Yarn count (Ne, Nm, tex, dtex, denier)
Measures of yarn fineness, in two systems. In indirect systems a higher number means a finer yarn: Ne for cotton (hanks of 840 yards per pound; Ne 30 is a typical T-shirt yarn) and Nm for wool (metres per gram). In direct systems a higher number means a coarser yarn: tex (grams per 1,000 m), dtex (per 10,000 m) and, for synthetic filament, denier (per 9,000 m – e.g. 150D/48F polyester DTY is 150 denier with 48 filaments). Twist, tenacity and evenness (Uster CV%) also define quality.
Related terms
Grammage (g/m², GSM)
The weight in grams of one square metre of paper, board, fabric, nonwoven or film (ISO 536, ISO 3801). Typical values: newsprint 40–48, office paper 70–80, kraftliner and fluting 100–440 g/m²; T-shirt jersey 140–200 and denim 300–450 g/m²; a face-mask meltblown layer 20–25 g/m². Grammage drives price and strength directly but is not enough on its own: specifications should also include burst (Mullen), ring crush (RCT) and edge crush (ECT) for board, and tensile and pilling resistance for fabric.
Recycled content (PCR / PIR)
PCR (post-consumer recycled) material comes from packaging and products that have reached consumers and become waste; PIR (post-industrial recycled) comes from production scrap and trimmings. Rules such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and brand pledges are setting minimum PCR shares in packaging. Recycled-content claims should be verified with certification such as GRS, RecyClass, EuCertPlast or ISCC PLUS (mass balance); food-contact rPET additionally needs an approved super-clean process.