A satin weave is a weave in which each warp end and each weft pick interlaces only once in the repeat, and the single interlacings are scattered so that no two touch. One set of threads therefore floats over all but one thread of the other and covers the face almost completely, which gives satin its smooth, lustrous surface and dull back. Satin is the name of the weave, not of a fibre: silk, polyester, cotton or wool can all be woven as satin. Below: how a satin is built, which move numbers work on 5 to 12 ends (computed here), satin against sateen and silk, and the fabrics the weave makes.
- Smallest regular satin: 5 ends and 5 picks, written 4/1 when the warp floats over four picks and under one. It needs five shafts.
- Satin vs sateen: satin is usually warp-faced, sateen weft-faced, and sateen is also the trade name for cotton woven in the satin structure.
- Satin vs silk: silk is a fibre; satin is a way of interlacing any fibre.
- Trade-off: the long floats that give lustre and drape also snag, rub and let yarns slip at seams.
What a satin weave is
Watson’s definition: in pure sateen weaves the surface consists almost entirely of weft or warp float, because in the repeat each thread of one series passes over all but one thread of the other (Watson, Textile Design and Colour, second edition, 1921, pp. 16–17). Watson, a British author, calls every such weave a sateen, “warp sateen” or “weft sateen”; American usage keeps satin for the warp-faced form. Harmuth’s dictionary adds the point that separates satin from twill: the face threads cross only one thread at a time, and no two neighbouring threads interlace in sequence, “in order to avoid the common twilled effect” (Harmuth, Dictionary of Textiles, 1915, p. 138, “Satin Weave”). Britannica counts satin as one of the three basic weaves, with plain weave and twill, and puts the minimum at five warp and five weft yarns in the repeat, so at least five harnesses (Britannica, “Textile: Basic weaves”).
Satin is a re-arranged twill: it uses the same one-interlacing-per-thread repeat as a 4/1 or 7/1 twill, but takes the threads in a different order. The site’s page on twill weaves, including its section on re-arranged twills, treats that family as a whole; this page is about satin itself. For where the three basic weaves sit among woven structures, see basics of weaving.
How a satin weave is constructed
On design paper each square is one end crossing one pick. A satin puts exactly one interlacing on each pick and moves it a fixed number of ends from one pick to the next. That number is the move, also called the step or count. In a twill the move is one, so the interlacings touch and support each other and form a twill line. In a regular satin the move is more than one, so they do not (Watson 1921, p. 17).
- Choose the repeat, n ends by n picks: 5 for the smallest satin; Harmuth records eight-end satins such as satin duchesse.
- Choose a move m that passes the rule below.
- Mark pick 1 on end 1, then on each pick move m ends to the right, wrapping round the repeat. On 5 ends with a move of 2 the ends are bound in the order 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, Watson’s Fig. 15 B.
- Decide the face. If the marks stand for warp up, the weft covers the face: a weft-faced sateen. If they stand for weft up, it is a warp-faced satin (p. 17).
| Pick, then ends | End 1 | End 2 | End 3 | End 4 | End 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick 5 | float | float | float | interlacing | float |
| Pick 4 | float | interlacing | float | float | float |
| Pick 3 | float | float | float | float | interlacing |
| Pick 2 | float | float | interlacing | float | float |
| Pick 1 | interlacing | float | float | float | float |
The rule: why the move must share no factor with the repeat
Watson’s rule: any number may be counted that has no measure in common with the number of threads in the repeat, except one and one less than the repeat (Watson 1921, p. 18). One less than the repeat is a twill running the other way, and one is a twill.
The reason is arithmetic. Starting on end 1 and stepping m ends each pick, the interlacings land on ends 1, 1 + m, 1 + 2m … counted round the repeat. If m and n share a factor, the steps come back to end 1 before they have visited every end, and the ends they miss never interlace at all: they float the full length of the cloth. On 8 ends a move of 2 binds ends 1, 3, 5, 7, 1, 3, 5, 7, and ends 2, 4, 6, 8 are never tied in. Watson shows the same failure on ten threads: counting 2, 4, 5, 6 or 8 leaves some threads without a mark (p. 18). When m and n share no factor, the steps visit every end exactly once before repeating, which is what a satin needs.
