and yet heavier (mostly used in long sleeve product). Woven jacquard fabrics include brocade, damask and tapestry.
Jaspe Pique: Two color yarns create subtle tone variations on the surface of the fabric. This will allow exceptional embroidery surfaces.
Jersey: Single knit construction which has rows of vertical loops (knit stitches) on the face and rows of horizontal half-loops (purl stitches) on the back. Jersey can be any fiber content and can be knit flat or circular. Often used in short sleeve knit shirts.
Jewel Tones (Color Families): Are still deeper, saturated, more vibrant colors that include brights, such as emerald green, ruby red, and sapphire blue that cross seasons.
Jute: Also known as burlap, this is a course fiber from the bark of an Asian tree.
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Kasha-Lining: A lining principally for jackets featuring cotton flannel, napped face and imitation chambray back.
Knit: Fabrics constructed by interlocking a series of loops of one or more yarns by hand or by machine. Can be any fiber content. (See double knit, interlock, and jersey).
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Lambs Wool: Fine soft wool from the first shearing of a lamb, usually when it is about seven months old.
Laminated: Coated with clear plastic, or two separate sheets of paper joined together as a single sheet to provide a special thickness or varying colors from side to side.
Lapel: Either of the two folded back front edges of a jacket or shirt that are continuous with the collar.
Laser (Engraving): Imprinting method by which art or lettering is cut into a material by a laser beam that vaporizes the portion exposed through openings in a template.
Leather: Has subcategories, including genuine (top-grain or full grain leather from the outermost layer of hide); splits (under layers split off from the top grain, usually having a surface treatment to simulate color and grain of genuine leather), and processed leather (one type of skin or hide made to resemble another type usually called "bonded leather" or "laminated leather").
Lettering: Embroidery using letters or words. Lettering, commonly called "keyboard lettering," may be created from circuit boards that allow variance of letter style, size, height, density, and other characteristics.
Letterpress Printing: Printing method in which ink is carried on a raised surface to the page or object being printed.
Line Art: Black-and-white illustration of reproduction quality.
Line Conversion: Photograph reproduction as a line illustration, accomplished by shooting the photo without a screen and omitting the middle tones.
Locker Loop: Looped piece of fabric in the neck of a garment for the convenience of hanging the garment of a hook. Can also be located at the center of the back yoke on the inside or outside of the garment.
Locker Patch: Semi-oval panel sewn into the back of the garment just under the collar seam to reinforce the garment to minimize stretching when hung on a hook.
Loden: Thick, soft fabric woven of coarser wools that are especially water repellent.
Low Profile: Determines the look of a cap. A low-profile cap's arch begins at 2 to 3 inches.
Lycra: Dupont's trademark from spandex fiber. Spandex has excellent stretch and is always blended with other fibers, imparting stretch to the resulting fabric.
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Madras: Hand loomed Indian cotton fabric in plaids, checks, or stripes all colorfully intermingled. Because the yarn is dyed with natural vegetable dyes, colors run together bleeding), producing a muted effect. The weave itself has many slubs and imperfections.
Melton: A smooth, heavy wool cloth used primarily in outerwear. Quality varies depending on the type of stock used.
Mercerizing: A finishing process used extensively on cotton yarn and cloth consisting of treating the material with a cold, strong sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) solution. The treatment increases the strength and affinity for dyes and gives the finished fabric a soft, silk like feel.
Merino: The highest, finest grade of wool.
Mesh: Any fabric, knitted or woven, with an open texture, fine or coarse, for added comfort and ventilation.
Metal Casting: Production method in which jewelry or other material is shaped by covering a mold with molten metal.
Microfiber: Super fine polyester filament yarn recently developed. Microfiber has superior hand feel and draping characteristics to ordinary polyester yarn. Because the fabric is high-count polyester or nylon yarns, it is durable, water-repellent, and windproof, and retains its color, resilience, and soft touch.
Mid-Tones (Color Families): Transitional colors such as dusty blue, rose pink, sunflower yellow, and salmon that cross seasons and climates, and are less intense than jewel tones.
Mock Turtleneck: A shortened version of the turtleneck where the neck of the garment does not fold over.
