Lecture 1 & 2: Understanding Fabric Design and Analysis

Introduction
Types of Fabric:
1. Woven Fabric. (Interlacement)
2. Knitted. (Inter looping)
3. Non woven. (Fibre sheet, interlining)
4. Braid.
Woven Fabric:
• Weaving is the intersection of two sets of straight yarns, warp and weft, which cross and
interlace at right angles to each other. The lengthwise yarns are known as warp yarns and
widthwise yarns are known as weft or filling yarns and the fabric produced is known as
woven fabric.
• Example: Plain, Twill, Satin/Sateen
• Application: Poplin, Gavardin, Denim etc.

Knitted fabric:
• Knitting is a process of manufacturing a fabric by the intermeshing of loops of yarns and the
fabric produced by this is known as knitted fabric.
• Example: Single Jersey, Double Jersey
• Application: T-Shirt, Polo Shirt, Stockings Etc.

Non woven:
• Non wovens are a sheet, web or bat of natural and manmade fibres or filaments, excluding
paper, that have been covered into yarns and that are bonded to each other by any of
several means – web formation, web bonding.
• Example: Fusible (interlining), Coated fabrics, Film fabrics.
• Application: Diapers, sanitary napkin, industrial musk, bandages etc.

Braid:
• Braid is one kind of narrow fabric. This kind of fabric is formed on braiding m/c by
interlacing three or more strands of yarn. The process of interlacing three or more threads
in such a way that they cross one another is laid together in diagonal formation.
• Example: Fire brigade water pipe, shoe lace, cloth lines, electric wire, ropes etc.
 Woven Fabric
Classification of Woven Fabric:

• Considering the woven structure, the woven fabric may be conveniently divided into
two principle categories:
• Simple Structure
• Compound Structure

1. Simple Structure:
• The ends and the picks intersect one another at right angles and in the cloth are
respectively parallel with each other.
• There is only one series of ends and one series of picks.
• All the constituent threads are equally responsible for the utility or performance
in a fabric and the aspect of aesthetic appeal.
• Example: Plain, Twill fabric.

2. Compound Structure:
• More than one series of ends and picks are used in this structure.
• Some of threads may be responsible for the body of the fabric whilst some may be
employed entirely for ornamental purposes.
• In the clothes, some threads may be found not to be in parallel formation one to
another in either plane.
• Example: Pile, Towel fabric.

Methods of Fabric Representation:

The unit of woven fabric is the point of intersection of a warp end and a weft pick. The
interlacing is of two possible kinds-
1. Warp over weft interlacing.
2. Warp under weft interlacing.

warp warp

weft weft

Interlacing Type A Interlacing Type A

Warp over weft Warp under weft
1. In this interlacing, the warp thread is raised to produce interlacing.
2. In this interlacing, the warp yarn is lowered to produce interlacing.
 x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x warp
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
#
weft

Feature of design:
• The vertical lines/ space is to represented a warp end
• The Horizontal space is to represent to a weft pick.
• Each square indicates an intersection of an end and a pick.
• x  Represents warp up over weft. And  represents weft up over warp.
• There are two and only two possibilities of each crossing, either the end passes over the
pick or the pick passes over the end.
• Only one repeat should be shown on design paper.

• Symbols indicate repeat unit.

• # Represents starting point.
 Lecture 3: Understanding Fabric Design and Analysis
Important terms and definitions

Some Important Terms or Factors:

Formula Number: Formula number is notation diagram which represent the warp and weft
interlacing point. The system of expressing the fabric representation is called Formula number.
The warp floats coming up are put above the fraction line and the weft floats going down are
put above the fraction line and the weft floats going down are put under the fraction line.
2 2 1 2 x x
Formula no of weft = x x x x x
1 1 2 2

x
1 1 1 1
Formula no of warp =
1 2 1 1 x

Repeat Number or Repeat Size: It indicates the number of warp and weft yarns in the repeat.

Contact field: These are the contact point’s betn warp and weft crossing at right angle. The number
of contact field always equals the product of the number of warp and weft threads.
Contact field = RNwa X RNwe
Here, R Repeat number.
Nwa warp.
New  weft.

Interlacing Field: These are the points where a yarn of one system of threads changes its position
in relation to the other system.
Interlacing field may be of two types:
➢ Single Interlacing Field
➢ Double Interlacing Field
Single Interlacing Field: Here the yarn bends from the top of the fabric to the bottom and covers
two or more yarn. It is found in Twill weave. After interlacing with one warp (or weft), the yarn
does not interlace with adjacent warp (or weft).

Double Interlacing Field: Here the yarn bends and covers a yarn, bends again and reappears at the
same fabric side. It is found in Plain weave. After interlacing the warp (or weft), the yarn interlaces
with adjacent warp (or weft).

Open Field: These are the zones where neither warp nor weft thread is present. The number of
open field is important for air and water permeability. Exa- Parachute.

Free field: These are the zones where the warp and weft yarns do not touch and do not change
fabric side. Because of the free field, floats are formed and the yarns in the weave may shift.

Interlacing Ratio: The interlacing ratio of a fabric is the ratio between the actual number of
interlacing fields and the maximum number of interlacing fields.

Actual...number...of .... int erlacing..... fields

Interlacing Ratio =
Maximum..number..of .. int erlacing.. fields

Degree of Interlacing: Degree of Interlacing is the Interlacing Ratio expressed in percentage.

Degree of Interlacing = Interlacing Ratio × 100%
 Contact
Field
Double
Interlacing
Field
Weft
Open
Field

Warp