| Pick, then ends | End 1 | End 2 | End 3 | End 4 | End 5 | End 6 | End 7 | End 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick 8 | float | float | float | float | float | interlacing | float | float |
| Pick 7 | float | float | interlacing | float | float | float | float | float |
| Pick 6 | float | float | float | float | float | float | float | interlacing |
| Pick 5 | float | float | float | float | interlacing | float | float | float |
| Pick 4 | float | interlacing | float | float | float | float | float | float |
| Pick 3 | float | float | float | float | float | float | interlacing | float |
| Pick 2 | float | float | float | interlacing | float | float | float | float |
| Pick 1 | interlacing | float | float | float | float | float | float | float |
A move m and the move n − m give the same satin twilling the other way (p. 18). On four and six threads every possible move shares a factor with the repeat, so no regular satin exists; Watson’s 4- and 6-thread sateens are irregular, built in an order such as 1, 3, 5, 2, 6, 4 that has no fixed move. Irregular sateens are entirely free from twill lines, which is why they are also used on 8, 10 and 12 threads (pp. 19–20).
Valid move numbers for 5- to 12-end satins
The table is computed from the rule, for every repeat from 4 to 12, with 13 added because Watson grades every sateen on thirteen threads. The last two columns go further than a list of moves:
- Count upward. Counting m ends outward on each pick gives the same weave as counting a different number of picks upward on each end. That number is the one which, multiplied by m, leaves 1 after dividing by the repeat. Watson’s seven-thread examples confirm it: counting 2, 3, 4 and 5 outward is counting 4, 5, 2 and 3 upward (p. 18).
- Closest interlacings. For each move, the shortest distance from one interlacing to its nearest neighbour, in thread spaces, assuming as many ends as picks per inch. Larger means the binding points are more evenly scattered. Twill interlacings sit √2 apart, on the diagonal.
| Repeat (ends = picks) | Moves that give a regular satin | Mirror pairs, same satin twilling the other way | Count outward → count upward | Closest interlacings, thread spaces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | none | — | — | Irregular satins only |
| 5 | 2, 3 | 2 / 3 | 2→3, 3→2 | All moves equal (√5 ≈ 2.2) |
| 6 | none | — | — | Irregular satins only |
| 7 | 2, 3, 4, 5 | 2 / 5; 3 / 4 | 2→4, 3→5, 4→2, 5→3 | All moves equal (√5 ≈ 2.2) |
| 8 | 3, 5 | 3 / 5 | 3→3, 5→5 | All moves equal (√8 ≈ 2.8) |
| 9 | 2, 4, 5, 7 | 2 / 7; 4 / 5 | 2→5, 4→7, 5→2, 7→4 | All moves equal (√5 ≈ 2.2) |
| 10 | 3, 7 | 3 / 7 | 3→7, 7→3 | All moves equal (√10 ≈ 3.2) |
| 11 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 | 2 / 9; 3 / 8; 4 / 7; 5 / 6 | 2→6, 3→4, 4→3, 5→9, 6→2, 7→8, 8→7, 9→5 | Best scatter: 3 or 4 or 7 or 8 (√10 ≈ 3.2) |
| 12 | 5, 7 | 5 / 7 | 5→5, 7→7 | All moves equal (√8 ≈ 2.8) |
| 13 (Watson's test case) | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 | 2 / 11; 3 / 10; 4 / 9; 5 / 8; 6 / 7 | 2→7, 3→9, 4→10, 5→8, 6→11, 7→2, 8→5, 9→3, 10→4, 11→6 | Best scatter: 5 or 8 (√13 ≈ 3.6) |
What the spacing column shows:
- 13 threads. Moves 5 and 8 give the widest spacing and 2, 6, 7 and 11 the narrowest, with 3, 4, 9 and 10 in between. Watson grades them the same way, from the drawings: A, E, F and J poor because of distinct twill lines, B, C, H and I better, D and G “perfect” (p. 19). The spacing reproduces his grading.
- 7 and 9 threads. Every valid move leaves the same short spacing, so no move is better than another. Watson says a typical sateen structure is not produced on seven threads, because the points of intersection fall into distinct lines (p. 18).
