Birdseye Jacquard
Fabric — one of 56 in the glossary
A small, repeating geometric pattern with a dot at its centre, knitted into the fabric on a jacquard machine rather than printed on afterwards. Because the pattern is structural it appears on both faces and will not wash off or crack. It is common on performance polos and golf shirts, where the textured surface also aids airflow and hides sweat. As with any textured knit, the pattern shows through a screen print and can wander under an embroidery hoop, so left-chest embroidery with a stabiliser is the safe treatment.
Knitted in, not printed on
A jacquard machine controls each needle independently, so a pattern can be built into the knit rather than applied to its surface. Birdseye is the small repeating figure with a dot at its centre, which is where the name comes from.
Because the pattern is structural it appears on both faces, cannot crack, and will not wash out. That is the whole argument for it over a printed pattern.
It is a different machine from a dobby, which weaves small figures into a woven cloth. Birdseye jacquard is a knit.
Why performance polos use it
The textured surface holds the fabric slightly off the skin, so air moves through it — the same reason pique became the polo fabric.
The two-tone visual effect of the pattern hides sweat marks and light staining far better than a flat jersey, which matters on a shirt worn through a round of golf or a day on a stand.
It also adds visual interest to a plain colour, which is what sells it into corporate and event work where a completely flat shirt looks cheap.
Decorating it
A screen print sits on the raised parts of the pattern and skips the recesses, so the texture shows through and fine detail breaks up.
Under an embroidery hoop the knit can shift, and the pattern can wander visibly around a dense design. A cut-away stabiliser is the standard answer.
Left-chest embroidery with a stabiliser is the safe treatment, and it is what almost all decorated birdseye polos carry.
Common questions
- What is birdseye fabric?
- A knit carrying a small repeating geometric pattern with a dot at its centre, produced on a jacquard machine. The pattern is structural, so it appears on both faces and cannot wash off.
- Why are golf shirts made of birdseye?
- The texture holds the fabric off the skin so air moves through it, and the two-tone effect hides sweat marks and light staining much better than a flat jersey.
- Can you print on birdseye?
- Poorly. Ink sits on the raised parts of the pattern and skips the recesses, so the texture shows through the print and fine detail breaks up. Embroidery with a stabiliser is the usual choice.
See also
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