Count, Construction and Width of common Cotton Fabrics

Count, Construction and Available Widths of Common Cotton Fabrics

Cotton fabrics are commonly identified by three important technical parameters: yarn count, fabric construction, and fabric width. These specifications are widely used by textile students, fabric buyers, merchandisers, sourcing teams, garment manufacturers, and home textile professionals.

Yarn count indicates the fineness or coarseness of the yarn used in the fabric. Fabric construction shows the number of threads in the warp and weft direction. Fabric width indicates the available width of the fabric in inches. Together, these details help us understand the likely weight, compactness, handle, durability, and end-use suitability of a fabric.

How to Read Fabric Specifications

A fabric specification may be written as:

20 × 20 / 108 × 56 / 63"

This means:

Part	Meaning
20 × 20	Yarn count used in warp and weft
108 × 56	Fabric construction: 108 ends per inch and 56 picks per inch
63"	Available fabric width

In simple form, the notation may be read as:

Count × Count / EPI × PPI / Width

Term	Meaning
Count	Yarn fineness or thickness
EPI	Ends per inch, meaning warp threads per inch
PPI	Picks per inch, meaning weft threads per inch
Width	Available fabric width in inches

In many fabric markets, the count and construction may sometimes be written in a different order. Therefore, it is always useful to clearly identify which numbers represent yarn count and which numbers represent ends and picks per inch.

Cotton Drill Fabrics

Cotton drill is a strong woven cotton fabric, generally associated with a firm structure and good durability. It is commonly used for uniforms, workwear, bags, industrial garments, bottom-weight garments, and utility products. Drill fabrics are usually heavier and more compact than light shirting fabrics.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
16 × 12	96 × 48	48", 63", 93", 98", 120"
20 × 20	108 × 56	48", 63", 93", 98", 120"
20 × 16	108 × 56	48", 63", 93", 98", 120"
30 × 30	124 × 64	48", 63", 93", 98", 120"
40 × 40	144 × 72	48", 63", 93", 98", 120"

Linen/Cotton Fabrics

Linen/cotton fabrics combine the natural texture of linen with the comfort and flexibility of cotton. These fabrics are used where a slightly textured, breathable, and natural-looking fabric is required. They are commonly used for shirts, dresses, casual garments, and summer apparel.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
20s × 20s Linen	88 × 64	63"
20s × 16s Linen	72 × 68	63"

Cotton Oxford Fabrics

Cotton oxford is a popular shirting fabric. It usually has a slightly heavier and more textured appearance than poplin. Oxford fabric is commonly used for formal shirts, casual shirts, school uniforms, and institutional garments. Its structure gives it strength, durability, and a characteristic basket-like surface.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
2/20s × 2/20s	84 × 38	48", 63"
16 × 8	84 × 28	48", 63"
20 × 16	108 × 72	48", 63"

Cotton Poplin Fabrics

Cotton poplin is a closely woven plain fabric with a smooth surface and fine texture. It is one of the most common fabrics used for shirts, dresses, uniforms, linings, and light to medium-weight garments. Poplin fabrics usually have a clean appearance and good dimensional stability.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
40 × 40	92 × 88	50", 63"
40 × 40	100 × 80	50", 63"
40 × 40	100 × 92	50", 63"
40 × 40	124 × 64	48", 63"
40 × 40	124 × 72	48", 63"
40 × 40	132 × 72	48", 63"

Cotton Twill Fabrics

Cotton twill fabrics are known for their diagonal weave effect. This structure generally makes the fabric stronger, denser, and more durable than many plain weave fabrics. Cotton twill is widely used in trousers, uniforms, jackets, workwear, casual wear, and home textile products.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
30 × 30	124 × 64	48" to 120"
40 × 40	132 × 72	48" to 120"
40 × 40	144 × 74	48" to 120"
50 × 50	144 × 74	48" to 120"

Cotton Voile Fabrics

Cotton voile is a lightweight, fine, soft, and slightly transparent fabric. It is generally made with finer yarn counts and is used for summer wear, scarves, dupattas, curtains, lightweight dresses, and delicate apparel. Voile fabrics have a soft fall and airy appearance.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
80 × 80	92 × 88	48", 63"
80 × 80	92 × 104	48", 63"
80 × 80	80 × 80	48", 63"
80 × 80	100 × 92	48", 63"