- 11 and 12 threads. On 11, moves 3, 4, 7 and 8 scatter best; 2, 5, 6 and 9 do not. On 12, only 5 and 7 work at all.
- 5, 8 and 10 threads. Only one mirror pair exists, so the choice is just the direction of the twill. Watson notes that if the twill and the yarn twist run the same way, a smooth, lustrous and almost untwilled surface results (p. 17).
The spacing assumes a square sett. Real satins put many more face threads than back threads per inch, which stretches the grid in one direction, so treat the column as a ranking of moves within one repeat, not as a measurement of the cloth.
Satin vs sateen
The two words have two different distinctions behind them.
- Which set of threads makes the face. Satin weave throws the warp to the surface; in sateen the filling (weft) is thrown to the surface (Denny, Fabrics and How to Know Them, 1923, p. 86). Britannica likewise calls sateen a weft-faced satin (Britannica, “Basic weaves”).
- Which fibre. In the trade, sateen is a cotton satin. Denny: sateen is a mercerised cotton fabric in satin weave; a true sateen has the filling on the surface, while the better qualities, such as Venetians, have the warp on the surface (pp. 83–84). Britannica: an all-cotton fabric woven in the satin structure is known as sateen (Britannica, “Satin”).
So a cotton “sateen” can be warp-faced. When the face matters, as it does for colour, ask which set of threads is on top. Watson notes that coloured stripes are practically limited to warp-faced satins, because in a weft-faced one the colours run across the cloth (p. 20).
Is the back of a satin a sateen?
In the drawing, yes: reverse every square and a warp satin becomes a weft sateen. In the cloth, not quite. The face set of threads is placed very close and the other set at greater intervals (Harmuth, p. 138, “Satin Weave”), and warp-face cloths are woven with more ends than picks per inch and finer warp than weft, weft-face cloths the reverse (Watson 1921, p. 127). The back of a warp satin has few, often coarser, picks lying on it, and some satins have a cotton weft thrown to the back (Denny, p. 84). Turning it over does not make a sateen built as one.
Satin vs silk: a weave, not a fibre
Britannica puts it directly: silk fabric is named for the material it is made from, while satin refers to the satin weave technique, so a satin can be silk and a silk can be satin (Britannica, “Satin”). Satin was originally a silk fabric. Harmuth in 1915 already records it in wool and with cotton backs (p. 137, “Satin”), Denny in 1923 in linen as satin damask, in mercerised cotton and in some wool fabrics (pp. 84–85), and Britannica notes that today it is often polyester or nylon. A label that says “satin” therefore tells you the structure; the fibre content is a separate line. For the fibre, see the site’s page on silk fibre.
Satin stitch is a third thing again: an embroidery stitch, not a weave. Harmuth lists it as a slanting gobelin stitch (p. 137, “Satin Stitch”); the site’s types of stitches page describes it as straight stitches laid side by side to fill a shape.
Common satin fabrics
| Fabric | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Charmeuse | A light, soft satin with a dull back and a subdued lustre, which Denny puts down to the twist in the warp; suited to draping. Harmuth: a very light silk satin crepe with a pebbled back and a high-lustre face. | Denny p. 28; Harmuth p. 37, “Charmeuse” |
| Duchesse (duchess) satin | Originally a rich all-silk satin; by 1923 a term covering many grades of dress satin. Harmuth: fine, stout, very lustrous silk satin in an eight-end satin weave, and, under “Duchesse”, with a broad twilled back. | Denny p. 85; Harmuth p. 137, “Satin Duchesse”; p. 57, “Duchesse” |
| Crepe-back satin | Satin weave on the face, crepe de chine on the back; Denny gives crepe meteor as the old name for crepe-backed satin. | Denny p. 34 |
| Messaline | Denny’s name for a light-weight satin; lining satins may be practically a messaline. | Denny pp. 84–85 |
| Double-faced satin | Satin weave on both sides, made with two sets of warp and one of filling. | Denny p. 84; Harmuth p. 137, “Satin” |
| Cotton sateen | Mercerised cotton in satin weave; Denny’s uses are linings, petticoats, draperies, bloomers and comforters. For sateen as bed sheeting, compared with percale, see the site’s bedsheet fabric guide. | Denny pp. 83–84 |
| Damask | The most important variation of the satin weave: figures in warp-faced satin on a ground of weft-faced satin, seen by the difference in reflected light. | Britannica, “Basic weaves” |
Properties of satin weave fabrics
- Lustre. The face is almost all float, so light reflects from long lengths of parallel yarn instead of from crossing points. Britannica adds that most satins use smooth, lightly twisted yarns to heighten the effect, and Watson that the twist and twill direction decide how much twill shows (Britannica; Watson p. 17).
