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Greige vs RFD Fabric — What's the Difference?
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.
| Greige | RFD | |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | None | Scoured and bleached |
| Appearance | Off-white / cream, stiff with size | Even white, soft, absorbent |
| Ready to dye / print | No — needs RFD first | Yes |
| Lead time (production) | About 2 days | Add processing time |
| Minimum | 100 m | 100 m greige equivalent, no per-colour minimum |
Choose Greige
You RFD in your own market, or you are trading the base cloth.
Choose RFD
You dye or print but do not want to run scour and bleach yourself.
Common questions
How much does cloth shrink from greige to RFD?
Typically 3–8% in the width and 2–5% in the length, depending on construction and how tightly it was woven and sized. We quote the greige width needed to land a target finished width.
Can I dye greige directly without RFD?
Not reliably. Loom size, oils and natural cotton waxes resist dye and cause uneven shade and patchy absorbency. Scour and bleach (RFD) or at least a scour is needed first.
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Not sure which fits your spec? Send us the end use and we will recommend one.