Mohair: Soft fleece of the angora goat that absorbs dying very well.
Moiré: An undesirable pattern sometimes resulting when two sets of lines or dot patterns in a process color design overlap.
Monogram: Embroidered design composed of one or more letters, usually the initials in a name.
Mylar: A polyester film used to cover a metallic yarn. Often used in apparel decoration.
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Nap: A fuzzy, fur like feel created when fiber ends extend from the basic fabric structure to the fabric surface. The fabric can be napped on either one or both sides.
Nail Head: General term for a variety of small woven patterns, including bird's eye, dots and small hounds tooth. It is usually associated with clear finished worsted suiting, such as sharkskin.
NuBlend Fleece: A three-end fleece made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester with an anti-pilling surface.
Nylon: A synthetic polymer, a plastic, durable fabric used in apparel and other everyday items.
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Offset Lithography: Printing process in which the image is transferred to a rubber blanket, which in turn applies it to the surface to be printed.
Offset Printing: Printing process in which a positive image is transferred to a rubber blanket in reverse, which in turn applies it to the surface to be printed, right reading.
Ombré: Design that has gradations in color; usually it is shades of one family of color or can change colors, such as from green to blue; means "shaded" in French.
Opacity: Heaviness of ink coverage.
One-Ply Yarn: One strand of thread is used to form the yarn that is woven into terry loops.
Open-End Yarn: A cost saving process that eliminates some manufacturing steps needed for ring spun yarn.
Ottoman: A tightly woven plain weave ribbed fabric with a hard, slightly lusted surface. The ribbed effect is created by weaving a finer silk or manufactured warp yarn with a heavier filler yarn, usually made of cotton or wool.
Ounces Per SQ. YD.: A measurement of fabric weight, a weight that customers usually ask for when making a comparison to competitive brands.
Overall: A print whose image or images cover the entire substrate, front and back. Also referred to as "all over."
Overrun: Specialties produced in excess of the number originally ordered.
Oxford: A fine, soft, lightweight woven cotton, sometimes blended with manufactured fibers, in a 2 x 1 basket weave variation of the plain weave construction. The fabric is used primarily for shirts.
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Pad Printing: Pad printing utilizes a flexible silicone rubber transfer pad that picks up a film of ink from a photo etched printing plate and transfers it to an item. Pad printing is usually used for three dimensional items.
Paisley: Abstract scroll pattern that originated in Paisley, Scotland, and was used to make imitation cashmere shawls. The popular pattern is often executed in rich, deep colors.
Panels: Five and six-panel caps. Six panels sewn together from the crown of the cap creating a seam down the front of the cap. Good for embroidery, but not a good choice for printing. A five-panel cap has five panels sewn together to form the crown of the cap. Since there is not seam down the front of the cap, five panels are an ideal choice for printing and embroidery.
Pantograph (Engraving): Master letters or designs are traced with a stylus that is connected to and followed by a cutting tool that pushes the lettering or image into metal. Used in many jewelry shops to engrave silver-plated bowls and cups.
Pantone Matching System (PMS): Color scale used to precisely match colors for printing. Each hue has a coded number indicating instructions for mixing inks to achieve that hue.
Paper Proof: Impression of type or artwork on paper so the correctness and quality of the material to be printed can be checked. The least expensive is a regular black and white faxed paper proof. The most expensive is an actual physical preproduction sample of the product itself.
Paste-up: Act of producing mechanical art.
Pastels (Color Families): Soft unwashed colors such as sky blue, sea foam green, coral, baby pink, and butter yellow that are used predominantly in spring and summer deliveries and in warmer climates.
Pattern: An outline of a garment on paper. It usually embodies all the pieces necessary to cut a complete garment from material.
Peach Finish: Soft hand usually obtained by brushing the fabric lightly. It can also be achieved with chemical or laundry abrasion.
Pencil Rub: Low-cost way of producing a "sample" of an embroidery design. Consists literally of a piece of tracing paper placed over a sew-out and rubbed lightly with a pencil to produce an impression for the embroidery.
Percale: A smooth, textured, closely woven cotton or polyester fabric.
Permanent Press: Improves the wrinkle recovery and shape retention qualities of fabrics.
