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Fabric Types
Woven
Most fabrics are woven together on a loom. Some looms can create very intricate
designs using multiple colors of yarn, like a jacquard loom. There are also looms, like
the Dobby, that make simpler designs.
Knit
Not many upholstery fabrics are knit (like a sweater), but sometimes fabrics are adhered
to a knit backing for stability.
Velvet
Velvets are actually created on a loom by weaving two pieces of fabrics face-to-face and
then cutting them apart. This creates that luxuriously soft hand.
Non-woven
Some fabrics (like micro-suede) are not actually woven. The micor-denier (really thin)
fibers are bonded together in an irregular “tangle” of fibers (like felt). Sometimes they
are adhered to a knit backing for stability.
A printed fabric is anything printed on top of a woven fabric. These designs can
be extremely complex because they are not limited to a loom, but they can also be
susceptible to fading as the design is on the surface and not worked into the fabric.