Reference

The fabric trade, defined

The working vocabulary of fabric distribution and apparel production, defined plainly. If a term is missing and you think it should be here, tell us.

Dye lotlot · dyelot · colour lot

A dye lot is a batch of fabric dyed together in a single run, and it is the unit at which colour is guaranteed to match.

Available to sellATS · available-to-promise

Available to sell is the yardage you can actually commit to a new order: stock on hand, minus what is already promised to other orders.

Markermarker making · lay plan

A marker is the cutting layout that arranges every pattern piece on the fabric width to use as little cloth as possible.

Fabric consumptionyield · yards per unit · consumption per garment

Fabric consumption is the amount of cloth one finished garment requires, including seam allowance, marker waste and end loss.

A converter buys greige (undyed, unfinished) fabric, has it dyed, printed or finished to order, and sells the finished cloth.

Greigegrey goods · loom-state fabric

Greige is fabric as it comes off the loom or knitting machine: woven or knitted but not yet dyed, printed or finished.

A strike-off is a test print or dyeing produced before a production run so the buyer can approve the colour and pattern.

Short endremnant · odd lot · roll end

A short end is the remainder of a roll after cutting, usually too small to fill a normal order but still real inventory.

Dead stock is fabric that has sat unsold long enough that it is unlikely to sell at full price.

Packing listPL · delivery note

A packing list records exactly what physically ships: which rolls, from which dye lots, at what yardage.

A backorder is the yardage still owed to a customer after a shipment goes out short.

Factoringfactor · recourse

Factoring is selling your receivables to a third party at a discount so you are paid immediately rather than on terms.

A chargeback is a deduction a buyer takes against an invoice for a fault in the goods or the shipment.

A shade band is the accepted range of colour variation within which a dye lot is considered to match the standard.

Cut ordercutting ticket · lay

A cut order is the instruction to cut a specific quantity of a garment, broken down by colour and size.

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Fabric & Textile Trade Glossary · Textile Wizard