Textile Glossary

Greige Fabric

Greige fabric (sometimes pronounced "gray") is raw, untreated cloth straight from the knitting machine or loom.

It is completely unfinished, meaning the dyehouse hasn’t bleached, dyed, washed or finished it yet. Because it is totally raw, it is usually a natural off-white or beige/ecru colour and might feel a little stiff or oily.

You may need to find out lead-times of the Greige fabric in order to plan your production, as well as the MOQs for griege in case you are able to split the MOQ over colours (MCQ).

Fabric MCQs and MOQS

Most mills operate with a fabric MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity), which is the minimum amount of fabric that can be ordered. This applies to both sampling and production orders, and the MOQ may vary depending on the fabric base.

If a fabric does not have an MOQ, it is usually stock-supported, meaning the mill holds inventory in a range of colours. Stock-supported fabrics are covered later in this glossary.

The MOQ represents the minimum quantity the mill requires to produce your fabric order and may be measured in metres, yards, or kilograms.

Typical sampling MOQs range from 10–125 metres per colour or design, while production MOQs are often between 100–3,000 metres. However, these quantities can vary significantly depending on the fabric type, manufacturing process, and country of origin.

Ordering below the stated MOQ is at the mill’s discretion and will usually incur a surcharge. This may be charged as a percentage increase on the fabric price (typically 25–50%) or as a fixed fee.

MCQ (minimum colour quantity) refers to the option to split a fabric’s minimum order quantity across multiple colours. For example, if the MOQ is 3,000 metres, this may be divided across three colours, resulting in an MCQ of 1,000 metres per colour.

Lab Dips

A lab dip is a small swatch of your chosen fabric in its greige (unfinished) state. The fabric is laboratory dyed to match your selected colour, whether that is a Pantone reference or a fabric swatch (ideally with a similar fibre composition).

The lab dip is then sent to you for approval or feedback, allowing adjustments to be made until the desired shade is achieved. Please note that lab dips are produced on unfinished fabric, so they provide an indication of the final colour rather than an exact representation.

If you cannot find a suitable colour on the mill’s colour card, first check whether the mill offers a lab dip service, as some fabrics are only available in the colours shown on the card.

If custom colour development is possible, confirm the minimum order quantities (MOQs) before proceeding. Some lighter-weight fabrics may require higher sampling or bulk production MOQs for custom colours.

Strike Offs

A strike-off is a sample produced by the mill for approval of your print artwork. Before this stage, you will have submitted your print design and specified the fabric base you wish to use. This base is typically PFP (Prepared for Print), meaning it is unfinished.

Artwork should be supplied in AI, TIFF, or PDF format, ideally accompanied by a separate specification sheet outlining the full repeat or placement, including dimensions and colour references (e.g., Pantones). This information helps the mill accurately interpret the design and also supports the developer in reviewing and approving the print.

The first strike-off should be produced at the correct scale; however, it is important to measure it, as the mill may have adjusted the artwork to fit the fabric width. You should assess both print clarity and colour accuracy. Check whether the design is sharp or if any elements appear blurred, and whether colours bleed into one another. Review each colour for accuracy and provide feedback where possible.

Most mills are able to achieve an approved strike-off within one to two rounds of revisions, although this depends on the complexity of the print and how the mill interprets the artwork.

Sampling and Bulk Approval

Sample and bulk approval refers to a small cut of fabric taken from each production order—typically around 0.5 metres—provided for review before the order is shipped and invoiced. For sampling orders, this may be the first time you see the fabric in its correct colour, particularly if it has been custom dyed based on an approved lab dip, or perhaps correct design if you have custom designed a yarn dyed pattern.

To assess the sample, compare it against the lab dip or handloom, keeping in mind that they do not include the full finishing processes that the final fabric will have. If the colour and pattern are acceptable, you can approve it. If not, contact the mill, as adjustments may still be possible if time allows. In most cases, the sample will fall within tolerance and can proceed to approval.

It is also important to check fabric quality, including colour consistency, surface defects, pulls or tears, and any signs of pilling or other faults.

At bulk stage, the reference point is no longer the lab dip but the approved sample. Salesman samples will be produced in the approved sampling fabric, and the bulk production must match this standard.