Personalize: To imprint the recipient's name on a particular product.
Peruvian Pima Cotton: Peruvian Pima Cotton is often referred to as the "cashmere of cotton"- the softest, smoothest, "silkiest" fabric you can wear. Shrinkage standard for Peruvian Pima fabrics is a maximum of 5 x 5 if the garment is washed following directions on the label.
PFD: Products that are specially manufactured for dyeing; 100% cotton thread, oversized cut to allow for shrinkage; no optical brighteners for even dye coverage.
Phantom: Transparent image or ghost superimposed over a subject.
Photo Etching: Printing process using an acid solution to etch a photograph onto a metal surface.
Photographic imaging (Engraving):
1. Photo metal processes actually develop metal by using photosensitive, anodized aluminum in either metal stock or metal sheet stock.
2. Chemical etching uses negative or camera-ready artwork, exposes it
and coats the metal using acid or other more toxic chemicals to eat away impressions on the metal not covered by film.
Photomechanical transfer (IPMT): Diffusion-transfer process used to resize or copy images.
Photostate: Black-and-white reproduction of original art, generally not acceptable as "camera-ready" art.
Piece-Dyed: Dyeing that occurs after a fabric is made, but before it is assembled into a garment.
Pigment: A substance that is added to give color to fabric.
Pigment Dyed: Caps are colored with a particular pigment that reacts with the washing to create a faded look.
Pill: A tangled ball of fibers that appears on the surface of a fabric as a result of wear, continued friction or rubbing on the surface of the fabric.
Pima Cotton: A high end yarn made by plying yarns spun from long combed staple. One of the best grades of cotton in the world. Pima cotton has extra long fiber lengths making it soft, yet strong.
Pin Check: Very small check pattern that is popular for suits, sportswear and outerwear.
Pinpoint Oxford: This tightly woven fabric is similar to classic Oxford cloth but is much finer and dressier.
Pinstripes: Very thin, light or dark, lengthwise stripes.
Piqué: A closely woven ribbed fabric produced from natural fibers, usually cotton. Piqué is very popular in polostyle shirts.
Placket: The opening of a shirt or jacket where the garment fastens or at a pocket. A reverse placket is the reversed opening for women's garments.
Plain Weave: The simplest weave, also called "one up and one down weave," in which each filling yarn passes over and under each warp yarn, forming a checkerboard pattern.
Plate: Rubber or metal image carrier that transfers ink to the printing surface.
Ply: Two or more yarns that have been twisted together.
Polar Fleece: Knitted using 100% fine denier polyester yarns. The pile is napped on the front and back to promote a very soft hand with exceptional loft. This is a fine denier knit that also allows the fabric to dry quickly.
Polyester: A strong, durable synthetic fabric with low moisture absorbency. Polyester is popular for its comfort and resistance to wrinkles.
Poly-Filled: A warm polyester lining used in outerwear.
Polymer: The chemical solution from which manmade fibers are spun.
Polynosic: A stable rayon fiber that has a soft, silk like hand.
Poplin: A broad term to describe several fabrics made from various types of yarn. Usually a plain, strong fabric with fine ribbing creating a slight ridge effect; often made of cotton.
Position Proof: Color proofs for checking position, layout and/or color breakout of image elements.
Positive: Image reproduction with the same density values as the original.
Post-Cure: Resin treated fabric is cut and sewn. The finished garment is then cured in a high temperature curing oven.
Powder Dyeing: Process that allows polyester to blend with cotton to give a garment a dyed appearance. Powder dyed garments ensure consistent color, wash after wash.
Preshrunk: Fabrics or garments that have received a preshrinking treatment. Often done on cottons - to remove the tendency for cloth to shrink - before cutting the fabric for use in a garment to prevent further shrinkage.
Press Proof: Proof of a color subject made on printing press in advance of the production run.
PrintPro: Fleece fabric construction with a two-end yarn system that allows for an increase in the amount of stitches per square yard.
Profile: Height of a cap's crown. Low-profile is approximately 3.5". Regular profile is approximately 3.75". Pro-style is somewhere in-between the two.
Progressive Proofs: Color proofs that show the reproduction of each color plate separately and in combination with each other. Also called color keys.
