Composition, usable width, weight in g/m² or g/lm, roll length and colour codes: what each line on a fabric page means, and what “on request” tells you.
Every fabric page on this website has a short technical table, and the same lines appear on most suppliers' spec sheets. Here is what each line means and how to use it when you compare fabrics.
Composition
Composition lists the fibres in the fabric and their share by weight, for example 100% polyester, or 70% polyester and 30% cotton. The percentages always add up to 100.
Fibres shape how a fabric behaves. Polyester is generally strong and keeps its shape; viscose brings sheen and softness; cotton and linen look natural and matt. A blend combines properties of each. Composition also matters for care, for customs, where it is part of the product description, and for any test your market requires.
Construction
Construction tells you how the fabric is made: velvet, chenille, jacquard, flat-woven, knitted, flock, sheer or blackout. Two fabrics with the same composition can look and feel completely different because of their construction. Our collections group the fabrics by construction.
Width and usable width
Width is measured across the fabric, usually in centimetres, for example 140 cm or 280 cm. The usable width is slightly less: it leaves out the selvedges, the finished edges that are not used in production. When you work out how many metres you need, use the usable width and allow for pattern repeats. If a spec sheet does not say which width it gives, ask.
Curtain fabrics, sheers in particular, are often made extra-wide, around 280 to 320 cm, so that a curtain can be made in one piece without vertical seams. Upholstery fabrics are usually narrower.
Weight: g/m² and g/lm
Weight shows how heavy the fabric is. It is given in one of two ways:
- g/m², grams per square metre, also written GSM: the weight of one square metre of fabric. It lets you compare fabrics of different widths directly.
- g/lm, grams per linear metre, sometimes written g/m: the weight of one metre of fabric along the roll, across its full width.
To convert, divide the grams per linear metre by the width in metres: 600 g/lm at 150 cm wide is 600 ÷ 1.5 = 400 g/m². Weight is a useful indicator, but not a measure of quality on its own: a dense flat weave and a lofty pile can feel very different at the same weight.
Roll length and packaging
Fabrics are supplied on rolls. Roll length is the number of metres on one roll, often given as a range, for example 35–45 m, because rolls are cut to the lengths a production run gives. Our minimum order is counted in rolls, so the roll length tells you roughly how many metres an order contains.
A page may also show packaging details: how a roll is wrapped, the weight of a roll and the HS code, the customs tariff number used in export documents.
Colour codes
Each colour of a fabric has its own code. Together, the fabric code and the colour code identify exactly what you are ordering, so quote both in every request for samples, prices or orders. A colour name is only a description; the code is what counts.
Colours on screen are approximate, because screens and photos vary. Use a sample or a colour card to choose colours, and see how sampling works.
What “on request” means
Some values are marked “On request” instead of being published. Prices, stock and lead times depend on the order, meaning the fabric, the colours, the quantity and the destination, so they are confirmed for each request rather than printed on a page. Where a technical value is not shown at all, it has not been published yet: ask us for it.
Published values describe the fabric as it is listed. If a value is critical for your product or your market, ask us to confirm it for your order.
This guide explains common spec-sheet terms in general. The values that apply to a fabric are the ones on its page, or the ones confirmed for your order.