Cotton Satin Fabrics

Cotton satin is woven using a satin weave, which gives the fabric a smooth and lustrous surface. It is commonly used in premium bed linen, luxury sheeting, home textiles, and high-quality apparel. Satin fabrics with higher thread counts are generally denser and smoother, though the final feel also depends on yarn quality, fibre quality, finishing, and weave.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths / Notes
40 × 40	100 × 80	98", 120"
40 × 40	132 × 72	120"
30 × 30	124 × 64	120"
40 × 40	144 × 72	120"
60 × 60	175 × 56 × 2	120" — 300 TC
60 × 80	175 × 50 × 4	120" — 400 TC
80s × 100s	195 × 72 × 4	120" — 500 TC
80s × 100s	195 × 86 × 4	120" — 600 TC
120s × 2/120s	175 × 146/4	120" — 1000 TC

Note on Thread Count

In satin and sheeting fabrics, TC refers to thread count. It generally indicates the total number of warp and weft threads in one square inch of fabric. Higher thread-count fabrics are usually denser, smoother, and finer. However, thread count alone does not define fabric quality. Yarn quality, fibre length, weave structure, finishing, and processing also play an important role.

Cotton Bedford Fabrics

Cotton bedford fabric has a firm and structured appearance. It often shows a ribbed or cord-like effect and is used for durable apparel and furnishing applications. Bedford fabrics are suitable where body, strength, and surface texture are required.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
40 × 40	132 × 72	48", 63"
60 × 60	144 × 100	48", 63"
40 × 40	124 × 100	63"
50 × 50	144 × 72	63"

Cotton Cambric Fabrics

Cotton cambric is a fine, closely woven fabric with a smooth finish. It is commonly used for shirts, women’s wear, children’s garments, handkerchiefs, linings, and light apparel. Cambric is generally finer than basic sheeting and has a neat, compact appearance.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
60 × 60	132 × 108	48", 54", 63"
60 × 60	92 × 88	48", 54", 63"
50 × 50	132 × 72	48", 63"
50 × 50	124 × 100	63"

Cotton Plain Fabric or Cotton Sheeting Fabrics

Cotton plain fabric, also called cotton sheeting, is one of the most widely used basic cotton fabric categories. Depending on count and construction, it may be used for bedsheets, basic garments, linings, institutional supplies, industrial usage, and home textiles. Coarser counts are generally used for heavier fabrics, while finer counts are used for smoother and lighter qualities.

Count	EPI × PPI	Available Widths
10 × 10	44 × 40	48", 63", 93", 98", 120" to 143"
16 × 16	60 × 60	48", 63", 93", 98", 120" to 143"
20 × 20	60 × 60	48", 63", 93", 98", 120" to 143"
30 × 30	68 × 68	48", 63", 93", 98", 120" to 143"
30 × 30	72 × 68	48", 63", 93", 98", 120" to 143"

Why Count, Construction and Width Matter

The count, construction, and width of a fabric are not just technical numbers. They directly influence fabric performance and commercial suitability.

A coarser yarn count usually gives a heavier and stronger fabric, while a finer yarn count gives a smoother, lighter, and more refined fabric. Similarly, higher EPI and PPI generally make the fabric more compact, denser, and more stable.

Fabric width is equally important. Wider fabrics are useful for bedsheets, curtains, home textiles, and export orders, while narrower widths are commonly used for shirts, garments, and smaller textile products. Width also affects fabric consumption, cutting efficiency, costing, and production planning.

Conclusion

Understanding fabric count, construction, and width is essential for selecting the right cotton fabric for a specific end use. Yarn count affects fineness, thickness, and feel. EPI and PPI affect compactness, strength, cover, and weight. Width affects costing, cutting, production planning, and fabric utilization.

Therefore, these specifications should not be treated as mere numbers. They are the technical language through which fabric quality, suitability, and commercial application are understood.

Fiber Length and Spinning Performance

Fiber length in spinning is important because it influences spinning limit, yarn strength, evenness and hairiness. It also contributes to the handle and luster of the product by influencing the number of turns of twist required. It influences productivity via the end breakage rate and end breakage rate.

In general, fibers less than 4 to 5 mm are lost at the spinning stage. Fibers from 12 to 15 mm do not contribute to strength but only to the fullness of the yarn. It is only fibers greater than 15mm in length that produce other positive characteristics in the yarn.

Fiber length after carding is most important. Conditions at card and fiber characteristics should be such that the fibers survive carding without noticeable shortening in length.

The fiber lengths can be assessed with the help of a staple diagram.

Remember that the fibers in the boll do not show extremely great length differences. Noticeable differences arise even before the spinning starts. This happens due to mechanical working on the fibers at the ginning and

cleaning stage.

Rectangular Staple

Such diagram is achievable with synthetic fibers.

