

It was slow and labour-intensive, with practical limitations on the complexity of the pattern. The heddles with warp ends to be pulled up were manually selected by a second operator (draw boy), apart from the weaver. In former times, if figured designs were required, this was done on a draw loom.Sometimes it is loosely used to describe one specific type of fabric woven using a Jacquard loom: a light, soft, draping damask weave of silk, rayon or synthetic fibres. In today’s times the name jacquard usually applies to all weaves that can be achieved with the machine.A jacquard weave is woven on a loom fitted with a head programmed to raise each warp thread (the thread held stationary while the weft is drawn through it) independently of the other threads.The drape and durability of the finished jacquard ultimately depends upon the type of fibers used in the weave. And while it takes longer to create a jacquard weave, the result is a stretchy and more stable fabric than basic weaving yields.Multiple color threads can be used to create a jacquard weave, resulting in complex gradations and patterns-landscapes, portraits, and other unique motifs are possible in a jacquard.In fact it would not be wrong in saying that literally anything that can be imagined could be reproduced through the jacquard. Jacquard designs can be from the very complex to as simple as a repeating geometric pattern. The motif or image on a jacquard often appears in a different color or texture than the rest of the material, but it could also be the same color.Jacquard is a fabric with an intricately variegated or raised pattern, that is distinct from other patterned materials because the pattern is woven into it rather than printed onto it.Moving further we shall notice the distinguishing differences between the two. The Brocade on the other hand is a heavy fabric interwoven with a rich, raised design. The term jacquard also means the weave or a fabric with an intricately woven pattern. The Jacquard is a special loom, or a machine employed in the weaving of a figured fabric. But both are definitely not the same by far.

In fact many a time, the terms Jacquard and Brocade have been so confusedly used interchangeably that the chances of being wrong very much exist. The beauty of the jacquard loom is in its ability to interlace hundreds of warp threads to create unique designs.When one sees a figured fabric having a rich woven design, one is not sure whether it is a jacquard design fabric or brocade. Jacquard fabric is a type of cloth featuring an intricate pattern woven into the warp on a special mechanical loom, rather than printed on the surface. While originally made of only silk fibers, brocade fabrics can be found today woven from a variety of natural and synthetic fibers. Continuous brocades have the weft threads left loose and floating on the back.Īccordingly, what kind of fabric is brocade?īrocade is a woven fabric with an elaborate raised design, often using gold or silver threads. Unlike damask, brocades are not reversible.

The name comes from the Italian brocatto, meaning 'embossed cloth'. Some of these fabrics even feature a raised pattern, such as a Matelassé or a brocade.Īdditionally, how do I know if my fabric is brocade? Brocades are fabric with an elaborate embossed or embroidered surface effect, usually with different ground and pattern weaves. Simply put, jacquard is a specially woven fabric created using a Jacquard loom and various materials such as cotton, polyester, silk and acrylic can be woven to create them. In respect to this, what kind of fabric is jacquard?
