What Is TR Fabric? Terry Rayon, PV and Poly-Viscose Explained

Four names, one blend

On our spec sheets and product pages we use poly-viscose or PV. If a buyer asks for TR suiting, it is the same cloth. The fibers themselves are introduced in what is a fiber.

Where Terylene and rayon come from

Polyester fiber (polyethylene terephthalate) was first made in Britain in 1941 by John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson, and it reached the market in the UK under the brand name Terylene. The brand became so familiar in South Asian cloth markets that it outlived its own use and stayed attached to polyester blends as the letter T.

Rayon is the older generic name for fiber regenerated from plant cellulose, and viscose is the most common way of making it. Many markets now simply say viscose, and our copy does too. So TR is an old shop-floor name for a blend that the spec sheet calls PV.

What the ratio on a TR quote means

The ratio is the share of each fiber by weight, polyester first. 65/35 TR is 65 percent polyester and 35 percent viscose; 70/30 leans a little further towards polyester. More polyester means better crease recovery, shape and wash-fastness; more viscose means a softer, cooler handle and better drape, at the cost of some recovery. The reasons behind each split are set out in poly-viscose ratios explained.

Our PV suitings and shirtings are woven at 65/35 and 70/30. Officer Choice is a structured PV suiting at 210 to 230 GSM; Power Gold is a premium PV twill at 230 to 250 GSM; Commander Shirting is PV 70/30 at 168 GSM.

How to compare TR fabric between suppliers

• Ask for the ratio in writing. "TR" with no ratio can be anything from a polyester-heavy cloth to a near-even blend.
• Compare on GSM and width, not on the name. Two TR suitings at different weights are different cloths; see what GSM means.
• Check the weave. A TR twill and a TR plain weave of the same weight wear and drape differently; see twill vs plain weave.
• Ask how it is dyed. Fiber-dyed, yarn-dyed and piece-dyed TR behave differently on shade and reorders; see yarn-dyed vs piece-dyed.
• Ask for test figures on colour fastness, pilling and shrinkage rather than accepting "good quality"; see how to read a fabric spec sheet.

Is TR the same as polyester or cotton?

No. 100% polyester suiting has no viscose share, so it dries fast and holds a deep shade but breathes less; see 100% polyester suiting for uniforms. Poly-cotton (sometimes sold as PC or terry cot) blends polyester with cotton instead of viscose, which gives a firmer, drier handle; see why 65/35 is a common shirting ratio. How TR compares with all-cotton cloth for uniforms is covered in poly-viscose vs cotton uniforms.

To see TR suiting and shirting in hand, Request Catalog.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the full form of TR fabric?

Terylene Rayon. Terylene was the British trade name for polyester fiber and rayon is the generic name for regenerated cellulose such as viscose, so TR fabric is a polyester-viscose blend.

Is terry rayon the same as TR?

Yes. Terry rayon is a spoken form of TR. It is a polyester-viscose blend and has nothing to do with terry towelling, which is a looped pile weave.

Is TR fabric the same as PV fabric?

Yes. TR, PV and poly-viscose all name a blend of polyester and viscose. Compare offers on ratio, GSM, width and weave, not on which name the seller uses.

Is TR fabric good for uniforms?

It is a staple of uniform suiting in India because the polyester share holds shape and shade through frequent washing while the viscose share keeps it comfortable. Whether a given TR suits your programme depends on its ratio, weight and weave.

Does TR fabric shrink?

Less than all-cotton or all-viscose cloth, because polyester absorbs very little water, but the viscose share can still move. Ask for a shrinkage figure on the spec sheet.