Materials glossary
Fabrics, leather, jewelry metals and packaging explained for people getting products made: properties, grades, certifications and what to put in the tech pack.
Every entry is written for the person paying the factory: what the material is, how it is made, the ranges to expect, what to write in the tech pack, and which certifications and marks to ask for.
Fabrics and fibers
The fibers and knits behind tees, hoodies, polos, underwear and activewear, and what to write in the tech pack for each.
- ModalSoft regenerated cellulose from beech pulp. Underwear, loungewear, premium tees.
- ViscoseThe original rayon: drapey regenerated cellulose for dresses, blouses and linings.
- LyocellClosed-loop wood fiber, strong and smooth. Shirts, bedding, denim blends.
- Supima cottonTrademarked American Pima: extra-long staple cotton for premium tees and polos.
- Pima cottonExtra-long staple cotton from the US and Peru. Soft tees, polos and sheets.
- Egyptian cottonGiza-grade cotton from the Nile Delta. Luxury sheets and towels, often mislabeled.
- Japanese denimSelvedge and rope-dyed indigo denim from Okayama. Premium jeans and jackets.
- LinenFlax fiber fabric: breathable, strong, wrinkly. Summer shirts, bedding, kitchen.
- French terrySmooth-faced knit with loops on the back. Hoodies, sweats, shorts.
- FleeceBrushed knit for warmth: cotton-blend sweatshirt fleece or polyester polar fleece.
- JerseyThe single knit behind almost every t-shirt. Light, stretchy, easy to print.
- PiqueTextured honeycomb knit used for polo shirts. Cotton or performance polyester.
- Merino woolFine, soft wool from merino sheep. Base layers, socks, tees and knitwear.
- CashmereGoat undercoat fiber. Soft, warm, light, expensive and easy to fake.
- PolyesterSynthetic PET fiber. Cheap, strong, fast drying. Activewear and performance.
- Recycled polyesterPolyester from used PET bottles or textile waste. Same performance, paper-trail claims.
- NylonStrong, smooth polyamide. Leggings, swim, shells, bags and ripstop.
- SpandexThe stretch fiber. A few percent for comfort, a lot for compression.
Home textiles
Sheets and towels: weaves, thread count and cotton grades, explained for people having them made.
Leather and hides
Grades of real leather and the synthetic and plant-based alternatives, for bags, wallets and accessories.
Metals and finishes for jewelry
Base metals, plating and coatings: what the labels legally mean, how long they last, and how to spec them.
- Gold vermeilSterling silver with at least 2.5 microns of 10K+ gold. The mid-price gold look.
- Gold filled vs gold platedThick bonded gold (1/20 by weight) vs a thin electroplate. Wear life and cost.
- Sterling silver92.5% silver, usually with copper. Stamped 925. Tarnishes; often rhodium plated.
- Surgical stainless steelUsually 316L or 304 stainless. Tough, cheap, no tarnish; contains bound nickel.
- PVD coatingHard vacuum-applied coating on steel. Gold-tone and black, the waterproof jewelry look.
Packaging materials
Paper and board for mailers, bags and boxes, from kraft stock to rigid gift boxes.