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The Cutting Table · a question, worked through

How do I tell which fabric a color code is?

A color chart is a family tree. Read the first letters of a code and you know the cloth before you know the color.

Answered by

The Colorist of New Orleans ·

Pinned by Élodie

The quick answer

The prefix of a fabric code tells you the material, because each code family is one fabric. L codes are linen, K codes an acrylic-linen blend, N codes cotton stripes, numbers in the 100s velvet and 901-946 soft fabric. COR is corduroy, M and T are outdoor, DRM is a canvas-like duck and the 0- collection is bouclé.

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Key facts

  • Each code family is one fabric type.
  • L = linen; K = acrylic-linen blend; N = striped fabrics, with N03 100% cotton.
  • Velvet codes are in the 100s; soft fabric runs 901-946.
  • COR = corduroy; M- and T- = outdoor; DRM = canvas-like duck; 0- = bouclé.
  • Two palettes of one fabric differ only in colors.
  • K-fabric covers are removable and wash at up to 86°F (30°C).
  • There are no close-ups of K fabrics; use the chart or samples.

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Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Each code family is one fabric type.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

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The prefix, the cloth

Code on the chartFabric family
L-Linen range
K-Linen range, an acrylic-linen blend
N-Striped fabrics; N03 is 100% cotton
P-A family of its own; P-02 is a zebra print on a patterned chart
100s, such as 123Velvet
901-946Soft fabric
CORCorduroy
M- and T-Outdoor fabrics
DRMDuck, similar to canvas
0- (trapezoid listing)Bouclé

So the chart never needs to say velvet?

Exactly, my friends. The number carries the cloth. A buyer once wrote that a chart listed colors but never the fabric type; the answer was that the code itself tells you, since each code family is one fabric. Read 123 and you already know it is velvet; read L24 and you know it is linen.

One caution: the same color name can look different across families, because linen, velvet and corduroy hold light differently. Compare codes, not names, and keep fabric types compared open while you shortlist.

Then why two palettes for one velvet?

Same fabric. When one velvet appears on two palettes, the split exists only to show more colors. Choose from either with confidence; you are choosing a shade, not a different cloth.

And the K codes, up close?

The K family is described as linen, and more precisely as an acrylic-linen blend. There are no close-up photos of K fabrics, so the chart or a set of fabric swatches is the way to see them. Like the rest of the range, their covers are removable and wash at up to 86°F (30°C). For true linen against its look-alikes, read real linen vs linen-look.

Two velvet palettes on one cushion listing are the same velvet, split only to show more colors.

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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    What material are the K codes, and can those covers be washed?

    The workshop's answer

    The K colors are linen fabrics. Their covers are removable and washable at up to 86°F (30°C) like the rest of the range. There are no close-up photos of K fabrics, so use the chart or order samples.

  2. A common question

    What fabric families sit behind DRM, K-, N- and 0- codes?

    The workshop's answer

    DRM is a duck fabric, similar to canvas. K- is an acrylic-linen blend. N03 in the N series is 100% cotton. The 0- collection on the trapezoid listing is bouclé, a curly, knotted texture that is soft and durable. COR is corduroy, M- and T- are outdoor fabrics, and L- is the linen range.

  3. A common question

    What's the difference between your two velvet color palettes?

    The workshop's answer

    The velvet is the same fabric in both. The palettes only offer different color options.

  4. A common question

    How wide are the stripes on the striped fabrics?

    The workshop's answer

    N01 has a 0.55 in (1.4 cm) stripe and N02 a finer 0.28 in (0.7 cm) one; N30 onward carry wide 2-2.4 in (5-6 cm) stripes. The red stripes share one color in different widths, with N14 the darkest.

Questions buyers ask next

Is there a Martindale or double-rub rating for these fabrics?

No lab rub count is available; there are no Martindale or Wyzenbeek certificates. The fabrics are heavy-duty upholstery grades for daily use, with the outdoor fabrics the toughest.

Do the fabrics carry a stain-proof finish?

No branded stain-proof finish. The workshop calls its fabrics performance fabrics: durable, pre-shrunk and machine washable, except the 100% cotton stripes. For families, soft fabric and velvet clean most easily.

Which fabric family is the most hard-wearing?

All are upholstery grade and wear well; velvet, soft fabric and linen are broadly equal. For the heaviest use choose soft fabric, pick velvet over linen, and use the outdoor range anywhere it may get wet.