Dobby Fabric: What It Is, How It Is Woven and What It Is Used For
Also called: dobby weave, dobby cloth
Updated · By Srihari Bang
Dobby fabric is a woven fabric with a small, repeating geometric or textured pattern, made on a loom fitted with a dobby, a device that raises groups of warp threads in a programmed order.
Dobby fabric is cloth with a small pattern woven into it by a dobby loom, such as dots or a fine surface texture. The pattern is part of the weave, so it does not wash off, and the cloth can be dyed either as yarn or as a finished piece.
Key facts
| Made on | A loom with a dobby attachment controlling the harness shafts |
|---|---|
| Pattern | Small geometric repeats or surface textures, woven in |
| Common fibres | Cotton, cotton blends, linen blends |
| Typical uses | Shirting, dresses, kurtas, lightweight jackets |
| Example from our stock | Piece Dyed Texture Dobby 9072G: 100% cotton, 20 x 20 count, 64 x 44 construction, 57–58 in wide |
What is dobby fabric?
Dobby fabric is a woven fabric whose small pattern is produced by the loom itself. The dobby that gives the fabric its name is a device on the loom that raises groups of warp threads in a programmed sequence, so on each pass the weft goes over some threads and under others in a repeating order. The pattern this produces, whether dots, checks, diamonds or a fine surface texture, is in the structure of the cloth, which is why it survives washing in a way a print does not.
How is a dobby woven?
A dobby loom controls the warp threads through harness shafts, and each shaft lifts one group of threads. The dobby decides which shafts rise on each pass of the weft. An eight-shaft dobby can form up to 254 different sheds, which is why a dobby weaves far more varied patterns than a simple tappet loom, and smaller, more geometric ones than a jacquard.
Dobby vs jacquard vs plain weave
| Weave | How threads are controlled | Pattern it can make | Typical look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain weave | Two shafts, alternating | None (over one, under one) | Flat, even surface |
| Dobby | Groups of threads via multiple shafts | Small geometric repeats and textures | Fine dots, checks, diamonds, texture |
| Jacquard | Each warp thread individually | Large, detailed figures | Florals, brocades, damasks |
Yarn-dyed and piece-dyed dobbies
A dobby can be woven from coloured yarn, which lets the pattern show in more than one colour. It can also be woven undyed and dyed afterwards as a whole piece, which gives one solid colour with the texture showing through. Our Piece Dyed Textured Dobby range is made the second way, from one base cloth dyed into a range of colours.
Reading a dobby specification
A dobby is specified like any woven cotton, by composition, yarn count, construction and width. Piece Dyed Texture Dobby 9072G in our catalogue, for example, is 100% cotton, 20 x 20 count in warp and weft, 64 x 44 construction (ends and picks per inch) and 57–58 inches wide. If the garment needs a particular weight, ask for the GSM as well. Our GSM converter turns it into ounces per square yard and grams per running metre.
See it in our stock
Every design with its composition, width and metres available:
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dobby and jacquard fabric?
A dobby loom lifts warp threads in groups through a limited number of harness shafts, so its patterns are small and geometric. A jacquard loom controls each warp thread on its own, which allows large, detailed figures such as florals and brocades.
Is dobby fabric the same as textured fabric?
Not always. Dobby describes how the fabric is woven. Many dobbies have a visible texture, but a texture can also come from a slub yarn or from a finishing process. A texture dobby is a dobby whose woven pattern reads mainly as surface texture.
Can dobby fabric be dyed after weaving?
Yes. A dobby can be woven from dyed yarn (yarn-dyed) or woven in greige and dyed as a whole piece afterwards (piece-dyed). The woven pattern stays visible either way because it is in the structure of the cloth.
What does 20 x 20 count and 64 x 44 construction mean on a dobby specification?
20 x 20 is the yarn count of the warp and weft in English cotton count (Ne). 64 x 44 is the construction, which is 64 warp ends and 44 weft picks per inch.
Sources
- Dobby loom, Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) (read 2026-10-05)
- Units of textile measurement, Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) (read 2026-10-05)
Srihari Bang, Managing Director. Srihari Bang has been Managing Director of Bang Textiles & Clothing Pvt Ltd in Bengaluru since June 2023, after four years in new business development at Bang Polypacks in Mumbai. He studied family business management at SP Jain School of Global Management and holds a bachelor's degree from Christ University, Bangalore.
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