Synthetic fibre: definition, examples and customisation
A synthetic fibre is a textile fibre made by chemistry, mostly from oil: polyester, polyamide (nylon), elastane, acrylic. Often light and quick to dry, these fibres make most of the sports t-shirts, puffer jackets and beanies at tknp.io, and they also steer the choice of decoration.
Under the tile of a sleeveless gilet, you read "100% polyamide"; on a beanie's product page, "100% acrylic". Before you choose the garment for your club, your team or your brand, here is what these names mean and what they change for customisation.
What is a synthetic fibre?
A synthetic fibre is a textile fibre spun from a polymer that industry makes itself, by chemical synthesis, almost always from hydrocarbons such as oil. It does not exist in nature: polyester, polyamide, elastane and acrylic are born in a factory, and the cloth woven or knitted from them becomes a synthetic fabric.
The EU regulation 1007/2011 on textile fibre names gives each of them its official name and chemical definition.
Synthetic, natural or artificial fibre: what is the difference?
The difference between synthetic, natural and artificial fibres lies in where the material comes from: a natural fibre is harvested from a plant or an animal, an artificial fibre transforms a natural material through chemistry, and a synthetic fibre makes its own material. Artificial and synthetic fibres together form the family of man-made fibres.
| Family | Where the material comes from | Examples on a label |
|---|---|---|
| Natural | a plant or an animal | cotton, linen, wool, silk |
| Artificial | wood cellulose, dissolved then spun again | viscose, modal, lyocell |
| Synthetic | a polymer created by chemistry, mostly from oil | polyester, polyamide (nylon), elastane, acrylic |
The EU regulation lists viscose, modal and lyocell as regenerated cellulose fibres; our article on viscose takes a close look at one of them.
What are the main synthetic fibres?
Four synthetic fibres keep coming back on the product pages of the sports t-shirts, jackets, beanies and caps of tknp.io checked on 20 October 2026: polyester, polyamide (or nylon), elastane and acrylic. Polypropylene, for its part, does not appear in any of the compositions checked.
Polyester, the most produced textile fibre in the world
Polyester is the most produced textile fibre in the world: 78 million tonnes in 2024, or 59% of a world production of 132 million tonnes of fibre, according to Textile Exchange's Materials Market Report 2025. Taken together, synthetic fibres account for 69%.
In our catalogue, it is found on the ten sports t-shirts at the top of the range, the B&C #RESET Windbreaker, the two fleeces mentioned below, the B&C Reset Polar Fleece and the Stanley Quester, and seven of the thirteen puffer jackets and gilets at the top of the range. Its strengths and limits in wear are covered in our article on polyester.
Polyamide and nylon, one and the same fibre
Polyamide and nylon are the same fibre: the EU regulation groups them in a single entry, and our product pages use either name. First sold in 1938 according to Wikipedia, nylon makes the fabric of six of the thirteen puffer jackets and gilets shown at the top of the tknp.io range, such as the Stanley/Stella Puffer Gilet 2.0, in 38 g/m² recycled nylon, or the B&C Reset Bodywarmer.
Elastane, the fibre that stretches
Elastane, also known by its trade name Lycra, is the stretch fibre: stretched to three times its length and released, it quickly returns to its original length, according to its EU definition. It is found blended with other fibres, such as the 5% in the Pen Duick Atlantic Men softshell or the 9% in the Just Cool Active Recycled Baselayer; the amounts garment by garment are in our article on elastane.
Acrylic, the beanie fibre
Acrylic is a synthetic fibre made of at least 85% acrylonitrile, according to the EU regulation, valued for its soft touch and lightness. Of the 16 models shown at the top of the tknp.io beanie range, 8 are 100% acrylic, including the Beechfield Original Cuffed Beanie, at 340 g/m².
Which garments contain synthetic fibres?
At tknp.io, synthetic fibres make up most of the models shown at the top of three ranges: the 10 sports t-shirts are polyester, the 13 puffer jackets and gilets are polyamide or polyester, and 13 of the 16 models shown at the top of the beanie range are acrylic or polyester. For a club's merch, it will be the sports t-shirt; for a team working outdoors, on a building site or in a workshop, the softshell or the sleeveless gilet; for winter, the beanie. For a white and navy outfit, the Cool T comes in Arctic White and the Reset Bodywarmer gilet in Navy.
