What is the Difference between Piece Dyed Fabric and Yarn Dyed Fabric?

The colorful cloth pieces and apparels you see in a fabric store or the colored clothes you have in your wardrobe are dyed at certain stage of textile manufacturing - either in fibre stage or yarn stage or in fabric stage.

When a fabric is woven using dyed yarns are known as yarn dyed fabric. Yarn dyeing is done in sheet form or rope forms. Hank dyeing and cheese dyeing is also done at yarn stage. For an example – checks and stripes in shirting fabrics are yarn dyed fabric. Denim is an example of yarn dyed fabric. Another example, for making stripes in knitting dyed yarns is used.

But when dyeing is done in fabric stage that is after fabric is made with grey yarns is known as piece dyed. Most of the solid colors in fabric (in cotton fabric) are piece dyed. For an example, a solid colored t-shirt is made of piece dyed fabric.

Also See: The fabric dyeing process – an introduction for beginners

How to identify a piece dyed and yarn dyed fabric?

Fabrics those have stripes and checks patterns are normally weaved using dyed yarns i.e. yarn dyed fabric. (Though check and stripe patterns can be made by printing). Secondly, a multi color woven designs in fabric mostly yarn dyed.

Fabrics with solid or single color are mostly piece dyed. Color fastness of piece dyed fabric is less than yarn dyed fabrics.

Color fastness is good in yarn dyed fabrics. This means that color of the fabric does not fade away easily. You would not get color bleeding in yarn dyed fabrics.

In price point, normally yarn dyed fabric are costlier than a piece dyed fabric.