Jacquard fabric: what it is and what specs make a good jacquard

The pattern has texture — you can feel it, because different parts of the design are woven in a different weave or with a different yarn. The back shows the motif in reverse, with looser yarn floats. The colour is in the yarn, not on the surface, so wear will not reveal a white base the way it can on a print.

In upholstery, jacquard is chosen wherever the pattern is meant to be a deliberate part of the interior: armchairs, classic sofas, headboards, dining chairs, and furniture for hotels and restaurants with a distinctive character.

The repeat is the smallest section of the pattern that recurs across the whole fabric. A jacquard technical sheet should give its height and width. In the Capitol jacquard from the Royal Collection the repeat is 28 cm high and 26 cm wide, or 35 × 28 cm including ornaments.

Repeat size translates directly into fabric consumption. The upholsterer has to centre the motif symmetrically on the seat, back and cushions, and with a large repeat that means more waste than with a plain fabric. How much to add depends on the motif size and the furniture's construction — which is why jacquard yardage is calculated from the repeat dimensions on the sheet, not from a table for plain fabrics.

Good jacquard lines rarely come as a single pattern. They usually include several variants in the same colourway: a large motif, a coordinate (a fabric with a quieter design matched to the main pattern) and a plain — a smooth or textured fabric without a motif. This lets you cover the seat in the pattern and the sides and back in a calmer fabric that does not compete with it.

In the Royal Collection, Capitol and Sunrise follow this layout (large pattern, coordinate, plain), and Fiori comes in colour ranges with matching plain variants. When planning a set, order samples of every variant from one colour range — the colour of the pattern and the plain should be judged together, in the same light.

A good jacquard is not the one with the highest numbers but the one whose specs match the furniture. Jacquards usually score lower on Martindale than polyester velvets and knits: the pattern is formed by yarn floats on the surface, which behave differently under abrasion than a dense, short pile. For home furniture this is not a problem — anything above 40,000 cycles already falls in the heavy domestic range.

Remember too that the plain from a set can have different specs from the pattern — check each variant's sheet separately. Below is an overview of the Royal Collection lines based on their technical sheets.

Most upholstery jacquards today are polyester or a blend. Polyester brings abrasion resistance, dimensional stability and easier care. A share of viscose — as in Capitol (52% VIS, 48% PES) — adds sheen, softness and depth of colour, but viscose is more sensitive to water: it absorbs more moisture and copes less well with wet cleaning.

In practice, clean a viscose jacquard even more carefully than a polyester one — always after checking the care instructions, and without soaking it.

Pilling: a result of 4–5 on the 1–5 scale means very little tendency to pill. Colour fastness to light: for furniture near a window, look for 4 or higher. Width: with a large repeat it matters how many motifs fit across the fabric — this affects how seats and backs are cut.

For larger orders the dye lot matters as well: jacquard is dyed in batches, and the shade can vary slightly between them. A set of covers for one interior is best ordered from a single batch.

• Capitol — jacquard with coordinate and plain
• Fiori — colour ranges with plain variants
• Royal Collection — all lines