Jersey Fabric Glossary: GSM, Interlock, Mesh, Dot Knit and 40 Other Terms

Key takeaways

• 50 terms are defined below in A to Z order, with links to the matching Jaypee fabric.
• GSM, knit and finish are the three terms that decide most buying choices.
• Sublimation needs polyester, which is why cotton is missing from our range.
• Market names like Saleena and Dotnet are trade names for LINEA-S and PINDOT-N.
• Ask a maker for numbers, not adjectives.

Fabric talk can sound like another language when you are only trying to order a team kit. This glossary of jersey fabric terms explains 50 words you will hear from makers, tailors and sellers, in plain Indian English. Where a term matches one of our eight fabrics, it links to that page. For a wider introduction, read the complete jersey fabric guide.

The terms are grouped by letter. Prices are per jersey and include names, numbers and logo, and the minimum order is 5 pieces. If a word you heard is missing, send it to us on WhatsApp and we will explain it.

Jersey fabric terms A to C

Anti-microbial finish: a treatment that reduces the bacteria that cause sweat odour. QUARTZ-A, HEXA-B, DOTTA-F, RHOMB-H and RIBRA-G have it. GRID-E, LINEA-S and PINDOT-N do not.

Blend: a fabric made by mixing two or more fibres, such as polyester and cotton. Blends cannot take a full sublimation print the way 100% polyester can.

Breathability: how easily air and sweat vapour pass through the cloth. Open knits and lower GSM breathe better. RIBRA-G at 140 GSM is our lightest.

Circular knit: fabric knitted on a round machine as a seamless tube, then cut open. Most sports jersey knits are made this way.

Colour fastness: how well a colour resists fading, bleeding or rubbing off. In sublimation the ink sits inside the polyester fibre, so it will not crack or peel.

Cotton: a natural fibre that is soft but absorbs sweat and dries slowly. It cannot be sublimated, so we do not use it for printed kits.

Jersey fabric terms D to F

Denier: a unit for the thickness of a yarn, measured as grams per 9,000 metres. Lower denier means a finer yarn and a softer, smoother fabric.

Diamond knit: a knit with a raised diamond texture and a structured, firm feel. QUARTZ-A is our diamond knit at 180 GSM and ₹699.

Dot knit: a mesh with small, evenly spaced holes for airflow. DOTTA-F is a pinhole dot mesh at 160 GSM and ₹599.

Dotnet: the market trade name for our PINDOT-N, a pinhole micro dot knit at 180 GSM and ₹399.

Double knit: a thick, stable fabric knitted with two sets of needles so both faces look alike. Interlock is the best-known double knit.

Drape: how a fabric hangs and falls on the body. Light, soft knits like RIBRA-G drape more, and firm knits like QUARTZ-A hold a cleaner shape.

Dri-fit: a Nike brand name for moisture-wicking polyester. Sellers often use it loosely for any wicking sports knit.

Elastane: a stretch fibre, sold under brand names such as Lycra, blended in small amounts for extra give. Jaypee fabrics are 100% polyester and get their stretch from the knit.

Eyelet: a small hole in a mesh knit that lets air through. DOTTA-F and PINDOT-N both use pinhole eyelets.

Face: the right side of a knit fabric, the side that shows on the finished shirt and takes the print.

Finish: a treatment added to a fabric to give it a property, such as UV protection, wicking or anti-microbial action.

Full sublimation: printing the whole garment edge to edge, with every colour and gradient, using heat transfer ink. Names, numbers and logos come in the same pass.

Jersey fabric terms G to L

Grid knit: a knit with rows of tiny raised squares. GRID-E is smooth and easy to wash at 170 GSM and ₹499, and LINEA-S is a micro grid with no holes.

GSM: grams per square metre, the standard measure of fabric weight. Sublimated team jerseys usually sit at 120 to 190 GSM, and 220 is T-shirt or hoodie weight. See jersey GSM explained.

Hand feel: how a fabric feels when you touch and squeeze it, such as smooth, dry, soft or crisp. A swatch is the only way to judge it.

Heat transfer paper: the paper that carries sublimation ink. It is pressed onto the polyester under heat, and the ink turns to gas and enters the fibre.

Honeycomb mesh: a football mesh with open hexagon cells that move air well. HEXA-B is our honeycomb at 160 GSM and ₹699.

Interlock: a dense double knit with loops on both faces, thick, stable and smooth. The closest Jaypee match in feel is QUARTZ-A.

