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The Riptionary is a glossary of terms that you'll find across our website. Whether you're making your own gear, ordering a custom cut, designing a custom print, or ordering from our wholesale department, we want to help you cut through the jargon to be sure of to get the most out of your order. This is another way that we want to help you be a more knowledgable consumer.
What to expect from the Riptionary:
Popular licensed camouflage brand known for its efficacy in arid environments.
RBTR's custom line of fabrics with Air-Textured Yarn
AmSteel ®is a cord that is comprised of Dyneema® fibers made by Samson Ropes.
Aramid is a type kevlar fiber known for having a very high tear strength.
American Society for Testing and Materials. ASTM is the governing body for textile standards. Many of the tests we perform on our fabrics, (tear strength, tensile strength, HH, etc.), are performed to these standards.
ATY is a type of yarn that is made with the use of a stream of air blown through the yarn Made to deliver a softer touch of the finished fabric
A highly-durable and abrasion resistant nylon based fabric.
The bleed is where the printing runs over the boundary lines slightly.
A small cylindrical part of a sewing machine that stores thread.
The tension put on the thread as it comes up through the machine.
A sewing tool used to feed cord through a channel.
CAD: Computer Aided Design. These programs allow for 2d and 3d drawings to be made. Used in 3d printing, laser/cnc cutting/patterning and much more.
When fabric is fed through hot and heavy rollers which seals the weave and makes it downproof.
A type of composite fiber used to make a variety of structures.
CFM is a measure of wind permeability of a fabric. 0 CFM is complete wind-proofness. CFM is measured in Cubic Feet Per Minute
Resource: https://blog.jans.com/an-explanation-of-technical-clothing-ratings/
Circular knit is a type of knitting where the threads are woven together by a circular action.
CLO value is a rating of thermal insulation.
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key.
When a chemical layer is bonded to a or both sides of fabric.
Color Profile refers (in our case) to the specific and technical formulas required to achieve standardized color on different fabrics.
Cordura is a fabric brand most well known for 500D and 1000D variants.
Flying cut, refers to the use of the laser while it’s cutting. Where often times, the laser will go on and off in between cuts.
When fabric is cut to the exact yardage specified by the customer.
A dart is a patterning technique used to give dimension or add shape to a finished product.
Denier is a measurement of fiber weight per unit length.
Density linearization is a corrective system that adjusts the amount of ink given to certain areas to improve print quality
Direct to Garment printing is a type of printing where the printing is done directly to a specifically cut or sewn piece of fabric.
Direct to Textile printing is a type of printing where the printing is done directly from a printer to a roll of material.
A weaving method in which warp yarns are moved up or down by harnesses, creating simple geometric patterns in the finished woven fabric.
Double-ripstop fabric has two grids within the fabric weave that can increase strength and tear resistance, but are also for aesthetics
A fabric that can not be penetrated by down clusters. This can be done by thread weave, coating, calendering or other methods.
DPI stands for, Dots Per Inch
DTY is a polyester monofilament yarn that results in a soft hand feel and high-durability.
“DWG is a binary file format used for containing 2D and 3D design data. DWG files are basically CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawings consisting of vector image data and metadata written with binary coding.”
Stands for Design Exchange Format or Design Interchange Format. DXF is a type of f ile format that enables data sharing between AutoCAD and other file forms.
Dye Sublimation is the process we use to print on technical fabrics.
Dyneema® is a branded ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene fiber. An ultra strong fiber that can be integrated with fabrics for waterproofness, breathability, and tear strength.
Is a nonwoven material consisting of ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene fibers, adhesives, and PET film. This results in an ultra strong material when compared to finished weight that maximizes waterproofness, tensile, and tear strength.
Also referred to as DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabric) and formally referred to as Cuben FIber. Name changes happen with branding and patent adjustments.
Fabric memory is the ability the fabric has to retain its shape after being deformed.
A flat-felled seam is a type of seam where you sew two pieces of fabric together, that need to lay flat and have high holding strength.
A french seam is a type of seam used often in garment making. A series of folds and stitches leave a very clean and comfortable seam.
Grid size refers to the size of the individual pattern within the ripstop/gridstop fabric.
