Plain weave

A weave style in which warp yarns pass over and under two or more weft yarns in a staggered pattern, producing a characteristic diagonal rib. It drapes and conforms to curvature better than plain weave and has lower crimp, and the 2x2 twill is the most recognisable carbon fibre fabric style.

A low crimp weave style in which each warp yarn floats over several weft yarns before interlacing, described by its harness number, for example four harness or eight harness satin. It offers excellent drape and surface smoothness at the cost of a less stable, asymmetric fabric that requires care in handling and lay up.

The two yarn directions in a woven fabric, with warp yarns running along the roll length and weft yarns running across it. Their balance governs the directional properties of the fabric, and the terms ends and picks describe the respective yarn counts.

A heavy, coarse fabric woven directly from untwisted glass rovings, usually in a plain weave. It builds laminate thickness and directional strength quickly and is traditionally alternated with chopped strand mat in marine and industrial GRP laminates.