Proof: Impression of type or artwork on paper to allow the correctness and quality of the material to be checked.
Puff Prints: Screening process using puff inks. After screening, the product is exposed to heat. A chemical additive in the ink causes it to rise, creating a raised surface.
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Quarter turned: An additional manufacturing process where the mill rotates
1/4 of a turn to put a crease on the side of the product rather then the front of the product.
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Raglan: Raglan sleeve is stitched under the arm and in two parallel lines leading from the armpit to the neck. It makes for ease of movement.
Ramie: Strong staple fiber of cellulose yielded by the inner bark of the ramie plant. Often used as a less expensive substitute for linen or cotton.
Rayon: High absorbency, bright or dull luster, pleasant hand. Does well in brilliant colors.
Register Marks: Cross-hair marks applied to negatives, artwork, photographs or mechanicals to ensure precise register on the final product.
Registration (Hot-Stamping): Process by which two or more hot-stamps are aligned, so the multicolored foils fit the image area perfectly.
Reprocessed Wool: Wool that has been reclaimed from manufactured products that have not been used by a consumer, including dyed or un-dyed yarn, and fabric scraps from mills and clothing manufacturers. The wool is returned to fiber form and spun into new yarns, which are used to make fabrics of low to medium quality.
Resolution: Density of dots for any given output device. The unit of measurement is dots per inch (dpi).
Reused Wool: Wool that has been reclaimed from manufactured products after they have been used by consumers. The wool is returned to fiber form, cleansed or over dyed, and spun again into new yarns, which are used to make inexpensive low-quality fabrics.
Reverse: Mirror like inversion of elements on a printing plate in relation to their order on the surface printed from it.
Reverse Jersey: Knit that uses the back side of jersey fabric for the face of the garment.
Rib Knit: Knitted fabric produced with two sets of needles (double knit) in which the vertical rows of loops (wales) can be seen alternately on the face and back. Stretch in the width is excellent.
Ringer Tee: A shirt, usually white bodied, featuring ribbed crew neck and sleeve bands in a contrasting color.
Ring Spun: A process of spinning the yarn to make it a softer and more durable fabric.
Rip-Stop Nylon: A lightweight, wind resistant and water resistant plain weave fabric. Large rib yarns stop tears without adding excess weight to active sportswear apparel.
Running Stitch: A series of single stitches forming a line.
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Sandwich Hat: A hat where there is contrasting trim between the upper and lower part of the visor.
San Wash: Sand is added to the piece of garment washing process to create a subtle weathered look. Results in a soft, lightly brushed feel. Used mainly in woven fabrics.
Sanforized: Controls the shrinkage of fabrics to less than 1%.
Satin: The name originated in China. Satin cloths were originally of silk. Similar fabrics are
now made from acetate, rayon and some of the other manmade fibers. The fabric has a very smooth, lustrous face effect while the back of the material is dull.
Satin Stitch: A zigzag sewing action where two stitches form a column. It is often used for lettering, outlining and detail.
Saxony: General term for especially high-quality fabrics of merino wool, usually used for coats and suits. The term originally described fabrics made only from the wool of Saxony sheep, a superior strain of merino developed in Germany.
Screen: Series of dots used to reproduce halftones or blended colors. As the percentage of screen increases, the color prints darken.
Screen Charge: Charge by suppliers for creating a silkscreen of the artwork used for imprinting products.
Screen Tints: Process in which shading and tinting are added to a line reproduction.
Screen Printing: Imprinting method in which the image is transferred to the printed surface by ink squeegee through a stenciled screen stretched over a frame. Screens are treated with a light-sensitive emulsion, then film positives are put in contact with the screens and exposed to light. The light hardens the emulsion not covered by the film, leaving a soft area on the screen for the squeegee to force ink through. Also called silkscreening.
Seersucker: Lightweight cotton type, color striped fabric with permanent, lengthwise, alternating, puckered stripes and felt strip sections.
Set-In Sleeve: A style of sleeve that is sewn into the shoulder, as opposed to the neck.
Set-up Charge: Special charges added to certain products in a catalog. It covers the cost of preparing the type for the press and the actual printing.
