Technical Terms You Must Know Working in the Textile Industry

Locofast
4 min readFeb 24, 2022

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In order to simplify the procurement process for all players of the textile supply chain in India, Locofast designed its mobile app from which manufacturers can place orders and suppliers can receive bulk orders at their fingertips. In order to ensure the smoothest possible experience online, both customers and partners have different interfaces, customized for their distinct needs. For our partners, the application has been designed to reflect not only new customers and recurring orders but also allows them to keep track of their shipments. On the other hand, the application for the manufacturers allows them to place their orders and specify the particular requirements of their orders.

However, some new customers may get confused by some of the technical terms used for these particular details. So here is a quick guide of five terms you must know before placing your order on the Locofast mobile application:

Thread Count: Used to determine the fineness of the yarn, the thread count is a representative of how fine or coarse the yarn is. It is defined as the number of 840 yards length of yarns in one pound. For instance, a thread count of 20 will mean that it would require 20 yarns of 840 yards length to weigh one pound.

Generally speaking, the higher the thread count, the softer the fabric, and it is more likely that it will wear well and soften over time.

Image sourced from www.talkaboutsleep.org

GSM: The term GSM stands for gram per square meter (grams/m2), and as the name suggests, it is the weight (in grams) of a fabric that measures one meter in length and one meter in width. It is a benchmark specification to meet production manufacturing requirements and is also a standard upon which different materials are compared.

A higher GSM material is not necessarily better than a lower GSM material, although that is generally believed to be the case.

GLM: The term GLM stands for gram per linear meter, and like GSM, is used to measure the weight of the fabric. It is the weight (in grams) of a fabric per linear/running meter and is especially used in bulk orders.

If the GSM of the textile is available, it is very easy to calculate the GLM using a simple formula.

Fabric construction: Fabric construction denotes the number of threads constructed in a one-inch square area, or the number of warp yarns and weft yarns used in one inch of fabric.

It is written as warp count x weft count, so a fabric construction of 92 x 88 would refer to a 92" warp/reed and 88" weft/pick.

Weaving: Weaving is the process of constructing fabrics by interlacing vertical and horizontal yarns at right angles to produce a woven textile. There are many types of weaves that manufacturers can choose from including twill weave, satin weave, oxford weave, and cotton gauze.

The finished woven fabric is usually thin, lacks stretchability, and is generally well suited for shirts and trousers.

Fabric Composition: Fabric composition refers to the different types of fibers that have been used to compose the textile or the fabric. For instance, the fabric composition of a poly-cotton weave is polyester and cotton, both of which have been woven together.

Knowing the fabric composition is essential in order to reproduce the desired qualities in your final product. Furthermore, it is important for labeling as the tariffs on imports and exports vary according to the fiber composition.

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Locofast
Locofast

Written by Locofast

Locofast is the fastest way you can procure fabrics for your business.

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