Fabric Glossary of Terms
Brocade: A woven jacquard fabric with a raised surface. Brocade fabrics have an all-over interwoven design of raised figures or flowers. Brocades are generally made of silk, rayon and nylon yarns.
Chintz: Glazed cotton fabric often printed with figures or large floral designs.
Cutting/Cutting for Approval/CFA: A tiny piece of fabric that is cut directly from a specific bolt of fabric to match up with a previously purchased dye lot. Do not get this mixed up with a memo or a sample.
Damask: Damask fabric is a firm, glossy jacquard-patterned fabric. Damask is similar to brocade, but flatter and reversible. The design is usually figures or flowers.
Double roll: A double roll is the equivalent length of two single rolls on one physical roll. Many manufacturers sell wallpaper by the single roll but ship by the double roll. Almost all wallpaper on our site is priced and sold by the SINGLE ROLL. There is no universal measurement for a single roll, so please make sure you know how many yards are on a roll before you purchase.
Dye Lot: Bolts of the same fabric pattern that were manufactured at the same time. Occasionally "dye lots" may vary slightly which is the reason for ordering a cutting from the specific bolt of fabric that you will receive.
Half Drop: Half-drop patterns repeat at the ceiling line on every other strip and the design tends to run diagonally. It requires three strips of wallpaper to repeat the vertical design. A half-drop match is a straight match that has been split in half. You'll need to lay out the room and determine which strips will go where ahead of time.
Interlining: A soft, but thick fabric that is inserted between the main fabric and the back lining. Interlining helps fabric drape gracefully.
Jacquard: Fabric with an all-over interwoven design.
Lining: Fabric sewn on the back of drapery or slipcovers. It gives substance to the item. When used for drapery, it also protects the front fabric from the sun. Due to its delicate nature, silk drapery that is exposed to sunlight should always have a lining.
Memo: (Synonymous with "sample") A small piece of fabric from a selected fabric pattern. This may or may not be from the bolt of fabric a customer will receive. Samples show general color and texture of the pattern.
Repeat: The pattern repeat is the vertical distance between where the pattern is identical again. That distance can be less than an inch or as much as the entire width of the product.
Reserve: Fabric that is reserved for a customer for a one week period. This ensures the customer of having a specific fabric available until the purchase is made.
Roll: Almost all wallpaper on our site is priced and sold by the SINGLE ROLL. There is no universal measurement for a single roll, so please make sure you know how many yards are on a roll before you purchase.
Sample: (Synonymous with "memo") A small piece of fabric from a selected fabric pattern. This may or may not be from the bolt of fabric a customer will receive. Samples show general color and texture of the pattern.
Single roll: Almost all wallpaper on our site is priced and sold by the SINGLE ROLL. There is no universal measurement for a single roll, so please make sure you know how many yards are on a roll before you purchase.
Toile: A plain cloth, or, when described as Toile de Jouy , one that is printed with pastoral scenes printed on cotton.
Workroom: A place where upholstery and drapery are made.
Chintz: Glazed cotton fabric often printed with figures or large floral designs.
Cutting/Cutting for Approval/CFA: A tiny piece of fabric that is cut directly from a specific bolt of fabric to match up with a previously purchased dye lot. Do not get this mixed up with a memo or a sample.
Damask: Damask fabric is a firm, glossy jacquard-patterned fabric. Damask is similar to brocade, but flatter and reversible. The design is usually figures or flowers.
Double roll: A double roll is the equivalent length of two single rolls on one physical roll. Many manufacturers sell wallpaper by the single roll but ship by the double roll. Almost all wallpaper on our site is priced and sold by the SINGLE ROLL. There is no universal measurement for a single roll, so please make sure you know how many yards are on a roll before you purchase.
Dye Lot: Bolts of the same fabric pattern that were manufactured at the same time. Occasionally "dye lots" may vary slightly which is the reason for ordering a cutting from the specific bolt of fabric that you will receive.
Half Drop: Half-drop patterns repeat at the ceiling line on every other strip and the design tends to run diagonally. It requires three strips of wallpaper to repeat the vertical design. A half-drop match is a straight match that has been split in half. You'll need to lay out the room and determine which strips will go where ahead of time.
Interlining: A soft, but thick fabric that is inserted between the main fabric and the back lining. Interlining helps fabric drape gracefully.
Jacquard: Fabric with an all-over interwoven design.
Lining: Fabric sewn on the back of drapery or slipcovers. It gives substance to the item. When used for drapery, it also protects the front fabric from the sun. Due to its delicate nature, silk drapery that is exposed to sunlight should always have a lining.
Memo: (Synonymous with "sample") A small piece of fabric from a selected fabric pattern. This may or may not be from the bolt of fabric a customer will receive. Samples show general color and texture of the pattern.
Repeat: The pattern repeat is the vertical distance between where the pattern is identical again. That distance can be less than an inch or as much as the entire width of the product.
Reserve: Fabric that is reserved for a customer for a one week period. This ensures the customer of having a specific fabric available until the purchase is made.
Roll: Almost all wallpaper on our site is priced and sold by the SINGLE ROLL. There is no universal measurement for a single roll, so please make sure you know how many yards are on a roll before you purchase.
Sample: (Synonymous with "memo") A small piece of fabric from a selected fabric pattern. This may or may not be from the bolt of fabric a customer will receive. Samples show general color and texture of the pattern.
Single roll: Almost all wallpaper on our site is priced and sold by the SINGLE ROLL. There is no universal measurement for a single roll, so please make sure you know how many yards are on a roll before you purchase.
Toile: A plain cloth, or, when described as Toile de Jouy , one that is printed with pastoral scenes printed on cotton.
Workroom: A place where upholstery and drapery are made.