Sharkskin: High quality worsted suiting fabric with a smooth, sleek face and slightly iridescent sheen, resembling the skin of a shark. It may be plain or woven with fancy patterns.
Sheepskin: General term for a tanned hide with the wool still intact.
Shearling: Tanned and dressed skin from a newly sheared sheep or lamb with the wool still attached.
Sheeting: A plain weave cotton fabric usually made with carded yarns.
Sherpa: A fleece derivative with a unique nap.
Shetland: Very fine, lustrous wool from the downy soft undercoat of Shetland sheep, raised on the Shetland Islands off the northern coast of Scotland. Available in limited quantities of natural colors and used to make software, knitwear, sportswear, and coats. The term has been used rather loosely by the apparel industry to describe similar fabrics and clothing, especially sweaters, made from coarser types of wool.
Shipping Date: Date an order should be shipped from the factory to the purchasing client.
Short Stitch: A digitizing technique that places shorter stitches in curves and corners to avoid an unnecessary bulky buildup of stitches.
Shrinkage: The reduction in width and length, or both, that takes place in a fabric when it is washed or dry cleaned. Residual shrinkage is the term used to indicate the percentage of shrinkage that occurs in the fabric at the time of its first washing.
Side Seams: These are the seams that join the front and back together. This feature is not found on T-shirts and some placket shirts.
Side Vents: Fashion details allowing for comfort and ease of movement.
Silk: The only natural fiber that comes in a filament form. Spun from silkworms, this fine fabric is comfortable and soft but must be treated gently.
Silk Screening: Also known as screen printing photographic process transfers artwork onto a porous nylon screen, which allows a custom color ink to flow onto the garment.
Single-Needle: A stitch, requiring a single needle and thread, characterized by its straight-line pathway. A single-needle shoulder seam has been finished with a visible row of stitching, single needle, for additional reinforcement and fashion.
Singles: Term used to indicate the diameter of a yarn. The smaller the number, the thicker the yarn.
Single Knit: A fabric knitted on a single needle machine. This fabric has less body, substance and stability when compared with double knit.
Single Yarn: One that has not been plied; the result of drawing, twisting and winding a mass of fibers into a coherent yarn.
Sleeve: Part of the garment that covers part or the entire arm.
Slubs: Soft lumps or unevenness in yarn.
Soft Goods: Industry term sometimes applied to textile fabrics and products.
Solution-Dyed: A type of fiber dyeing in which colored pigments are injected into the spinning solution prior to the extrusion of the fiber through the spinneret. Fibers and yarns colored in this manner are colorfast to most destructive agents.
Spot Color: Color used usually for accent
Stability: That property of a bonded fabric that prevents sagging, slipping or stretch
ing. This is conducive to ease of handling in manufacturing and helps fabric keep its shape in wear, dry cleaning and washing.
Stain-Release: Allows fabric to release soiling and stains upon washing.
Stain-Repellent: Fabric dipped in a chemical bath that adds a concentration of compound, such as Teflon, that repels stains.
Stain-Resistant: Controls the penetration of spots and stains.
Staple: The actual length of a cotton fiber.
Stretch Yarns: Continuous filament yarns that have been textured or modified to give them elasticity. Use of these yarns gives fabrics a degree of elasticity and comfort.
Stock Designs: Digitized common embroidery designs that are commercially available for general use by embroiderers.
Stone Washed: Fabric treatment to achieve a worn and faded effect, common in denim fabric.
Storm Flap: A strip of fabric that covers the zipper or snap closure of a jacket to protect against wind and moisture. Storm flaps can also be sewn on the inside of the zipper.
Sublimation: Dye transfer process where the image consists of a colored dye permanently embedded into the material surface of pores. Used to imprint messages, graphics and photographs on a variety of items, primarily mouse pads, mugs, T-shirts, caps and trophy medals.
Sueded Fleece: A very smooth and luxurious fleece that is made with an 80/20 cotton and polyester blend; a unique finishing process wherein the fabric is gently "sanded," which causes the fleece to become very soft.
Sueded Nylon: A fabric that goes through a brushing process to raise the nap and give the garment a soft hand.