Knit: fabric made by looping yarn rather than weaving it. The loops give stretch and comfort, and the name jersey comes from the Channel Island of Jersey, as Wikipedia explains.

Lycra: a brand name for elastane fibre, often used to mean any stretch fibre in a fabric.

Jersey fabric terms M to P

Matte: a flat, non-shiny finish. RHOMB-H has a smooth, matte face with a polo feel.

Mesh: any knit with open holes or cells to let air through. Mesh is cooler, and also lighter on structure than a closed knit. Read mesh vs knit jerseys.

Micro polyester: polyester made from very fine yarn, giving a smooth, tight and soft fabric. RHOMB-H and GRID-E fit this description.

Moisture-wicking: the ability to pull sweat from the skin to the outer surface of the cloth so it can evaporate. Five of our eight fabrics carry this finish.

Opacity: how much light a fabric blocks. Closed, heavier knits are more opaque, and open mesh in white or pale colours can show what is underneath.

Panel: a separate piece of fabric sewn into a jersey, such as a side or sleeve section. A lighter mesh like DOTTA-F is often used for side panels to add airflow.

Pilling: small balls of fibre that form on the surface after rubbing. Tight, smooth knits tend to pill less than loose, fuzzy ones.

Pinhole knit: a mesh with very small holes, almost invisible from a distance. PINDOT-N has rows of tiny pinholes.

Polyester: a synthetic fibre that dries fast, resists wrinkles and takes sublimation ink. All 8 Jaypee fabrics are 100% polyester.

Polo knit: a tight, smooth knit used for collared shirts. RHOMB-H at ₹599 is made for sports and corporate polos.

Jersey fabric terms R to S

Rhombus knit: a knit with a tiny diamond-shaped pattern that gives a tight, matte surface. See RHOMB-H.

Rib knit: a knit with vertical channels, called ribs, that stretch and spring back. RIBRA-G is a rib ladder knit at 140 GSM and ₹599.

Saleena: the market trade name for LINEA-S, a micro grid with no holes at 180 GSM and ₹399.

Shrinkage: how much a fabric shortens or narrows after washing. Polyester shrinks very little, but hot water and dryers can still distort it.

Single jersey: the basic knit, with a flat face and a looped back, made on one set of needles. It is lighter and stretchier than double knit.

Stretch recovery: how well a fabric returns to its shape after stretching. Good recovery stops the neck and hem from going baggy.

Sublimation: a printing process where dye turns to gas under heat and bonds inside polyester fibres. It works only on polyester, which is why a print can survive 100 washes without peeling.

Swatch: a small cut sample of fabric. Jaypee sends swatches on WhatsApp so you can check weight and feel before ordering.

Jersey fabric terms T to Z

Tier: our grouping of fabrics by price and finish: Elite at ₹699, Pro at ₹599, Club at ₹499 and Budget-friendly at ₹399 per jersey. See the jersey fabrics hub.

UV protection: a finish that helps block part of the sun’s ultraviolet light reaching the skin. It is useful on outdoor grounds, and five of our fabrics have it.

Wale: a column of loops running lengthwise in a knit. The matching word for the sideways row is course.

Warp knit: a knit where loops run along the fabric length, formed from many parallel yarns. It resists running and ladders.

Weft knit: a knit where loops are formed row by row across the fabric width. Jersey and rib knits are weft knits.

Yarn: the thread, made of spun or filament fibres, that is knitted to make fabric. Finer yarn gives a smoother, softer cloth.

How do these jersey fabric terms fit together on a real jersey?

A single jersey is described by its fibre, knit, weight and finish together. Take HEXA-B as an example. It is a polyester (fibre) honeycomb mesh (knit) at 160 GSM (weight) with UV, moisture-wicking and anti-microbial finishes (finishes), printed by full sublimation (print method) for ₹699.

Now compare it with LINEA-S, also known as Saleena. It is a polyester micro grid knit with no holes at 180 GSM. It has no added finishes, the face is closed and smooth, and the sublimation print comes out crisp. The cost is ₹399 per jersey.

Once you can read a line like that, you can compare any two quotes. Ask the maker to write the same four items for each fabric: fibre, knit, GSM and finishes. If one quote leaves out GSM or finishes, that is the quote to question.

For the buying side, the 12 questions to ask before you order uses these terms in practice, and you can see every fabric at the fabric hub. Swatches are available on WhatsApp if you want to feel any of them.

Still unsure which term applies to your team? Most buyers only need GSM, knit and finish to compare two quotes. Compare all eight side by side in the jersey fabric comparison chart, or use the buyer’s guide before you order.