Glossary of Ribbon Terms

Ribbon Glossary:

	Acetate Ribbon	a stiffer satin ribbon used for floral arrangements, pew bows and bridal applications
	Argyle	a geometric pattern of diamonds woven into a ribbon
	Brocade Ribbon	ribbon cut from fabric woven with an elaborate design often featuring a raised floral pattern with metallic threads
	Check Ribbon	a ribbon with woven squares
	Chevron Ribbon	a ribbon woven with a “V”-shaped repetitive pattern
	Chiffon Ribbon	a sheer ribbon made from nylon or rayon filaments in a plain weave
	Colorfastness	a material’s degree of resistance to the fading effect of light
	Cord	a slender length of flexible material usually made of twisted strands or fibers
	Crushed Velvet Ribbon	velvet ribbon that has been processed to an uneven, slightly wrinkled surface
	Curling Ribbon	a narrow ribbed synthetic ribbon that will curl into ringlets when pulled firmly across a sharp edge
	Cut-edge Ribbon	ribbon made from wide fabric that is cut into narrower strips. Sizing is applied during the manufacturing process to preventfraying (which gives this ribbon a stiff or crisp feel)
	Double-faced Satin Ribbon	a satin ribbon woven to have the same finish and color intensity on both sides
	Dyeing	a process of coloring yarns or fibers with either natural or synthetic dyes. Artistic Ribbon offers a custom ribbon dyeing service
	Eco Ribbon	ribbon made from 100% post consumer recycled polyester
	Embellished Ribbon	ribbon featuring decorative edges enhanced with materials such as pearls, lace or other detailing
	Elastomers	synthetic polymers having properties of natural rubber (such as stretchability and recovery)
	Feather-edge Ribbon	a satin ribbon with a series of very tiny evenly woven twisted loops along its selvage
	Flammability	the measurement of material’s performance when exposed to specific sources of ignition
	Florist Ribbon	ribbon unique to the floral industry characterized by a firmer hand and often utilizing either wire-edge or monofilament edge treatments
	Foil Stamping	using a die to place an opaque metallic image on a ribbon
	Gingham Ribbon	a yarn dyed and woven ribbon featuring checks
	Greige/Grey Goods	undyed, unbleached, unprinted and unfinished woven textile as it comes from the loom
	Grosgrain Ribbon	a heavyweight closely woven ribbon with crosswise ribbing
	Hand	touch, drape or “handle” of a textile
	Heat Transfer	a technique used to transfer colors from paper to ribbon
	Hot Stamp Printing	foil pressed with heat and high pressure to print images or words onto a ribbon
	Houndstooth Ribbon	ribbon with a broken twill four-pointed star check pattern
	Iridescent Ribbon	ribbon displaying a variety of lustrous colors when exposed to light at different angles
	Jacquard Ribbon	ribbon woven on a Jacquard loom with intricate and elaborate patterns resulting in a tapestry-like effect
	Jute	a fiber obtained from the Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius plants
	Loom	a weaving machine that produces textiles by interlacing warp and weft yarns
	Merrowed Ribbon	ribbon with wire encased along the cut edge by matching or contrasting threads
	Mesh Ribbon	any ribbon woven with an open texture, fine or coarse
	Metallic Ribbon	shiny ribbon woven with metallic fibers giving ribbon a sparkly look
	Moiré Ribbon	ribbon with a wavy or rippling pattern
	Monofilament-edge Ribbon	a ribbon with a synthetic fiber (a “fishing line”) running along its edges to give the ribbon body. When used by florists in their floral coolers, the monofilamentedge resists the effects of condensation so that ribbon bows don’t droop
	Ombre Ribbon	ribbon with color gradually shading from a lighter color to a darker one across its width
	Organdy Ribbon	a sheer and often iridescent ribbon with an ethereal look
	Organza Ribbon	a lightweight see-through ribbon usually made of nylon
	Paisley Ribbon	ribbon displaying a swirled pattern of abstract curved shapes
	Paper Raffia	a narrow fibrous-appearing ribbon made of paper
	Picot-edge Ribbon	a satin ribbon with a series of tiny evenly woven twisted loops along its selvage
	Plaid Ribbon	a ribbon whose pattern is made by lines and bands crossed at a right angle
	Polka Dot Ribbon	ribbon with a pattern of evenly spaced large dots
	Polypropylene Ribbon	a synthetic ribbon excellent for outdoor or floral usage
	Printed Ribbon	ribbon embellished by printing techniques href=”http://www.artisticribbon.com/personalized_ribbon_technical_spec_sheet.htm”>
	Put-up	the number of yards of ribbon on a spool
	Raffia	a fiber obtained from the leaves of the raffia palm; rayon wraphia is a synthetic variation of this product
	Rattail	a cord manufactured with satin-like qualities
	Raveling	the fraying at the cut edge of ribbon
	Reversible Ribbon	a ribbon in which both sides are finished, distinct (different color or pattern) and usable
	Ribbon Sizes	the industry uses a numerical approach to ribbon width designations; #1 = 1/4 inch; #1-1/2 = 3/8″; #2 = 1/2″; #3 = 5/8″; #5 = 7/8″; #9 = 1-1/2″; #16 = 2-1/4″
	Saddle Stitch Ribbon	a ribbon that has a thread woven through each edge
	Satin Ribbon	a warp faced weave that produces a smooth “glossy” surface
	Scalloped-edge Ribbon	a ribbon with a border that is shaped to resemble a continuously repeating half circle
	Selvage	the selvage or selvedge is the term for the self-finished longitudinal edges of a ribbon. Selvages are the edges that run parallel to the warp and are created by the weft thread looping back at the end of each row; they prevent fraying or raveling.
	Sheer Ribbon	semitransparent ribbon such as chiffon, organza or organdy ribbon
	Single-face Ribbon	ribbon with a glossiness and color intensity only on one side
	Spool	what ribbons are packaged on
	Stripe Ribbon	ribbon with lines or bands (that can vary in size or color)
	Swiss Dot Ribbon	ribbon with a pattern of evenly spaced tiny dots
	Taffeta Ribbon	a closely woven ribbon with a crisp hand, a smooth slightly lustrous surface and a slight ribbing effect (it tends to have a matte finish)
	Tartan Ribbon	a ribbon weave replicating the patterns originally worn by Scottish Highlanders
	Top Stitch Ribbon	ribbon that has a thread woven through the center
	Tulle	a thin netting with a hexagonal mesh
	Twill	in ribbon parlance this is usually a “tape” with a diagonal ribbed weave
	Variegated Stripes	stripes that are uneven in width and varied in color
	Velvet Ribbon	velvet ribbon is a tufted weave with a short dense plush pile, a cut warp-pile in which the cut fibrous ends of yarn form the surface of the ribbon
	Velveteen Ribbon	ribbon cut from short-pile goods that resemble velvet but have a shorter nap
	Warp	The set of yarn in all woven fabrics that runs lengthwise and parallel to the selvage
	Weft	the horizontal or crosswise element in a weave
	Wire-edge Ribbon	ribbon with fine copper wire woven along its edges to hold the shape of bows or blooms
	Woven Ribbon	ribbon with two selvage edges
	Yarn Dyed	a term used to describe a weave colored by means of pre-dyed yarns