However such lengths can cause problems in drafting as in drafting stage fibers do not move individually but in bunches, thereby producing a high degree of unevenness.

Triangular Staple

It lends itself to better processing than rectangular staple diagram. However, it produces too many short fibers which cannot be maintained under control. Thus it produces hairy yarn.

Trapezoidal Staple

The fibers depicting such diagram are ideal for processing.

Stepped Staple

It indicates that fiber materials of different lengths are mixed in wrong proportions. It has the disadvantage that fibres move only in bunches which produce a high degree of unevenness.

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Influence of Fiber Fineness and Maturity in spinning Process

Influence of Fiber Fineness and Maturity on spinning Process

Fiber Fineness

Fiber fineness determine how many fibers are present in the cross section of a yarn of given thickness. Additional fibers in the cross section not only provide additional strength but also a better distribution in the yarn. Minimum 30 fibers are needed, usually over 100 fibers are required. Fiber fineness influences spinning limit, drape of the fabric, yarn strength, luster, yarn evenness, handle, yarn fullness and productivity. Productivity is influenced by reduced end breakage rate.

In a conventional spinning process, fine fibers accumulate to the core and coarse fibers in the periphery.

Fiber fineness is measured in dtex which is equal to ratio of mass in dgrams and length in km. Decitex is equal to the product of Micronaire value of the cotton and 0.394.

Cotton fibers are generally classified as very fine if they have a micronaire value upto 3.1; fine if they have value between 3.1 to 3.9; medium if they have it between 4.0 to 4.9; slightly coarse between values of 5 to 5.9 and coarse if they have a micronaire value above 6.

Fiber Maturity

Cotton fiber consists of cell wall and lumen. The maturity index depends upon the thickness of the cell wall. The fibers are considered ripe if they have maturity index between 50-80 percent, unripe if they have MI between 30 to 45% and dead when they have it less than 25%.

Unripe fibers have neither adequate strength nor adequate longitudinal thickness. They lead to loss of yarn strength, neppiness, high proportion of short fibers, varying dyeability, processing difficulties mainly at the card.

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Fiber Identification - Burning Test- Man-made Fibers

Viscose Rayon 

All viscose including High Wet Modulus scorch and ignite quickly when brought near the flame. Like cotton they burn quickly with yellow flame when in the flame. When removed from the flame they continue to burn. There is no afterglow unlike cotton. The smell is that of burning paper. They leave a light gray and feathery ash.

Acetate Rayon  ( And Triacetate Rayon)

When brought near the flame, it fuses away from flame turning black. When in the flame, it flames quickly. The fabric puckers, sputters and melts. It drips like burning tar. When removed from the flame, it continues to burn and melt. It smells like vinegar. It leaves a brittle hard, irregular black ash which is difficult to crush.

Nylon 

Image via Wikipedia

Nylon fuses and shrinks away from the flame when brought near the flame. In flame, it burns slowly without melting. When removed from flame the flame diminishes and tends to die out. It has somewhat pungent odor. It leaves a hard, round, tough and gray bead.

Aramid  ( Nomex)

When brought near the flame, it shrinks away from the flame. When in the flames it puckers and chars. When removed from flame, it extinguishes by itself. It has no smell and it leaves a hard black bead.

Polyester  

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Polyester fuses and shrinks away from flame. When in flame, it burns slowly with melting. When removed from the flame, it burns with difficulty. It has slightly sweetish smell. It leaves a hard round brittle, black bead.

Acrylics 

Orlon, Acrilan and Creslan and Zefran fuse and melt away from Flame when brought near the flame. When in flame Orlon flames rapidly. The fiber puckers, sputters and melts. Acrilan flames rapidly and melts. Creslan flames and melts and Zefran sputters slightly and flames. When removed flame all of acrylics continue to burn and melt. Orlon has a slightly burning meat-like smell. Acrilan has a buring steak smell. Creslan has sharp sweet smell and Zefran has a turmeric like smell. Orlon, Acrilan and Cresla have hard, brittle and irregular black bead. Zefran has irregular black ash that can be crushed easily.

Modacrylics

Verel and SEF fuse and shrink away from the flame when approached near a flame. When in flame, Verel burns very slowly with melting. SEF shrinks, melts and smolders. When removed from flames, all modacrylics are self extinguishing. Verel has a gunpower smell whereas SEF has a sharp sweet smell. Verel leaves a hard and irregular black bead whereas SEF leaves a hard and irregular black bead.

Spandax 

Fuses but doesn’t shrinks away from the flame when approached near the flame. When in flame, it burns with melting. It has an acrid smell. It leaves a soft, fluffy black bead.

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