- Drape and density. The limited number of interlacings lets the weaver put in a proportionately large number of warp yarns, giving a cloth that falls in smooth folds (Britannica). Watson’s setting formula shows why: the maximum sett is the yarn’s diameters per inch times the threads in the repeat, divided by the threads plus the intersections (Watson 1921, p. 126). Each thread must make at least two intersections per repeat (p. 11); in a satin, where it interlaces once, it makes exactly two, whatever the repeat. So the longer the repeat, the closer the threads can be packed.
- Snagging and abrasion. Satins, having long floats, are susceptible to wear by rubbing and snagging (Britannica). Snagging resistance is measured with the Mace tester in ASTM D3939/D3939M.
- Seam slippage. With few interlacings to grip them, yarns can slide along each other at a sewn seam and the seam opens. How far depends on the weave: a 2011 study wove fifteen wool fabrics that differed only in weave and tested them to ISO 13936-1 to model it (Malčiauskienė and others, Materials Science (Medžiagotyra), 2011). The test methods are ISO 13936-1 (fixed seam opening), ISO 13936-2 (fixed load) and ISO 13936-3 (needle clamp). The site’s seam slippage and cover factor calculator shows how much the cover factor has to rise to meet a slippage specification.
Worked example: how close a satin can be set
The site’s weave calculator applies the same formula (Ashenhurst’s rule), with each thread making two intersections per repeat. In 40s cotton (Ne 40), with the calculator’s yarn diameter of 28 × √40 = 177.09 diameters per inch:
- plain weave: maximum sett 88.54 ends per inch.
- 5-end satin, move 2: 126.49 ends per inch, on five shafts.
- 8-end satin, move 3: 141.67 ends per inch, on eight shafts.
Watson’s own diameter for 40s cotton is 168 per inch, which gives 84 for plain cloth, his figure, and on the same formula about 120 for the 5-end satin (43% more than plain weave) and 134 for the 8-end (60% more). The constants differ, the ratio does not. This is the arithmetic behind Britannica’s “proportionately large number of warp yarns”, and the reason satin is a dense, heavy-falling cloth. The honeycomb weave page uses the same formula for a weave at the other extreme.
Questions about satin weave
What is a satin weave, in one line?
A weave in which each thread interlaces once per repeat, at scattered points, so that the floats of one set of threads cover the face.
Is satin a weave or a fibre?
A weave. Satin can be made of silk, polyester, nylon, cotton (then usually called sateen), wool or linen; the fibre is stated separately on the label.
What does 4/1 satin mean?
A 5-end satin in which the warp passes over four picks and under one. With a move of 2 or 3 it is a regular satin on five shafts; with a move of 1 it would be a 4/1 twill. A 7/1 satin repeats on eight ends, with a move of 3 or 5.
What is the difference between satin and sateen?
Satin is normally warp-faced and sateen weft-faced, but sateen is also the trade name for any cotton satin, including warp-faced qualities. See the section above.
Why can’t a 6-end satin be regular?
The only candidate moves on six ends, 2, 3 and 4, all share a factor with 6, so stepping by any of them comes back to the first end before binding the others. Six-end satins are therefore built irregularly.
How this page is kept
Last verified: 17 October 2026. The move-number table, the two design-paper grids and the binding orders are generated by the script that builds this page, and it refuses to publish if they disagree with Watson’s statements cited above, including his grading of the 13-thread sateens. The setting figures were read from the site’s weave calculator with the linked inputs and recomputed by the script. Historical sources are public-domain scans on the Internet Archive, cited at the page used; fabric descriptions from 1915 and 1923 describe the trade of that time. The page explains structure; it is not a specification for any fabric or test. Corrections are welcome through the contact page.
