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The differences buyers ask about, answered plainly.
Short, decision-first pages: the answer up top, a spec table, when to choose each, and the questions that follow.
Fabric & construction
Cotton duck vs Cotton canvas
In strict use, cotton duck is a tightly, firmly plain-woven cotton, while canvas is a broader term that also covers basket weaves and coarser plain constructions. Duck is denser and firmer at the same weight. In practice the trade uses the two words interchangeably, and both run from light bag weights to heavy cover weights. If a spec matters, it is the construction and weight that define the cloth, not the name.
ReadCotton twill vs Cotton drill
Drill is a specific, heavier twill: a 3/1 warp-faced diagonal built for hard wear and industrial laundering. Twill is the general family of diagonal weaves, which includes 2/1 and 3/1 in a wide weight range. All drill is twill; not all twill is drill. Choose drill for coveralls and uniforms, lighter 2/1 twill for shirting and casual trousers.
ReadPlain weave vs Twill weave
Plain weave interlaces every warp and weft one-over-one, giving a firm, stable, symmetrical cloth with no visible direction — this is duck, canvas, sheeting and poplin. Twill floats the weft over two or more warps in a step, producing a diagonal line, a softer drape, better crease recovery and more yarn per square metre at the same cover — this is drill, denim and chino. Plain weave for structure and print grounds; twill for drape, durability in movement and a richer hand.
ReadCotton canvas vs Polyester / PVC canvas
Cotton canvas breathes, takes a traditional look and a natural finish, and is repairable, but it is heavier wet, needs proofing against rot and water, and has a shorter outdoor life under UV. Polyester and PVC-coated canvas are lighter, waterproof as supplied, and last longer outdoors, but they do not breathe, can crack cold, and are harder to recycle. The choice is set by the end use and the customer's material spec.
ReadCotton vs Linen
Cotton upholstery is stronger, cheaper, easier to dye evenly and holds a crisp shape; linen has a drier hand, a slub texture, better resistance to pilling and a distinctive way of filtering light, but it creases, costs more and comes in narrower widths. A linen-cotton blend keeps most of the linen character with cotton's price and handling.
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Processing & finish
Greige vs RFD
Greige (grey, loomstate, kora) is cloth straight off the loom with no wet processing. RFD (ready for dyeing) is that same cloth after scouring and bleaching, so it is clean, absorbent and dimensionally settled, ready to dye or print. Greige is the cheaper, faster starting point; RFD is a step closer to finished goods and behaves predictably in a dye house.
ReadRFD vs PFD
RFD (ready for dyeing) and PFD (prepared for dyeing) describe the same idea — cloth prepared so it will take dye evenly — and many mills use the terms interchangeably. Where a distinction is drawn, PFD implies a fuller preparation: scour, bleach and sometimes a light singe or heat-set, with no optical brightener and no softener that would resist dye. RFD can be a lighter scour-and-bleach only. Always confirm what the preparation actually includes rather than relying on the initials.
ReadPiece-dyed vs Printed
Piece-dyeing puts one solid colour through the whole cloth after weaving, so the shade is even front and back and colour-fastness is easy to hit. Printing lays a pattern or colour on the face only, so the back stays paler and each additional colour adds cost and a registration tolerance. Order piece-dyed for solids and blocks of colour; order printed when you need a pattern, artwork or more than a couple of colours placed.
ReadOEKO-TEX vs GOTS
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certifies that the finished fabric contains no harmful substance levels above defined limits — it is about the product, not the fibre or the factory, and any cotton can qualify. GOTS certifies organic fibre content plus environmental and social criteria across the whole processing chain, and requires certified organic raw cotton. OEKO-TEX is the common baseline importers ask for; GOTS is required only when the end product is sold as organic.
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Sourcing & terms
India vs China
China offers the widest capacity, range and speed, but rising costs, US and EU tariffs and supply-risk sentiment are pushing buyers to diversify. India is the main China-plus-one destination for cotton fabric: large domestic cotton crop, deep weaving base, English-language trade, and, for UK buyers, duty-free access under the India–UK trade deal. India's constraints are longer inland logistics to port and, at the very top end, less finishing depth than China.
ReadIndia vs Pakistan
Both are major cotton-fabric exporters with large domestic crops and deep weaving capacity. Pakistan is strong on coarse counts, home textiles and bulk greige, often at a keen price, with GSP-plus duty access to the EU. India has a broader count and finishing range, a larger dyeing and printing base, duty-free access to the UK, and — for many Western buyers — a more familiar compliance and communication environment. Political and logistics stability tend to favour India for long programmes.
ReadFOB vs CIF
Under FOB (free on board) the mill delivers the goods loaded on the vessel at the origin port and you arrange and pay ocean freight, insurance and everything after. Under CIF (cost, insurance and freight) the mill also books and pays the ocean freight and minimum marine insurance to your destination port, then you take over. FOB gives you control of the freight and usually a better rate if you have a forwarder; CIF is simpler if you do not.
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