Tea towel buyer guide
Tea towels from India: fabric, print and packing specs
Tea towels are bought two ways: plain and striped for kitchens, and printed for retail, gifts and souvenirs. The second kind is a print job as much as a textile job. This guide covers both, so your artwork and your fabric spec arrive at the mill together.
We're adding this line to our panel of partner mills. We quote it against your spec: MOQ, price and lead time come with the quote, after a sample. The figures on this page are typical industry specifications, not a promise of ours, and we confirm each one against a mill sample before you order.
Cotton, linen union or linen
| Fabric | Feel | Absorbency | Lint | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% cotton | Soft from new | High | Low once washed | Everyday kitchen use, printed retail towels |
| Linen union (cotton warp, linen weft) | Crisp, softens with washing | Good, dries fast | Very low | Glass polishing, premium retail, UK classic |
| 100% linen | Crisp, textured | Good, dries fastest | Lowest | Premium retail; costs most |
Print methods for tea towels
| Method | Colours | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen print (reactive dyes) | One screen per colour | Bold, flat colour | Set-up per colour; the classic souvenir look |
| Digital print | Unlimited | Photographic detail | No screens, so short runs of many designs work |
| Yarn-dyed woven | Stripes and checks only | Woven, not printed | The most wash-fast option |
Getting printed tea towels right
- Fabric should be pre-shrunk before printing, or the design distorts after the first wash.
- Keep the design inside the hems. Agree the print area (for example 46×66 cm on a 50×70 cm towel) and send artwork at full size.
- Send vector files or 300 dpi images, with Pantone references for spot colours.
- Approve a strike-off (a printed sample) before bulk. Colour on a screen never matches colour on cotton exactly.
Retail packing
- Folded with a header card or belly band; single or sets of 2 and 3.
- Barcode, care label and fibre content as your market requires.
- Hanging loop if the retailer hangs stock on hooks.
OEKO-TEX is available only through a certified partner mill. We show you the certificate number and scope before you order. We make no other certificate claim for this line.
Write your RFQ
What to put in your enquiry
- Fabric and blend, and GSM
- Finished size and hem style (plain, hemstitch, mitred corners)
- Print method, number of colours and print area
- Artwork files and Pantone references
- Strike-off approval before bulk
- Packing: header card, belly band, set size, barcode
- Quantity per design
Missing a detail? Send what you have. We ask for the rest before we quote.
Request a sample and quote
Inside the sheet
Fill in one sheet per restaurant, bar or banquet room. Measure the tables, choose the drop, and write the quantities you hold today. It works for any supplier. Send it with your enquiry and the quote comes back against your exact spec.
Free buyer kit
F&B Linen Spec Sheet
One page per outlet: tables, cloths, napkins, aprons and kitchen towels, ready to send as an RFQ to any supplier.
- Outlet (3 checks)
- Tables and tablecloths (5 checks)
- Napkins, runners, placemats (3 checks)
- Aprons and kitchen linen (3 checks)
- Before you send (3 checks)
No sign-up. Works for any supplier, not just us.
Questions buyers ask
What is the standard tea towel size?
50×70 cm is the most common size. In the UK, 48×74 cm is also widely used, and 45×65 cm suits gift and promotional sets. Agree the finished size after shrinkage, not the cut size.
Is a linen tea towel better than cotton?
For polishing glass, yes: linen and linen union are lint-free and dry fast. Cotton is softer from new and more absorbent for general drying. Many retail ranges sell both.
What is a linen union tea towel?
A cloth woven with a cotton warp and a linen weft. It keeps most of linen's lint-free, fast-drying character at a lower cost than pure linen.
How should I send artwork for printed tea towels?
At full size, as vector files or 300 dpi images, with Pantone references and the print area marked inside the hems. Approve a strike-off before bulk printing.