Brushed
Treatment — one of 37 in the glossary
A mechanical finish in which the fabric is passed over rollers covered in fine wires that lift and break the surface fibres, raising a soft nap. Nothing is added — the softness comes from the fabric's own fibres being pulled loose — which is why a brushed finish cannot wash out, and why it also makes the fabric marginally weaker and more prone to pilling than the same cloth unbrushed.
Raising the fibres, not adding any
The fabric runs across rollers covered in fine wire points that catch the surface fibres and pull their ends up out of the weave or knit. The result is a layer of raised fibre ends — the nap — sitting above the base cloth.
That nap traps air, which is why brushed fabrics feel warmer, and it scatters light, which is why they look slightly matte.
Because it is mechanical rather than chemical, there is nothing to wash away. A brushed fabric is brushed permanently, though the nap flattens with wear.
The trade-off
Every raised fibre end is a fibre that is no longer fully held in the yarn. That is exactly the condition that produces pilling, which is why brushed fabrics pill more readily than smooth ones.
It also removes a little strength, since the fibres being lifted are being partly broken.
Fabrics built for brushing use longer staple or filament fibre to offset this, which is part of why a good brushed fleece costs more than a cheap one.
Brushed and printed
The nap sits between the ink and the fabric, so a print on a heavily brushed surface holds less crisply than on a smooth one. Fine lines suffer first.
On a garment brushed only on the inside — most sweatshirt fleece — the printable outer face is unaffected, which is why that construction is so common.
Where the outer face is brushed, expect to need a heavier deposit and simpler artwork.
Common questions
- What does brushed fabric mean?
- That the fabric has been passed over fine wire rollers that lift its surface fibres into a soft nap. Nothing is added; the softness comes from the fabric's own fibres.
- Does brushed fabric wash out?
- No. Brushing is mechanical rather than chemical, so there is nothing to rinse away. The nap does flatten with wear.
- Does brushed fabric pill more?
- Yes. Brushing raises fibre ends out of the yarn, and loose fibre ends are exactly what pills form from.
- Can you print on brushed fabric?
- On the smooth face, yes — most sweatshirt fleece is brushed only on the inside for this reason. Printing on a brushed outer face needs a heavier ink deposit and simpler artwork.
Where this comes up
See also
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