Swatch: A small sample of material used for inspection, comparison, construction, color, finish and sales purposes.
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Tackle Twill: Letters or numbers cut from polyester or rayon twill fabric that is commonly used for athletic teams and organizations.
Tartan: Wool, worsted or cotton cloth made in plain weave or in a twill weave. Tartan is popular in caps, dresses, neckwear, shirts, sport coats and trousers.
Taping: A design feature whereby a piece of fabric is used to cleanly cover a seam. The term is used when referring to shoulder-to-shoulder taping.
Taped Seams: A strip of fabric attached to the seam of a garment to prevent distortion.
Taslan: 100% nylon fabrication with a water-resistant coating that has been woven as a twill and washed to provide a soft hand.
Tencel: A fiber made from wood pulp. Tencel gives fabric a very soft, smooth and luxurious hand.
Tension: The tautness of thread when forming stitches.
Tattersall Check: Simple check pattern with a loud appearance made with two colors against a white or contrasting background. Gaudy combinations of bold colors are common. Checks are usually about half inch square.
Terry Cloth: This cloth has uncut loops on both sides of the fabric. Woven on a dobby loom with a terry arrangement, various sizes of yarns are used in the construction. Terry is very popular in robes and towels.
Textile: Traditionally a textile is defined as a woven fabric made by interlacing yarns.
Tencel: A fabric made from the fiber found in wood pulp which is processed into a silk like, delicate fabric.
Thread Count: The actual number of warp ends and filling picks per inch in a woven cloth. In knitted fabric, thread count implies the number of wales or ribs.
Tint Block: A photoengraving used to print tints of any percentage of color.
Tip-in: Preprinted card bound or partially bound into a periodical.
Tip-on: To attach end sheets or other material to the outside of folded sections by machine applications of thin strip of adhesive.
Tonal: Using a matching color thread to embroider a garment. For example, a navy shirt tonal embroidery would use a matching navy thread to create an embossed look.
Tone on Tone: Different shades of the same color as the garment are used for embroidery thread. For example, a navy blue shirt with a light blue and royal blue embroidery.
Torqued: Natural twisting that occurs when a circular knit fabric is in a relaxed state. A circular knit is knit in a spiral motion and therefore "straight" stripes want to twist. This phenomenon usually occurs in poor quality jacquard knits and is minimized by compacting and the use of stabilizing resins.
Tricot: A type of warp knitted fabric that has a thin texture made from very fine yarn.
Trimming: The action of cutting loose thread, removing backing, etc., from the final embroidered product.
Trim Size: Finished size of a printed piece after waste is trimmed away.
Tubular Knit: A golf shirt with no side seams - a cost advantage because there is less cutting and sewing. Tubular products are at greater risk for body torquing (twisting).
Tweed: Rough, durable woolen cloth with irregular slubs or knots on the surface, made with a twill or herringbone weave.
Twill: A type of fabric woven with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. It is made by passing the weft threads over one warp thread and then under two or more warp threads. Examples of twill fabric are Gabardine and Tweed.
Twill Tape: Narrow herringbone twill weave tape used as reinforcement at the stress areas - neck, shoulders, pockets - of a garment. It is also used as a design element, often inside plackets.
Twill-Broken: Broken twill is a variation on traditional twill resulting in a very soft and flexible fabric.
Twisted Yarn: The use of two or more yarns of different colors twisted together to form a single multicolor yarn.
Two-Ply Yarn: Two strands of thread are used to form the yarn that is woven into terry loops.
Type Transfer: Sheet of type created through a photographic and chemical process which can be transferred onto almost any surface by burnishing the back of the sheet.
Typeface: General term used to describe the styles of lettering available in typesetting.
Typeset: To create type of a quality usable for reproduction, whether electronically or mechanically.
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Underlay Stitching: The stitching action that will attach the backing to the fabric being embroidered. It also supports the top embroidery for a more lofty dimensional look.
Under Run: Number of products less than what was originally ordered.
Unstructured: Caps with no buckram are unstructured. Many of the latest caps have the "floppy" look. Can be scrunched up and stuffed in a back pocket.
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Vegetable (Color Families): Rich, saturated colors that are used primarily in fall and winter deliveries. They include the colors eggplant, pumpkin and gold that are inspired by the hues of vegetables and fall foliage.
