Fabric Guide · Processing Base
RFD Fabric
RFD means Ready for Dyeing — fabric that has been cleaned and prepared so it will take colour evenly. It is a processing base, not finished goods: depending on the route it still needs dyeing or printing, wash-off, drying, heat setting, width setting, shrinkage control, finishing and inspection. It costs more than greige because that preparation is already done.
Updated
Quick facts
- What it is
- A prepared base — cleaned, absorbency prepared, ready to take colour
- What it is not
- Finished white fabric ready to cut and stitch
- Preparation typically involved
- Desizing, scouring, bleaching, washing, drying, heat setting where relevant
- Still needs
- Coloration, then finishing, shrinkage control and inspection
- Route flexibility
- Several coloration routes stay open (unlike PFD, prepared for one)
- Minimum that governs
- The coloration minimum that follows — not a greige minimum
- Typical uses
- Dyed programmes, printed programmes, development bases for sampling
What "RFD" does and does not fix on an order
The word RFD tells a supplier that the cloth should arrive prepared. It does not, on its own, say prepared to what — and that gap is where most RFD disputes live. Two suppliers' RFD can differ as much as two suppliers' poplin, because the underlying preparation is a set of process choices, not a standard.
| Implied by "RFD" | Must be stated explicitly | |
|---|---|---|
| Cleanliness | Prepared, sizing removed | Residual chemistry limits, if your route is sensitive |
| Absorbency | Prepared to take colour | The absorbency your printer or dyer actually requires |
| Whiteness | Nothing — bleached, semi-bleached and optical white all differ | The whiteness level, if the shade or print depends on it |
| Width | Nothing | Finished width required, after processing losses |
| Shrinkage | More controlled than greige | The limit you will accept, and how it is tested |
| Base fabric | Nothing | Composition, construction, target GSM — RFD is a state, not a cloth |
The last row is the one to hold onto: RFD is a processing state, not a fabric. An RFD poplin and an RFD jersey have nothing in common except that both have been prepared. Every specification that would apply to the cloth still applies.
Why RFD is the low-MOQ base
For a small brand, RFD's real advantage is not the price per metre — it is that one prepared base can carry several colourways. Commissioning new greige weaving carries a minimum of 10,000m, which puts a fresh loom run out of reach for most launches (greige from an available construction is a different purchase and is not subject to that figure). A prepared base carries no minimum of its own either way: what governs is the coloration minimum that follows it.
| Route | Minimum | Per what |
|---|---|---|
| Digital / sublimation print | 100m | Per colour, per design |
| Dyeing — under 160 GSM | 1,500m | Per colour |
| Dyeing — 160 GSM and above | 3,000m | Per colour |
| Rotary print | 3,000m | Per design |
| Greige, for comparison | 10,000m | To commission NEW weaving (available constructions are exempt) |
So a brand running four digitally printed designs on one RFD base commits 400m, not four separate developments. Running the same four as dyed shades under 160 GSM commits 6,000m. Nothing about the cloth changed — only the route did. That is the calculation worth doing before the base is ordered, not after.
See greige vs RFD vs PFD to choose between the three bases, and low-MOQ fabric sourcing from Pakistan for every confirmed minimum.
RFD or PFD?
The two terms are used loosely across the trade, sometimes interchangeably. The distinction worth holding is one of commitment: RFD leaves several coloration routes open; PFD is prepared to the requirement of one route that has already been chosen. That makes the choice a sequencing question rather than a quality question.
- Route not yet fixed? RFD. You are buying flexibility, and PFD cannot even be specified until the route is decided.
- Route fixed and the printer has stated its requirement? PFD removes a stage and a risk, at a higher starting price.
- Running several colourways off one base? RFD, almost always — the flexibility is the whole point of the strategy.
- Sublimation? A suitable polyester base is required regardless of which label is on the order; pretreatment cannot rescue an unsuitable fibre.
What to specify when ordering RFD
- The cloth itself — composition, construction, target GSM, weave. RFD is a state, not a fabric.