One half yard is 18”. Most of our specialty fabrics, (i.e. Dyneema Composite Fabric and X-Pac), are sold by the half yard to minimize the cost of smaller projects.
HDPE stands for High Density Polyethylene
HEXCAM is a type of camouflage brand
It is a stronger, finer yarn of polyester with a low stretch elongation. Commonly seen in high end outdoor-specific sewing threads.
A type of weave used in some of our hammock-specific fabrics.
HH is a rating of how waterproof a fabric is.
HyperD is our custom line of fabric that is known for the diamond dobby weave.
The IDFL is the largest down and feather testing laboratory in the world.
A JPG is an image compressing form to easily send or retrieve images. Also seen as JPEG. Stands for, Joint Photographic Experts Group.
The kerf is in reference to the material burned away by the laser cutter when cutting fabric. Usually this is between 0.8 and 1.0 millimeters.
Knit fabrics are made with a strand of single yarn continually looped to create the fabric. Knit fabrics have a long stretch elongation.
A lap seam is a type of seam where two fabrics are overlapped to create the seam.
Laser cutting is a state-of-the-art mode to meticulously cut fabrics and other materials for precision, while saving time and money in the process.
A linear meter of a fabric is a cut of one meter in length, not taking into account the width of the fabric.
A linear yard of a fabric is a cut of one yard in length, not taking into account the width of the fabric.
A lock stitch is the most common mechanical stitch made by a sewing machine. The upper and lower thread (from the needle and bobbin) twist or interlock.
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Milspec stands for military specifications. There are certain classifications you have to meet to be deemed milspec.
Similar to what you probably know of as a fishing line. Most synthetic fibers are created through an extrusion process that involves melting pellets of plastics, (i.e. nylon, polyester, etc.) that are then pushed through a device similar to a shower head. The result of this process is long synthetic fibers that cool and become monofilaments.
MONOLITE was developed to be a soft fabric with better durability and abrasion resistance. Constructed with a unique monofilament yarn and mesh weave, with a specialized coating to increase strength and reduce slippage.
MOQ stands for minimum order quantity.
MVTR stands for moisture vapor transfer rate. This metric shows the efficacy of water vapor passing through a fabric
Narrow goods are materials that are measured with a width of 12” or less. This can be webbing, grosgrain, cordage, velcro etc.
Nesting is the process of arranging all of your parts to be cut into the smallest possible area to maximize material usage. It can be done manually or automatically, the latter being the preferred option in most cases.
A fabric that is produced through means other than weaving. These methods can be mechanical, chemical, thermal, or a combination of all three.
The nozzle is the piece of the printer that places and releases the ink.
Nylon is a base fiber often used to create fabrics. Nylon has higher abrasion resistance, higher tear strength, and more stretch than polyester.
Nylon 6.6 is a synthetic polyamide that is stronger than standard nylon.
OutdoorINK is Ripstop by the Roll’s custom print service. Specially designed and engineered for technical outdoor fabrics.
Pantone is a standardized colored matching system, used worldwide for textiles, printing and digital art.
Stands for Portable Network Graphics. PNG field are popular for sending and receiving graphics and images.
Polyester is one of the most used polymers in the world. In textiles, polyester is often used in apparel and furnishing. Polyester fibers are hydrophobic, generally available for printing via OutdoorINK/dye sublimation and are UV resistant.
Resource: https://www.diffen.com/difference/Nylon_vs_Polyester
The presser foot is a component of a sewing machine that holds your fabric in place so the needle can penetrate the most accurate place on your fabric and it can be fed through evenly.
Prym1 Camp is a type of design that uses natural shapes and patterns to create a life-like camp design.
PSA stands for Pressure Sensitive Adhesive. DCF repair tape, PET tape, and tenacious tape are all considered PSA's.
Polyurethane coatings are the most ubiquitous coating found in outdoor textiles because they offer a balance of cost, ability to seal easily with seam tapes and durability.
Quilting loops are hand-sewn loose loops that help keep insulation together when quilting or sewing a synthetic insulated blanket/product.
“A raster image is an image file format that is defined by a pixel that has one or more numbers associated with it..."
