Yarn-dyed fabrics have a long history, and this weaving method has long been used in my country’s textile industry. For example, the Chaoyang Check is a popular variety of Chinese yarn-dyed fabric. Yarn-dyed fabrics feature many traditional patterns, such as “Houndstooth,” “Shepherd’s Check,” “Scottish Check,” and “Houndstooth.” Modern textile design incorporates new technologies and innovations, resulting in newer products
Yarn-dyed fabric, known as zebra cloth in ancient times, is a development of plain-weave cotton. It utilizes various colored yarns interlaced in warp and weft to create various stripes or plaids. Black and white stripes are called “wulu” (black and white stripes); black and white plaids are called “wenru” (white plaid); and black and white plaids interwoven with multicolored yarns are called “chengyu” (city cloth).
In 1958, a piece of tasseled cloth used by merchants for their belongings was unearthed at the ruins of Wuyulaike in Khotan, Xinjiang, dating back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589). It was woven with natural and blue cotton yarns in a checkered pattern, with a warp density of 25 threads/cm and a weft density of 12 threads/cm. At the same time, the cotton cloth of the Li people of Hainan Island was “interspersed with five colors.” This indicates that color-dyed fabrics, woven with alternating colored and natural yarns to create striped or checkered patterns, were extremely common among China’s ethnic minorities at the time.
To enhance color, jacquard fabrics were also produced by interweaving silk and cotton yarns. For example, a geometric brocade with geometric patterns was unearthed in 1960 from a 6th-century tomb in Astana, Turpan. This is a jacquard fabric made of natural cotton yarn and blue silk threads interwoven into a geometric pattern. This shows that before the Song Dynasty, ethnic minorities produced a wide variety of cotton fabrics, including printed, striped, and checked fabrics, and they also employed jacquard technology.
The industrial production of color-dyed fabrics originated in Europe in the first half of the 19th century. Later, due to production costs, the industry shifted, with European countries gradually withdrawing from the sector. Asia became the primary base for yarn-dyed fabric production. The birthplaces of yarn-dyed fabric production in Asia are Japan and Taiwan.
Yarn-dyed weaving refers to a process in which yarn or filament is first dyed and then woven using the dyed yarn. Unlike dyeing, which involves printing and dyeing the woven fabric, yarn-dyed weaving involves dyeing the yarn first and then weaving the colored yarn, resulting in a unique style. Yarn-dyed fabrics are often brightly colored, and patterns are distinguished by color contrast.
Yarn-dyed weaving can be categorized as either full-dyed or half-dyed weaving.
Full-dyed weaving involves yarns that are either dyed or partially dyed in both the warp and weft (or a fabric in which several dyed yarns are interwoven with white yarns).
Half-dyed weaving involves yarns that are either dyed or partially dyed in either the warp or weft.
Reasons for full-dyed weaving:
1. To achieve different color effects—dying the same raw material in different colors through post-printing and dyeing is impossible, but yarn-dyed weaving allows this. 2.Color fastness and shade requirements—Yarn-dyed products have excellent color fastness and shade. C. Layering requirements—Achieving a good layering effect.
Reasons for using half-dyed weave fabrics:
① Differences in warp and weft raw materials—Differences in dyeing performance requirements for warp and weft yarn raw materials can be exploited.
② Reducing costs and increasing the number of patterns.
Differences between yarn-dyed and printed dyeing
Yarn-dyed weaving—Yarn is dyed and then woven with colored yarn, such as many shirt fabrics and denim. These factories are called XXX dyeing and weaving factories, yarn-dyed factories, etc.
Printing and dyeing—The woven fabric is then printed and dyed, such as many printed fabrics with rich and colorful patterns. These factories are called XXX printing and dyeing factories, dyeing and finishing factories, etc.
Advantages of yarn-dyed fabrics
Strong three-dimensional effect: Yarn-dyed fabrics use different colored yarns in combination with the fabric structure to create a variety of beautiful patterns, resulting in a more three-dimensional effect than ordinary printed fabrics. Good Color Fastness: Because yarn-dyed fabrics are dyed with raw yarn, dye penetration is strong, resulting in excellent color fastness.
Rich Colors: Yarn-dyed fabrics are woven using multi-shuttle, dobby-style looms, allowing the interweaving of different fibers or yarn counts to create rich colors and ingenious patterns.
Unique Style: Because yarn-dyed fabrics utilize colored or fancy yarns and a variety of weave variations, they can be woven into beautiful and unique styles.
Disadvantages: Due to significant losses in the dyeing, weaving, and finishing processes, the production volume per unit is not as high as that of greige fabric, resulting in high investment costs and demanding technical requirements.
Yarn-dyed Fabric Factory Production Process: The yarn-dyed fabric production process is divided into two types: tube dyeing and beam dyeing, depending on the warp yarn dyeing method. Tube dyeing can be used for both large and small orders, but its process is longer and brings some inconveniences in cost control. Beam dyeing has a shorter process, minimizes warp yarn loss, and provides better color control. Based on our company’s current equipment configuration, it is suitable for dyeing orders of over 2,000 meters. Yarn-dyed fabric factories are divided into three main workshops based on the different production processes: dyeing, weaving, and finishing. Separate departments include production planning, equipment power, and process technology. The following mainly describes the three major processes: dyeing, weaving, and finishing.
The Development of Yarn-dyed Fabrics
High-quality, high-grade yarn is a prerequisite for producing high-end yarn-dyed fabrics. The quality of dyes and chemicals, weaving processes, pattern design, and finishing techniques are also important factors in determining the added value of yarn-dyed fabrics. Improving the core competitiveness of yarn-dyed fabric manufacturers primarily involves high count and density, new raw materials, and new technologies:
① High count and density:
Yarn counts have evolved from traditional yarn counts below 40s to 140s/2, 200s/2, and 300s/2. Warp and weft density has increased from 150 picks/inch to over 400 picks/inch.
② New Raw Materials:
Traditional raw materials such as pure cotton, polyester-cotton, and linen are gradually evolving towards Tencel, Modal, soy protein fiber, high-count cotton + cashmere, cotton + silk, bamboo fiber, colored cotton, and organic cotton.
③ New Technologies
Cotton liquid ammonia finishing technology has become a new technological highlight in the yarn-dyed fabric industry, attracting considerable attention. Easy-to-iron and super-easy-to-iron technologies are becoming a growing trend and a consumer habit. Various new functional finishing auxiliaries are endowing yarn-dyed fabrics with new and unique features.
Huaian Good Life Textile Co., Ltd. can make yarn-dyed bathrobes and yarn-dyed towels. Welcome to consult.
Post time: Oct-16-2025