What is reactive printing?
The technical explainer behind half the terms on this page — dye chemistry, the covalent bond with cotton, fixation, and why wash durability runs to 600+ cycles.
Read the explainer →
Resources · Textile printing glossary
The textile printing glossary.
An A–Z of the vocabulary buyers, designers, developers and brand owners actually need when working with textile production — print methods, fabric types, certifications, finishes and the API terms that show up in an integration. Clear, accurate definitions written in plain language, not marketing fluff.
The glossary
Skip to a letter.
Definitions are grouped alphabetically. Cross-references (“see also”) link straight to the related term. If a term you need isn’t here, talk to our team — we’ll define it and add it.
A
All-over print (AOP)
A print that covers the entire garment surface (front, back, sleeves, side seams) rather than being limited to a defined print area. AOP requires fabric to be printed before sewing, then cut and stitched into the garment. Industrial reactive printing is the textile-industry standard for AOP on cotton.
See also: Reactive printing · Cut & sew
Audit-ready supply chain
A production network where each stage (raw material, processing, printing, finishing, packing) can be traced through documentation provided to a third-party auditor. Required for B Corp certification, ESG reporting, and government procurement.
B
Base fabric
The unprinted fabric a print is applied to. Base choice (cotton jersey, percale, sateen, French Terry, canvas, twill) determines handfeel, weight, drape, and which print methods are compatible.
Bleed
Extra image area extending past the cut line so that, after sewing, no white edges show on the finished garment. Typically 5–10 mm bleed required for AOP production.
C
CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism)
EU regulation effective 2026 that prices the carbon content of imported goods at the EU border. Affects textile imports from non-EU countries. EU-based production (e.g. Portugal, Spain) avoids CBAM exposure entirely.
Certification (textile)
Independent third-party verification of a claim about a textile (chemical safety, organic content, labour conditions, environmental impact). Most relevant for B2B buyers: OEKO-TEX, GOTS, GRS (Global Recycled Standard), Bluesign.
See also: GOTS · OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Colourfastness
Resistance of a printed colour to fading or running. Measured by standardised tests (wash fastness, light fastness, rub fastness). Reactive prints typically achieve grade 4–5 (out of 5) on wash fastness, the textile industry’s gold standard.
Cotton percale
Plain-weave cotton with thread count typically 200–400. Crisp, matte handfeel. Standard base for premium bedding (duvet covers, pillow shams). 200TC and 300TC are most common.
Cotton sateen
Cotton woven with a satin weave (more weft threads on the surface than warp). Smoother and slightly more lustrous than percale. Common in higher-thread-count bedding (300TC, 400TC).
Cut & sew
The production process where fabric is printed, then cut into garment pattern pieces, then sewn. Distinct from print-on-blanks (where a pre-made garment receives a print after construction). All-over print requires cut & sew.
D
DTF (Direct-to-Film)
Print method where ink is applied to a transfer film, then heat-pressed onto fabric. Works on dark and synthetic fabrics that DTG can’t handle. Trade-off: leaves a perceptible film on the fabric surface, can crack at high-stretch points, lower wash durability than reactive printing.
DTG (Direct-to-Garment)
Print method where water-based pigment ink is applied directly to a finished garment by an inkjet printer. Standard for low-volume custom apparel. Trade-offs: lower wash durability than reactive print, requires pre-treatment for dark fabrics, limited print area.
Dispersion dye
Dye class designed for synthetic fibres (polyester, nylon). Bonds via heat. The basis of sublimation printing on polyester.
Dye sublimation
Print method where dispersion dyes are applied to transfer paper, then heat-converted to gas under pressure and absorbed into polyester fibres. Excellent durability on polyester. Cannot be used on cotton (no chemical bond).
E
Enzyme washing
Post-production fabric finish using cellulase enzymes to soften the fabric and remove surface fibres. Produces the soft handfeel of premium cotton tees. Distinct from acid washing (which lightens colour) and stone washing (mechanical abrasion).
