Finishing standards
Every wash and finish is made to a written standard — process, appearance, fade behaviour and cost. This page is that standard, published.
Wash finishes
Four base washes. The deeper the wash, the more the denim keeps changing on the wearer.
| Process | Appearance | How it fades | Cost / cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw / unwashed | Deep indigo, sized and stiff. No whiskers, no obvious abrasion. | Fades with wear into a pattern unique to the wearer | Low cost / short cycle |
| Rinse / one wash | Mid blue, softened hand. Slight colour loss, shrinkage stabilised. | Fades slowly and evenly | Low cost / short cycle |
| Stone wash | Light blue with a soft, broken-in surface and subtle abrasion. | Set at the wash — changes little with wear | Medium cost / medium cycle |
| Bleach / acid wash | Very pale blue-white with a snowflake pattern and heavy distressed character. | Fibre strength drops — wash temperature must be controlled | High cost / long cycle |
Secondary processing
Everything that happens after the wash — hand work, laser, coating and repair. Combine freely.
Digital patterns etched directly onto the cloth — repeatable and batch-stable, saves water and labour. Lacks the randomness of hand work.
Indigo graduates from deep to pale with a natural bleed at the edge. No two panels are alike — best for small, high-margin runs.
Abraded directionally with sandpaper to cloud or streak the surface, exposing the white weft. Depth is entirely down to hand pressure.
Warp yarns cut, weft left intact to form horizontal threads, finished with abraded edges. Strength drops — care labelling required.
Resin sets permanent three-dimensional creases with a matte coating. Holds its shape — but never press it with heat.
Contrast fabric blocks layered and stitched down with contrast gold thread and embroidery. Standard practice for upcycled and high-end panel work.
Pressed into 3D creases first, then hand-brushed along the ridge lines for natural wear depth.
Potassium permanganate sprayed locally to bleach, leaving a warm yellow cast at the edge; must be neutralised after. Depth depends on gun movement and speed.
Red-line selvedge
Woven on narrow shuttle looms so the edge closes itself. The red line is not a print — it is the loom.
Narrow shuttle looms run slowly and turn the weft back at the edge, so it never frays. That closed edge is where the red line comes from.
The red line runs continuously down the edge, sometimes over a white or coloured core. The first thing to photograph when proving authenticity.
Finish detail
Four finishing steps every roll passes before it leaves the mill — singed, pre-shrunk, width-set and soft-handled.
- Singeing — surface fuzz removed for a clean, smooth face
- Sanforised — shrinkage held under 3% before you cut
- Stenter-set — width and skew locked to spec
- Soft-touch — hand feel matched to your reference
Why we publish this
Most mills treat their standards as a trade secret. We would rather you knew exactly what you are buying before you buy it.
Want your order made to this standard?
Send us your tech pack — or ask us to write one with you. Same standard either way.
Request a quote