Woven Fabric Yarn Consumption Calculator

How it works

Warp g/m = ends per inch × width (in) × warp tex ÷ 1,000 × (1 + warp crimp); weft g/m = picks per inch × 39.37 × width (m) × weft tex ÷ 1,000 × (1 + weft crimp); tex = 590.5 ÷ Ne; GSM = (warp + weft g/m) ÷ width (m)

A woven fabric is a grid, so its yarn content follows from the grid’s density: the number of warp ends across the width times the weight per metre of each end gives warp consumption, and the picks laid across each metre of length times the width gives weft. Two corrections matter. Crimp — the extra length each yarn uses as it bends over and under the other set — adds 4–12% to warp and 2–8% to weft depending on weave and density, and waste covers selvedges, knotting, sizing residues and loom stoppages. The totals set the yarn purchase per 1,000 metres, the greige GSM before finishing, and with yarn prices the largest single component of fabric cost, which is why mills quote constructions like “132 × 72 / 40 × 40, 58″” — every number you need is in that string.

Worked example

A 132 × 72 poplin in 40s × 40s at 58″ finished: 7,656 warp ends of 14.8 tex with 8% crimp use 122 g per metre, and 2,835 picks per metre across 1.47 m with 5% crimp use 64 g; with 4% waste that is 194 g of yarn per metre — about 127 GSM greige — costing roughly $0.61 in yarn at $3.20/$3.00 per kg.

Frequently asked questions