Satin, Percale or Cotton? Make the right choice!
Written on 11/06/10 by Tom Charle
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Contrary to popular belief, "satin" or "percale" has nothing to do with the composition of the yarn; it only has meaning in reference to the weave. So it would be more accurate to talk about percale cotton (percale woven cotton) or satin cotton (satin woven cotton).
'Percale' means that the fabric is composed of a minimum thread count of 200 (threads of per inch). This means a high degree of weave closeness and thread refinement. Because Egyptian cotton yarns are known for their fineness they are often used. To obtain percale, a “plain weave” is woven whereby one weft thread is woven over one warp thread.
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Satin woven fabrics are quite different than cotton woven fabrics and percale cotton fabrics. For satin, a weaving technique is used whereby four weft threads are passed over 1 warp. With this technique, yarns can be very closely woven, making the fabric supple. The underside is dull, but the top is shiny because of the loose weft threads. Our printed satin duvet covers consist of 220 counts (threads per inch).
A satin-woven fabric, with its suppleness and shiny appearance, makes an ideal duvet cover. The percale-woven fabric for fitted sheets has a special line that makes it more resistant to friction thanks to the way it’s woven; something that fabric for a duvet cover would not need.
You could say that a percale fitted sheet and a satin duvet cover is the perfect combination....
For an overview of our available duvet covers and fitted sheets, click here. For more technical information you can always consult our Textile ABC .