What is Satin?
Satin is a woven fabric made in satin weave, in which long yarn floats on the surface give a smooth, lustrous face. The name describes the weave and the fabric, not the fiber: satin can be woven from silk, cotton or synthetic fibers. In Turkish it is called saten.
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- Gizem Polat
Key facts
- Satin is a woven fabric made in satin weave, with long floats that give a smooth, lustrous face.
- The repeat of a satin weave is at least five warp and five weft yarns, and the binding points do not touch each other.
- The name does not specify the fiber: satin can be woven from silk, cotton or synthetic fibers.
- Long floats give very good drape, but raise the risk of snagging, picking, skew and seam slippage.
Properties
- Fiber content
- The name does not specify the fiber: dictionaries cite silk, acetate, viscose (rayon) and nylon satins and cotton and linen sateens; CottonWorks calls satin-weave fabric woven from any fiber other than silk sateen
- Structure
- Woven; satin weave. The repeat is at least 5 warp and 5 weft yarns, each warp yarn has one binding point in the repeat, and the points do not touch each other. The most common form is 5-harness satin
- Weight range
- No standard range; it varies with fiber, yarn count and density. Ask for weight in g/m² together with the test method (e.g. EN 12127)
- Care
- Care instructions depend on fiber content and finishing. The surface is prone to snagging and picking. Dimensional change after washing is measured by ISO 5077.
Satin is a fabric woven in satin weave, in which warp or weft yarns float over long distances on the surface and give a smooth, lustrous face. The Turkish word is saten. In the Turkish Language Association (TDK) dictionary, saten refers the reader to atlas; atlas is defined as a lustrous, closely woven silk fabric, and saten is also defined as a lustrous cotton fabric. So in Turkish saten names both the weave and the fabric, and it does not tell you the fiber.
Satin weave structure
In satin weave the binding points do not touch each other and, unlike in twill, do not form a diagonal line; long floats stay on the surface (CottonWorks). The repeat consists of at least five warp and five weft yarns, and each warp yarn has one binding point in the repeat (Özdemir and Kahyeoğlu, 2020, pp. 1260–1261). According to the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus, in satin each warp yarn typically passes over four or more adjacent weft yarns and under the next; the lustrous face is formed by these long warp floats. The most common form is 5-harness satin, where the interval between binding points (the counter) is 2 or 3 (CottonWorks). Because long floats reflect light, the surface looks lustrous (SILKNOW).
Which yarn forms the floats decides the face. In warp-faced satin the warp floats cover the surface; in weft-faced satin the weft floats do (CottonWorks). The SILKNOW thesaurus describes satin fabric as a silk fabric with one smooth, lustrous face, thick and densely woven, which can be warp-faced or weft-faced.
Satin, sateen and Turkish saten
Sources do not draw the line between satin and sateen in the same place:
| Name | Meaning according to the source |
|---|---|
| Saten (TDK) | Atlas: a lustrous, closely woven silk fabric; also a lustrous cotton fabric |
| Satin (Getty AAT) | Fabric woven in the basic weave that gives a smooth, lustrous face with long warp floats |
| Satin (CottonWorks) | Satin-weave fabric woven with silk yarn; in some definitions, warp-faced satin |
| Satin (Random House) | Satin-weave fabric; may be acetate, viscose (rayon), nylon or silk |
| Sateen (CottonWorks) | Satin-weave fabric woven with fibers other than silk; in some definitions, weft-faced satin |
| Sateen (Random House, Collins) | A lustrous, strong cotton fabric in satin weave (Random House); a lustrous cotton or linen fabric woven to resemble satin (Collins) |
So do not write just “satin” in a quotation request; state the fiber too: silk satin, cotton satin (sateen), polyester satin. The EU regulation defines silk only as the fiber obtained from silk-secreting insects (1007/2011, Annex I); whether a satin is silk is shown by that fiber definition, not by the weave name.
Properties and points to watch
CottonWorks says satin has very good drape, but problems with snagging, picking, skew and seam slippage can occur. These problems are few in plain weave. The three basic weaves compare as follows:
| Weave | Smallest repeat | Surface | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain weave | 2 warp, 2 weft | Face and back look the same | Most binding points; stiff, low drape, very stable |
| Twill | 3 warp, 3 weft | Diagonal line | Fewer binding points; higher tear strength in 3×1 twill |
| Satin | 5 warp, 5 weft | Smooth, lustrous | Very good drape; snagging, picking, skew, seam slippage |
Sources: CottonWorks; Özdemir and Kahyeoğlu (2020).
