A jacquard and a dobby are machines that work with a loom and decide, for every pick, which warp threads lift. Both run the same weaving cycle. The difference is how finely they make that choice.
The one difference: thread or shaft?
On a jacquard every warp thread hangs from its own hook and is chosen on its own. On a dobby the threads are drawn in groups through heddle shafts; when a shaft lifts, every thread in that group lifts with it. The two drawings below show the same loom, first with a jacquard head and then with a dobby. Watch the pattern that grows in the cloth in front.
Press "Start the loom" on a drawing and it begins to weave. The buttons below it pause, speed up or slow down the loom, and the arrow keys move it one pick at a time.
Side by side
| Jacquard | Dobby | |
|---|---|---|
| Choice | Each thread on its own | Shaft by shaft |
| Selectors | Thousands of hooks | Usually up to 24 shafts |
| Pattern | Large and free: florals, medallions, logos | Small and geometric: diamonds, twills, grids |
| Position | Above the loom | Beside the loom |
| In the past | Punched cards | Pegged chain |
| Today | Electronic jacquard | Electronic dobby |
Which one for which fabric?
Drapery with large motifs, jacquard sheers and decorative fabrics are woven on a jacquard. Plain-coloured but textured dimouts, sheers and upholstery fabrics usually only need a dobby. Because a dobby is a simpler mechanism, setting up a new pattern on it also takes less time.
Of our fabrics, TK-T04 is a jacquard weave. 99% Dimout and TK-T03 are woven on dobby looms.
Read more
Each machine has its own article: How does a jacquard loom work? and How does a dobby loom work?
