Woven fabric

Sateen

A satin-structured fabric, commonly made with cotton yarns, presents a smooth face.

Also searched as: Cotton sateen

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Illustrative face of a repeating weave. Warp runs vertically; weft runs horizontally. Colors, yarn thickness and spacing are examples, not a production specification.

How it is made

Long floats dominate the face, with scattered binding points. The illustrated five-end weft-faced repeat is a common teaching example; trade usage of satin and sateen varies.

How to recognize it

The surface is smoother and often more lustrous than a comparable plain-weave cotton.

Common uses

  • Sheets
  • Pillowcases
  • Dress fabrics

What to distinguish

Sateen is not a fiber or a thread-count grade, and the name alone does not guarantee one float direction.

Sources & further reading

Research checked 2026-09-27. Descriptions are original summaries; references support terminology and construction, not every product sold under a name.

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