To compare satin with the other woven fabric families, see the fabric types guide.
What to specify when sourcing satin
- Write fiber and weave separately. “Satin” on its own does not tell you the fiber.
- Sew and wash a sample. CottonWorks lists snagging, picking and seam slippage as problems seen in satin-weave fabrics; do not decide without trying the fabric.
- Ask for weight in g/m², with the test method. Mass per unit area from small samples is measured to EN 12127.
- Ask for post-wash dimensional change on satin: ISO 5077 covers the measurement; the washing and drying steps are taken from ISO 6330.
- Have color transfer tested: ISO 105-X12 for rubbing.
Frequently asked questions
Do Turkish suppliers use atlas and saten for the same thing?
At dictionary level, yes: TDK refers the entry saten to atlas, and an academic article gives atlas as the other name of satin weave (Özdemir and Kahyeoğlu, 2020). The difference is scope: TDK defines atlas as a silk fabric, while saten also covers a lustrous cotton fabric.
Is satin silk?
No. Satin is a weave and fabric name; silk is a fiber name. Silk satin exists, and dictionaries also cite acetate, viscose, nylon and cotton satins. CottonWorks calls satin-weave fabric woven from any fiber other than silk sateen.
What is the difference between satin and poplin?
Poplin is a plain-weave fabric with fine ribbing (Collins). Satin is woven in a weave with long floats and a lustrous face; its surface is smooth and its drape is better (CottonWorks).
Sources (16)
- CottonWorks (Cotton Incorporated), Learning Hub: Basic Woven Fabric Designs (accessed October 9, 2026)
- CottonWorks (Cotton Incorporated), Textile Encyclopedia: Sateen (accessed October 9, 2026)
- CottonWorks (Cotton Incorporated), Textile Encyclopedia: Satin (accessed October 9, 2026)
- Getty Research Institute, Art & Architecture Thesaurus: satin (AAT 300132902; accessed October 9, 2026)
- Özdemir, G. and Kahyeoğlu, T. (2020). Özgün dokuma yüzey tasarımlarının giysi üzerine uygulamaları (Applications of original woven surface designs on garments; in Turkish). idil, 72, 1259–1269. DOI: 10.7816/idil-09-72-06
- SILKNOW Silk Heritage Thesaurus: Satin (weave) (sources cited: CIETA; Burnham 1980; Phipps 2011; accessed October 9, 2026)
- SILKNOW Silk Heritage Thesaurus: Satin (fabric) (sources cited: CIETA; Burnham 1980; Phipps 2011; Tortora and Johnson 2015; accessed October 9, 2026)
- Turkish Language Association (TDK), Güncel Türkçe Sözlük (current Turkish dictionary; in Turkish), entries “saten” and “atlas” (accessed October 9, 2026)
- Dictionary.com, “satin” entry (Random House Unabridged Dictionary; Collins English Dictionary; accessed October 9, 2026)
- Dictionary.com, “sateen” entry (Random House Unabridged Dictionary; Collins English Dictionary; accessed October 9, 2026)
- Dictionary.com, “poplin” entry (Collins English Dictionary; accessed October 9, 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and related labelling, Annex I (fibre names), consolidated text of 15.02.2018 (accessed October 9, 2026)
- EN 12127:1997 Textiles. Fabrics. Determination of mass per unit area using small samples (EVS-EN 12127:2000 record; applies to woven and knitted fabrics)
- ISO 5077:2007 Textiles: Determination of dimensional change in washing and drying (confirmed in 2022)
- ISO 6330:2021 Textiles: Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
- ISO 105-X12:2016 Textiles: Tests for colour fastness, Part X12: Colour fastness to rubbing (EVS-EN ISO 105-X12:2016 record)
Author and fact-checking
Written by
Fabrics and Fibers Editor
Elif Karaca is Tekstil Rehberi's fabrics and fibers editor. She writes guides and glossary entries on knitted, woven and nonwoven fabrics, fiber properties and choosing the right fabric for each product, and bases values such as GSM, width, shrinkage and color fastness on standards and mill technical data sheets.
Content by Elif KaracaFact-checked by: Gizem Polat
This content was prepared by the Tekstil Rehberi editorial team. Before publication, our verification editor checked its figures, dates and sources against primary sources.
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