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Weaving Calculations · Lecture 01
Counting Systems
Direct and indirect yarn numbering — Ne, Nm, tex, dtex and denier — and the single constant that links them.
NeTexDenierNm
Two families of yarn numbers
A yarn count tells us how fine a yarn is. Indirect systems measure length per unit weight: the finer the yarn, the higher the number. Direct systems measure weight per unit length: the finer the yarn, the lower the number.
| System | Definition | Type | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| English cotton count, Ne | number of 840-yard hanks per pound | indirect | cotton and cotton blends |
| Metric count, Nm | metres per gram (km per kg) | indirect | wool, worsted, Europe |
| Tex | grams per 1000 m | direct | universal (ISO) |
| Decitex, dtex (grex) | grams per 10,000 m | direct | filament yarns |
| Denier | grams per 9000 m | direct | silk, filament, Lycra |
Deriving the constant 590.67
- 1 Ne means 840 yd weigh 1 lb, i.e. 1 lb per 840 yd.
- 1 lb = 453.6 g and 840 yd = 840 × 0.9144 m = 768.1 m, so 1 Ne = 453.6 g / 768.1 m.
- Per 1000 m that is 453.6 × 1000 / 768.1 = 590.67 g → 590.67 tex.
- Denier is tex × 9, so 1 Ne = 5316 denier; and Nm = 1000 / tex = 1.693.
Ne × tex = 590.67 · denier = 9 × tex · dtex = 10 × tex · Nm = 1000 / tex
The original worksheet divided by the denier figure in cell C15 (1458) when converting to Ne, which only happened to give the right answer for the first row. The converter below uses the correct constant 590.67.
Universal count converter
Pick the system you know, type the value, and every other system is worked out through tex.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Known system | Value | Result | ||
| 2 | System | Tex (g / 1000 m) | 19.69 | ||
| 3 | Value | Ne (hanks / lb) | 30.00 | ||
| 4 | Denier (g / 9000 m) | 177.20 | |||
| 5 | Nm (m / g) | 50.79 | |||
| 6 | Dtex (g / 10,000 m) | 196.89 |
blue = input (edit me)grey = formula (click to see it)
Worked examples from the lecture
| Given | Tex | Ne | Denier | Nm | Dtex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 162 tex | 162 | 3.65 | 1458 | 6.17 | 1620 |
| Ne 30 | 19.69 | 30 | 177.2 | 50.79 | 196.9 |
| 150 denier | 16.67 | 35.44 | 150 | 60 | 166.7 |
| Nm 25 | 40 | 14.77 | 360 | 25 | 400 |
Rule of thumb: Ne 20 ≈ 30 tex ≈ 266 denier; Ne 40 ≈ 15 tex. Lycra of 40 denier is 4.4 tex — about one-seventh of an Ne 20 yarn.
Original lecture material
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