- The coloration route it is being prepared for, even provisionally, so preparation and expectation match.
- Absorbency and whiteness, as required by the unit doing the coloration — in writing, from them, before the base is bought.
- Finished width required after processing, and the shrinkage limit you will accept.
- Any testing or fastness standard the finished cloth has to meet, since it can constrain the route.
- What you are approving against — a finished sample, never greige and never an unfinished cutting.
Our RFD range spans a spread of compositions, constructions, GSMs and widths, shortlistable by intended coloration method and end use. It is a development base for buyers moving into dyeing, printing or custom finishing without starting from untreated greige — preparation requirements vary by process, so confirm the intended route before ordering. We coordinate sourcing and development through partner processing units.
Browse the RFD range in the Fabric Library →
Related knowledge
- Greige vs RFD vs PFD
The three-way comparison — which processing base your route needs, and the hidden cost of the cheapest one.
- Low-MOQ fabric sourcing from Pakistan
Every confirmed minimum, and the routes available when a launch falls below them.
- How to source fabric from Pakistan
Where choosing the processing base sits in the sequence of a first order.
- Fabric for small clothing brands
Why one prepared base across several colourways is the biggest lever a small brand has.
- Cotton poplin: construction, GSM and sourcing
A woven base commonly ordered RFD for printed programmes.
- What is actually in greige fabric: sizing and preparation
The preparation sequence that turns greige into this base — what desizing, scouring and bleaching each remove.
- Choosing a base fabric for digital and rotary printing
When RFD is bought for print: what each route demands of the base, and why PFD is not one product.
Frequently asked questions
What does RFD mean in fabric?
RFD stands for Ready for Dyeing. It is fabric that has been cleaned and prepared — typically desized, scoured, bleached and washed — so that it will take colour evenly. It is a processing base rather than finished goods: depending on the route it still needs coloration, finishing, shrinkage control and inspection.
Is RFD fabric the same as finished white fabric?
No. RFD is prepared, not finished. Buyers who order it expecting cloth they can cut and stitch are usually surprised by the width, hand and shrinkage, none of which are set until finishing. Whiteness in particular is not implied by the term — bleached, semi-bleached and optical white are different things and must be stated.
What is the difference between RFD and PFD?
RFD (Ready for Dyeing) is a prepared base that leaves several coloration routes open. PFD (Prepared for Dyeing/Printing) is prepared to the requirement of one route that has already been chosen. Because the route defines the preparation, PFD cannot be specified until the route is fixed — so if your print method is still open, RFD is the base that keeps your options.
What is the minimum order for RFD fabric?
RFD does not carry a minimum of its own the way newly commissioned greige does at 10,000m — what governs is the coloration minimum that follows it. Digital and sublimation printing start at 100m per colour per design, dyeing at 1,500m per colour under 160 GSM and 3,000m per colour at 160 GSM and above, and rotary printing at 3,000m. That is why a prepared base is the practical route for a small brand.
Can I run several colours from one RFD base?
Yes, and for a small brand that is usually the point of buying RFD. One approved prepared base can carry several colourways or several printed designs, which keeps construction, hand and reordering consistent across a collection. Each dyed shade is still a separate dye lot at its own minimum, so printing rather than dyeing is what makes multiple looks cheap.
Is RFD cheaper than greige?
Per metre, no — RFD costs more because preparation is already done. Over the whole route it often is, once greige preparation, transport to the processor, process loss, extra testing, width reduction and reprocessing risk are counted. Compare the total route rather than the purchase price.
On typical values: preparation and finishing requirements vary by fibre, construction, process and supplier, and the term RFD is used with varying strictness across the trade. Physical swatches, lab dips, strike-offs and approved specifications override anything illustrated on this page. Minimums shown are confirmed processing minimums; all other quantities are confirmed at inquiry. Burhan Enterprises coordinates through partner processing units and does not own the processing facilities.
Confirm the route before you order the base
Tell us the fibre, the coloration method and the end use — we'll confirm whether RFD, PFD or something more specific is what you actually need, and what it still requires.