F
Fabric weight (GSM)
Grams per square metre. Standard textile measurement. Lightweight tee fabrics: 120–160 GSM. Standard tee: 160–200 GSM. Heavyweight tee: 200–250 GSM. Hoodie / sweatshirt: 280–360 GSM. Canvas: 250–500+ GSM.
See also: GSM
Fastness
Generic term for a textile’s resistance to a specific stress: wash fastness (laundering), light fastness (UV), rub fastness (abrasion), perspiration fastness. Each measured on a 1–5 scale via standardised tests (ISO, AATCC).
French Terry
Mid-weight knit fabric with a smooth face and looped reverse. The standard base for premium hoodies and sweatshirts. Typical weight 280–320 GSM.
G
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)
Independent certification covering the full processing chain of organic textiles — from raw fibre to finished product. Includes both ecological and social criteria (no toxic chemicals, fair labour, water treatment). Considered the strictest organic textile standard. Certification is mill-and-product-specific.
See also: OEKO-TEX Standard 100
GSM (grams per square metre)
Standard textile weight measurement. Higher GSM means heavier, denser fabric. The single most useful spec for comparing fabric quality across vendors.
H
Handfeel (hand)
Subjective tactile quality of a fabric — soft, crisp, smooth, rough. Print methods that leave a coating (DTG on dark, DTF, plastisol screen-print) change the original handfeel. Reactive printing preserves the base fabric’s original hand because dye bonds at the molecular level rather than coating the surface.
HMAC-SHA256
Cryptographic signature used to verify the authenticity of webhook payloads. The Fabrixa API signs all outbound webhooks with HMAC-SHA256 so receivers can verify the message originated from Fabrixa and was not tampered with in transit.
I
Idempotency key
A unique string included in an API request that allows the request to be safely retried without creating duplicate orders. Standard pattern in production-grade payment and order APIs. Fabrixa’s order endpoint accepts an idempotency key on every POST.
L
Lead time
Elapsed time between order receipt and dispatch. Distinct from delivery time (which adds carrier transit). Fabrixa’s standard lead time is 6–9 business days for apparel and home textiles, 5–7 for fabric per metre.
M
Mercerisation
Cotton processing step where yarn or fabric is treated with caustic soda under tension. Increases tensile strength, sheen, and dye uptake. Mercerised cotton is the foundation of premium reactive-printed apparel because it accepts colour more vibrantly.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
The smallest order a producer will accept. Traditional textile manufacturing has MOQ in the hundreds or thousands. Print-on-demand models offer MOQ 1 — the same SKU in single units. MOQ 1 with industrial print quality (vs MOQ 1 with consumer-grade DTG) is what distinguishes premium POD from bulk POD.
O
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Independent textile certification covering chemical safety. Class I (the strictest) certifies products safe for babies and skin contact. Tests for over 100 harmful substances including heavy metals, pesticides, formaldehyde, and AZO dyes.
See also: GOTS
Organic cotton
Cotton grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, from non-GMO seeds, processed without harmful chemicals. Certified by GOTS or USDA Organic. Premium textile production typically uses organic cotton because it accepts reactive dye more uniformly.
P
Pigment printing
Print method where coloured pigment is bonded to fabric via a polymer binder. Sits on top of fibres rather than bonding chemically. Cheaper than reactive printing but lower wash durability and stiffer handfeel. Used in high-volume commodity printing.
See also: Reactive printing
Print-on-demand (POD)
Production model where each item is manufactured only after the customer order is placed. Eliminates inventory risk for the seller. Quality varies enormously by print method: DTG-based POD is consumer-grade; reactive-print POD (rare) is premium-grade.
Pre-treatment
Chemical solution applied to fabric before printing to optimise dye uptake. Reactive printing uses an alkaline pre-treatment that activates the cellulose for bond formation. DTG uses pre-treatment on dark fabrics to create a white base layer for ink visibility.
