A rug specification sheet is full of words that make it hard to compare two rugs if you do not know exactly what they mean. This glossary explains the most important terms in simple language and gives each one's Persian market name (transliterated) alongside its English equivalent, so that it is useful in trade correspondence.
Weave structure
| Persian term | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tar | Warp | The yarns running along the length of the rug. A woven rug usually has three sets of warp: stuffer warp for lengthwise strength, pile warp to form the surface, and chain warp that locks the structure 1. |
| pud | Weft | The yarn that runs across the width of the rug and interlaces with the warp 1. |
| porz | Pile | The yarn surface of the rug. In machine weaving, pile yarns are looped over wires, and for cut pile, wires with blades are used 1. |
| vard | Heddle | Vertical wires with eyes through which the warp yarn passes, and which control the movement of the warp 1. |
| pich | Pitch | In a woven rug, the number of yarn ends in 27 inches of the rug's width 1. |
| radif dar inch | Rows / wires per inch | The number of pile rows per inch of the length of a woven rug 1. |
| shot | Shot | The number of wefts per pile row 1. |
| frame | Frames | The racks behind a Wilton loom. Each frame holds one colour, so a three-frame Wilton has three colours in its design 1. |
Yarn
| Persian term | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nakh-e filament | Filament | Yarn made from long, continuous strands 2. |
| BCF | Bulked Continuous Filament | A type of continuous filament yarn 1. |
| nakh-e risideh | Staple / spun | Yarn made from short fibres spun together; it sheds a little more fuzz 2. |
| la | Ply | The number of yarns twisted together, as in two-ply yarn 2. |
| heat-set | Heat-setting | Stabilising the yarn twist with heat, which creates a kind of "memory" in the yarn 1. |
| denier | Denier | The weight in grams of 9000 metres of yarn. A higher number means a thicker yarn 2. |
| tex | Tex | A common international system for expressing the linear density of yarn 1. |
Measurement and quality
| Persian term | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| vazn-e porz | Pile weight | The amount of pile yarn per unit of area. It is directly related to the rug's durability 2. |
| ertefa-e porz | Pile height | The height of the pile. Measuring it with a ruler is approximate and is not considered precise 1. |
| tarakom-e porz | Pile density | How tightly the pile yarn is packed. It matters when assessing performance, especially in high-traffic spaces 1. |
| boresh-e sath | Shearing | Passing the rug under blades so that the pile surface becomes even and clean 1. |
Two widely used terms in the Iranian market
Shaneh (reed count) and tarakom (density) have specific meanings in Iranian rug-market usage, but they are not the same as the international terms above. For example, pitch is not the same as shaneh, because pitch is defined on the basis of 27 inches 1. For a full explanation of both, read the article "Reed Count and Density".
A note for trade correspondence
When you exchange specifications with a buyer or manufacturer, write each number together with its unit and method of measurement. A number without a unit can cause misunderstanding.
Summary
Knowing these terms helps you read a specification sheet correctly and compare two rugs fairly. To see designs and specifications, visit the FARSHINEH catalogue section.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between warp and weft?
Warp runs along the length of the rug and weft across its width, and the two are woven together 1.
What is the benefit of heat-setting?
It stabilises the yarn twist, a property that is especially useful in cut-pile rugs 1.
Is a higher denier better?
Denier shows only the thickness of the yarn 2. To judge quality you also need to look at the material, pile weight and density.
Sources
- The Carpet and Rug Institute. The Carpet Primer. 2017. https://carpet-rug.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/The-Carpet-Primer.pdf
- Niemeyer, Shirley. G94-1222 Rug and Carpet Fibers: Selection and Care. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, 1994. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1935&context=extensionhist