some situations and by some people, ribbon is also called "narrow fabric". Ribbon does not have to be woven. Some ribbons start out as film or paper. As long as it is narrow and long, it can probably be called ribbon. The "narrow fabric" group encompasses a large variety of products. For example, zipper tapes and the tape used in snap tapes also fall into the "narrow fabric" category. Webbings used in the auto industry, sports industry, and the airline industry also called "narrow fabric". At United Ribbons, we make and sell only the highest quality woven-edged ribbons.

world of ribbon is wide, so it is important to use the correct ribbon for your project. If you have any doubt as to what you need or if you are buying the correct ribbon, be sure to consult one of our ribbonologists.

most important factor about ribbon is the edge. Simply put, there are woven-edged ribbon, slit-edged ribbon, and Greige goods (undyed ribbons).

Woven-edged ribbons must be woven on special machines, called looms, specifically designed to make narrow fabric. Most of these looms can weave several ribbons at the same time, side by side. There are 2 types of looms: needle looms and shuttle looms. Woven edge ribbons are woven as one piece. That is to say the edges are part of the weaving process, so the edges of these ribbons will not fray. Because they are woven as individual pieces, one ribbon can contain several different materials.

Slit-edged ribbons start as one big piece of fabric. The fabric is fed into a slitting machine, which slits the fabric into different widths of "ribbon." Usually, the slitting knives are heated so the edges of the ribbon are melted just enough to prevent fraying. There is also an ultrasonic slitting machine, which actually cuts and fuses the edges using sound waves. Some people call these types of ribbons "fused-edge ribbons".

Greige goods (undyed ribbons) must be dyed before they are slit because if you try to dye slit goods, the melted edges don't dye well. Also important in the field of slit-edged ribbons is the fact that they must be made out of man-made fibers, which melt; you cannot make slit ribbon out of natural fibers.