Textile Directory

Jacquard weaves
Jacquard weaves are the most complex woven fabrics
used today. The fabrics are characterized by curved,
intricate images woven into the fabric, often using
different colored yarns.
The apparel industry uses these fabrics with great care and
uses them sparingly because they are slow to produce and
expensive to purchase. There are three major groups of
jacquard weaves:
Tapestry: Machine-produced tapestry tries to imitate hand-woven
tapestry. The result is a flat, tightly woven unbalanced plain
weave, using different colored yarns in the weft, to create the
surface image.
Brocade: Detailed design that results in high–low woven-in
images, designed especially to resemble embroidery on the
fabric surface. Heavy, sometimes metallic, yarns are introduced
into the fabric.
This brocade fabric, using a jacquard weave,
shows the lustrous and varied patterns and
textures that are so characteristic of the
jacquard weaving technique.
Damask: Generally using one color or limited colors,
the images are woven in combinations of satin weaves
and plain ribbed weaves. Fine yarns are nearly always
used because the goal is to weave lustrous images
into the fabric. Woven-in images are usually floral, but
stripes are sometimes introduced into the generally
luxurious designs.
Designer’s tip: The fabric image may be positioned for
use in one direction, called a “one-way” design. It is
important to review carefully so the fabric image will be
positioned in a way to balance and match the image on
the garment design.
Tapestry
Example of machine-produced
tapestry.
Brocade
The detailed design of brocade resembles
embroidery on the fabric surface.
Brocade tends to be heavier than
damask and lighter than tapestry,
but there are exceptions.
Damask
Example of the luxurious designs that are
woven to produce damask.
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