Textile Encyclopedia

Percale

Smooth, slightly crisp, printed or dyed plain-woven fabric made of combed yarns. In percale bed sheets, thread counts from 160 to 300 are available. Percale is called calico if it has a small, quaint, printed design; chintz if it has a printed design; and cretonne if it has a large-scale floral design. When percale is given a highly glazed finish using a friction calendar, it is called glazed or glazed chintz.