RELV Camo is a company that creates unique print-ready artwork. Ranging from Fashion to technical, RELV Camo has a variety of one-of-a-kind designs.
Repeat patterns are options within our custom design tool where you let the pattern repeat across the printable space.
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Stands for: Red, Green, Blue
RGB color model is a way that computers read colors to produce the most accurate rendition. Where each color is rendered through various forms of RGB.
A type of nylon fabric that can be more resistant to tears and rips spreading. Typically made with a repeating pattern within the threads that increases the fabric tear strength with little to no increase in weight.
A type of polyester fabric that can be more resistant to tears and rips.Typically made with a repeating pattern within the threads that increases the fabric tear strength with little to no increase in weight.
ROBIC is a brand of Nylon 6 fiber.
Roll goods are products, often fabrics and materials, that are stored on a cardboard or PVC core.
A Rolled hem is a way to hide raw edges on your fabrics. Rolled hems happen when you put two olds of the fabric edge so the edge is clean and the fraying is hidden. Also used to create channels for cordage or elastics.
Seams are often one of the most susceptible places for water leakage. Seam sealer is a simple and easy way to waterproof your tarps, tents, and other seams. Seam sealer comes in liquid forms and tape forms.
A seamless pattern (or repeating pattern) is a pattern that can be repeated endlessly without any visible seams or interruptions.
A serger is a special type of sewing machine that applies a serging technique. Common used on apparel and other applications where you need to cover the raw edge.
Sil coatings have become much more standard in the last 10 years in the industry. Usually, silicone is applied to both sides of nylon or polyester (also called impregnation) to waterproof the base woven fabric.
Silicone impregnated - soaked or saturated with a substance. commonly used to refer to fully coated siliconized fabrics
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Silnylon is a synthetic fabric impregnated with silicone to create a waterproof and stronger overall material. See Silicone Coating definition for more information.
Silpoly is a polyester fabric impregnated with silicone. Silpoly fabrics is great for creating a waterproof membrane that can be used for any type of camping shelters like tarps and tents. You can also use Silpoly in ponchos, gear sacks, pack covers, or other applications where durable waterproof/windproof fabric is needed. Other benefits of Silpoly are resistance to stretching when wet, and longevity with reasonable care.
Step and Repeat printing is a type where the same image or series of images are printed repeatedly all over the material.
A fabric most often woven with silk, polyester, or nylon. Taffeta is a plain woven, utilizing a single warp thread going over/under a single weft thread.
Tex is a common way that sewing thread is measured.
Thread is made from woven yarns to create a single cord like structure. Thread is used to connect panels of fabric or materials by ways of seams.
The combined number of threads taken from the warp and weft.
Slippage is when the individual fibers that make up a fabric, or yarns, slide over one another. When you try to tear a fabric, slippage allows the yarns to bunch up, rather than remaining fixed in position.
Thread snips are vital when sewing a project. Each time you start and end a stitch, there are bits of thread that are no longer needed. These small (usually spring loaded) scissors help you quickly snip off the extraneous bits.
Thread tension refers to the tension on sewing thread from the cone of thread to the needle.Tension is commonly created/adjusted using springs/discs.
Transfer paper is used in textile printing. In dye sublimation, ink is printed onto transfer paper and then either pressed or calendered to allow the ink to bond with the fabric.
Stands for Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene. Used often in fabrics and rope, ballistics/defense, PPE and medical applications.
UHMWPE fiber is known for its strength-to-weight ratio, cut resistance, water resistance and low UV penetrability. Examples of branded UHMWPE fibers include Dyneema and Spectra.
Uncalendered fabrics are fabrics whose yarn has not been sealed with the calendered process. Most fabrics we offer are uncalendered. We only use uncalendered as a signifier when a given fabric has a calendered option for purchase.
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Useable width is the part of the fabric that is in between the selvedge.
The warp of a material refers to the vertical or lengthwise direction of a fabric.
The weft of a material refers to the horizontal or widthwise direction of a fabric.
The total width of the fabric is selvage to selvage.
One yard is 36 inches long
A collection of fibers woven into a long, continuous piece that can then go through the weaving process to form a finished fabric.
Zund is a Swiss technology company known for creating material and textile cutting software and machinery.