Velour: Medium weight, cotton type, dense, cut pile fabric that resembles velvet.
Velox: Photo print with halftone dot pattern in place of continuous tone, ready for line reproduction.
Vinyl: Stain resistant plastic material used for coverings and trims in luggage. Available in a wide range of colors.
Virgin Wool: Wool shorn from live sheep that has not been used in any form prior to its being processed into any sort of textile product.
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Water-Base Screen Print: Water-Based inks penetrate the fabric more than the plastisol inks
and create a much softer feel. Ideal for printing darker inks onto
lighter colored garments. Also useful for larger area prints where
texture is important.
Discharge inks are used to print lighter colors onto dark background
fabrics, they work by removing the dye in the garment, this means they
leave a much softer texture. They are less graphic in nature than
plastisol inks, and exact colours are difficult to control, but
especially good for distressed prints and underbasing on dark garments
that are to be printed with additional layers of plastisol.
Water based ink screenprinting contains neither PVC nor phthalates
making them an environmentally friendly choice. Water based ink
ingredients are non-toxic, lead-free and do not contain any heavy
metals. As such, they are safe for use on infant clothing, underwear
and swimsuits.
Unlike plastisols, water based inks contain no ozone-depleting
chemicals such as CFC's and HCFC's, aromatic hydrocarbons or any
volatile solvents. Best of all, instead of dangerous solvents, water
based inks wash out easily and safely with water.
Waterproof: A garment that is seam sealed and able to withstand a specific amount of water pressure, keeping the wearer completely dry by blocking water from coming in.
Waterproofness: The ability of fabric to withstand penetration by water. Conventional waterproof fabrics are generally coated with chemicals or laminated with a film that closes the pores in fabric. (See waterproof/breathable).
Waterproof / Breathable: Ability to keep water from penetrating but permits water vapor to pass through. There are over 200 fabrics of this type available today, offering a varied combination of waterproofness and water vapor permeability.
Water-Repellent: Ability of a fabric to resist penetration by water under certain conditions. Various types of tests are used, and these are conducted on samples before and after subjection to standard washing and dry cleaning tests.
Water-Resistant: Fabric treated chemically to resist water. Not to be confused with water repellent.
Welt: A strip of material seamed to a pocket opening as a finishing as well as a strengthening device, or a covered cord or ornamental strip sewn on a border or along a seam.
Whipcord: Compact worsted twill fabric with prominent diagonal cords that run from the lower left to the upper right.
Wickability: The ability of a fiber or a fabric to disperse moisture and allow it to pass through to the surface of the fabric, so that evaporation can take place.
Windowpane: Simple, boxy check or plaid pattern using a minimum of colors and thin lines to form large squares or rectangles with clear centers.
Wool: Fibers that grow on sheep fleece. Wool products may also include fibers from lamb, angora or cashmere goat.
Wool Satin: Luxurious worsted fabric with a smooth lustrous face, made with tightly twisted yarns and satin weave.
Worsted: Smooth, uniform, well twisted yarns, usually wool. Little finishing is necessary in these clear surface materials. Plain or fancy weaves are used, and the cloth is usually yarn dyed, but piece dyed fabrics are also popular.
Woven: Fabric constructed by the interlacing of two or more sets of yarns at right angles to each other.
Wrinkle Free: Basic process of imparting the wrinkle free finish into the fabric involves applying a resin into the fabric, drying and curing at extremely high temperatures to the desired dimension. Pre-cured wrinkle free means that the finish has been applied to the fabric before the garment has been produced. Post-cure wrinkle free means that the finish has been applied after the garment has been manufactured. Because the post cure wrinkle free process is set into the final pressed garment, it is more popular.
Wrinkle Resistant: Controls the wrinkling of fabric.
Wysiwyg: An acronym for What You See Is What You Get, which means that the composite page viewed on the screen of a workstation essentially represents what the printer will output.
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Yarn Dyed: Dyeing that occurs at the yarn stage, before it is made into fabric.
Yoke Back: A piece of fabric that connects the back of a garment to the shoulders. This allows the garment to lie flat.
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