ISO
ISO 1144 Textiles — Universal system for designating linear density (tex system)
The tex system itself — the agreed way to state how heavy a length of yarn is, on which every count conversion on this site depends.
- Number
- ISO 1144
- Committee
- ISO/TC 38
- Status
- active
Verification coverage
Not yet checked: ASTM, AATCC, BIS, SAC, JIS, EN, DIN — an absent row here does not mean no equivalent exists.
What this standard is for
Where it is used
Referenced wherever a count has to travel between trading partners who use different traditional systems — Ne, Nm, denier, tex.
Why it matters
Count systems are the most common unit confusion in textile trade, and they are inverse to one another in two directions: cotton count rises as yarn gets finer, tex falls. A specification that does not name its system is ambiguous by a factor that can exceed ten.
What to watch for
Decitex and tex differ by a factor of ten and are both written in the same places. State the unit, not just the number.
Calculators that implement this
- Filament Denier, Spinneret Hole Throughput & Spin Draw Ratio
- Let-Off Torque, Warp Tension Swing & Take-Up Load
- Stitch Cam Setting Window, Tightness Factor & Fabric Weight
- Textile Unit Converter: Fabric Weight, Tenacity & Yarn Length
- Universal Yarn Count Converter
- Warp Yarn Requirement Tool with Waste Factor
Buy the official copy from ISO
Metadata only — purchase the standard from the issuing body.
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