Jacquard vs. Brocade: Is There a Difference

Jacquard is a fabric with an intricately variegated or raised pattern, distinct from other patterned materials because the pattern is woven into it rather than printed onto it. The motif or image on a jacquard often appears in a different color or texture than the rest of the material, but it can be the same color. Jacquard designs can be Byzantine in complexity (think tapestry) or as simple as a repeating geometric pattern.

A jacquard is woven on a loom fitted with a head programmed to raise each warp thread (the thread held stationary while the weft is drawn through it) independently of the other threads. The jacquard loom gives the weaver a finer tuned control to interlace up to several hundred warp threads, inspiring countless possible designs. Multiple color threads can be used to create a jacquard weave, resulting in complex gradations and patterns-landscapes, portraits, and other unique motifs are possible in a jacquard. And while it takes longer to create a jacquard weave, the result is a stretchier and more stable fabric than basic weaving yields. The drape and durability of the finished jacquard ultimately depend upon the type of fibers used in the weave.

 

A jacquard knit is either a single or double knit with a pattern on its face, achieved with jacquard controls on a knitting machine. Any kind of yarn can be used to create a jacquard knit. A single knit jacquard will have 'floats' across its back-yarns that go over, or float over other yarns without interweaving. Satin is a type of jacquard that achieves its familiar luster from floats on the surface of its weave. Flip over a brocade and you'll find floats on its reverse, where the yarns not used in the pattern are carried across de?

A brocade is merely an example of a jacquard, a heavy fabric with a colorful allover raised pattern or floral design with an embossed or embroidered effect; it may or may not incorporate gold or silver threads. The term itself does not indicate a specific weave, but instead describes the aesthetics of this typically elaborate fabric.

Unlike damask, brocades are not reversible. In a continuous brocade, the weft threads are left floating on the back. Sometimes these floating threads are cut away, leaving the short, cut ends visible. In a discontinuous brocade, the additional yarns used to create the elaborate pattern are woven into only the patterned areas, resulting in a smoother back. But the backside of a typical brocade is messy, in a word-a distinction that helps betray it as a brocade.

Brocade has been around for centuries. The term comes from the Italian broccato, meaning 'embossed cloth,' which in turn comes from brocco, meaning 'twisted thread.' Thence to the Spanish and Portuguese brocado (influenced by the French brocart) in the late 16th century. These days you're most likely to see brocade in a formal application, for example in upholstery, drapery, or eveningwear.