R
Reactive dye
Dye class containing “reactive groups” that form covalent bonds with cellulose fibres (cotton, linen). The bond is permanent — the dye becomes chemically integrated with the fibre rather than coating it.
Reactive printing
Industrial textile printing method using reactive dyes on cotton or other cellulose fibres. Produces the most durable colour bond available for cotton (typical wash fastness 600+ cycles), preserves original fabric handfeel, and is the textile industry’s premium standard. Read the full explainer.
REACH (EU Regulation 1907/2006)
EU regulation governing the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals. All textiles imported to or produced in the EU must comply. Restricts AZO dyes, formaldehyde, phthalates, and dozens of other substances.
RMA (Return Merchandise Authorisation)
Process by which a buyer requests authorisation to return goods to a supplier. In B2B textile production, RMA typically requires evidence (photos), an order ID, and a reason code (defect, wrong item, damage in transit).
Rub fastness
Resistance of a printed colour to abrasion. Tested with a Crockmeter under standardised friction. Reactive prints achieve high rub fastness because dye is integrated with the fibre, not coated on the surface.
S
Sandbox API
A test environment that mirrors a production API without producing real goods or charging money. Fabrixa doesn’t run a separate sandbox host — instead you create a “build” sales channel to develop against, then switch to a “live” channel (with its own keys) for production. Same API, different keys.
Sanforisation
Pre-shrinking process applied to fabric to control post-wash shrinkage. Sanforised cotton typically shrinks <1% after first wash. Critical for premium apparel that needs consistent sizing.
Screen printing
Traditional textile print method using a stencilled mesh screen to apply ink. Excellent for high-volume single-design runs. Not viable at MOQ 1 (setup cost per design is high). Hand of the print depends heavily on ink type (plastisol leaves a thicker layer; water-based discharge inks penetrate the fibre).
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
Unique product identifier covering a specific variant (product + colour + size + design). One reactive-printed t-shirt design in five sizes is five SKUs.
Steam fixation
Process step in reactive printing where printed fabric is steamed under controlled heat and humidity. Activates the chemical bond between reactive dye and cotton fibre. Without correct steam fixation the dye washes out.
Sublimation printing
Print method where dispersion dye is converted from solid to gas under heat and absorbed into polyester fibres. Excellent durability on polyester. Cannot work on cotton.
See also: Dye sublimation
T
Thread count (TC)
Number of threads per square inch in woven fabric. Standard bedding thread counts: 200TC (cotton percale), 300TC (cotton sateen), 400TC+ (premium sateen). Higher thread count generally means smoother handfeel but is not the only quality indicator (yarn quality matters more).
Twill
Weave pattern producing diagonal lines on the fabric face (denim is the most common example). Cotton twill bases are common for outerwear, work wear, and bag production.
W
Wash fastness
Resistance of a printed colour to fading during laundering. Measured by ISO 105-C06 or AATCC 61. Reactive prints typically grade 4–5 on the 1–5 scale — the textile industry’s top tier.
Webhook
HTTP callback sent from one system to another when a defined event occurs. The Fabrixa API sends signed webhooks on every order state transition (queued, printing, sewing, QC, packed, dispatched, delivered).
White-label
Production and dispatch of goods under the buyer’s brand identity rather than the producer’s. Includes neck labels, packaging, return address, tracking emails. Standard for B2B textile production sold to platforms and brand owners.
Go deeper
From a definition to the full picture.
The reactive print guide
The full mental model in fifteen minutes — what reactive AOP is, how the chemistry works, and how to design artwork that takes advantage of it.
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Straight answers on MOQ 1, lead times, fabric bases, certifications and how orders flow from Shopify, WooCommerce, Studio or the API into production.
Browse the FAQs →
Still not sure?
A term missing, or a spec you want checked?
If a piece of textile or production vocabulary isn’t defined here — or you want to confirm exactly what a certification, fabric base or fastness grade means for your project — talk to our team. Real humans, 24h response.