How much does a customised synthetic garment cost?
The price of a customised synthetic garment depends on the model far more than on the fibre. At tknp.io, as of 20 October 2026 and for guidance only, for 50 units, the Just Cool Cool T sports t-shirt, in polyester, costs €7.07 per unit excluding VAT, decorated with an A6 DTF transfer, while the Pen Duick Atlantic Men softshell, also in polyester, comes to €36.57 excluding VAT embroidered 8 x 10 cm.
| Garment | Composition (product page) | Decoration available online | Price excl. VAT for 50 units, decoration included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just Cool Cool T sports t-shirt | 100% polyester, 140 g/m² | DTF transfer, screen printing, embroidery | €7.07 with an A6 DTF transfer |
| B&C My Eco Polo 65/35 | 65% recycled polyester, 35% cotton, 180 g/m² | DTF transfer, screen printing, embroidery | €11.16 embroidered 8 x 10 cm |
| B&C Reset Bodywarmer gilet | 100% polyamide (recycled nylon), recycled polyester padding and lining | softshell printing, embroidery | €22.74 embroidered 8 x 10 cm |
| Pen Duick Atlantic Men softshell | 95% polyester, 5% elastane, 340 g/m² | softshell printing, embroidery | €36.57 embroidered 8 x 10 cm |
| Beechfield Original Cuffed Beanie | 100% acrylic, 340 g/m² | embroidery | €6.41 embroidered 8 x 10 cm |
Our prices for guidance only, as shown by our product pages on 20 October 2026: excluding VAT, one position, most affordable colour, for standard sizes (larger sizes and a few colours come out slightly dearer), shipping not included, at the standard two-week lead time.
Which decoration should you choose on a synthetic garment?
On a synthetic garment, the way the garment is built decides the decoration more than the fibre alone: the polyester sports t-shirts checked take a DTF transfer or screen printing, while the B&C #RESET Windbreaker, a water-repellent recycled polyester windbreaker, moves to softshell printing or embroidery. The full list of techniques offered is on the "Available markings" line of each product page checked on tknp.io.
For a running club, the article devoted to the custom running t-shirt compares these techniques.
Technical jackets: on the ten product pages checked for this article (windbreaker, softshells, puffer jackets, quilted gilets and the Stanley Quester fleece), only softshell printing and embroidery are offered online, with patches quoted on request. Softshell printing is a transfer designed for these fabrics: printed on a film with a white underbase and an anti-migration layer that blocks the fabric's dye, it holds on water-repellent fabrics where direct ink does not take. It is never placed on a seam or within 2 to 4 cm of its edges, a point to check on a quilted puffer jacket; the Stanley/Stella Puffer Gilet 2.0 even has a zipped inner opening which, according to its product page, makes customisation easier.
The acrylic beanies and caps checked here are embroidered: the Beechfield Original Cuffed Beanie and Original Flat Peak Snapback offer embroidery online and patches on request.
Does a synthetic fibre pill?
Yes, a synthetic fibre can pill: it all depends on the yarn and how dense the knit is, a mechanism explained in our article on pilling. Manufacturers address it on their product pages: the B&C Reset Polar Fleece is knitted at high density in anti-pilling recycled polyester, and the Stanley/Stella Stanley Quester fleece gets an anti-pilling treatment on both sides.
What is the environmental impact of synthetic fibres?
The environmental impact of synthetic fibres comes first from their material, mostly drawn from hydrocarbons such as oil, then from washing: between 200,000 and 500,000 tonnes of microplastics from textiles reach the oceans every year, according to the European Environment Agency. The agency adds that most of these microplastics are released during the first washes.
Recycled fibre remains a minority: recycled polyester accounted for 6.9% of all fibres produced in 2024, according to Textile Exchange. In our catalogue, the B&C #RESET Windbreaker is made from it; our page on recycled polyester explains what this origin really changes. A garment kept for years only goes through those first washes once: one more reason for merch people want to wear for a long time.
Place your logo on a synthetic puffer jacket before you order
In the tknp.io puffer jacket range, the tile of most models shows its fibre, "100% polyamide" or "100% polyester". On the page you pick, the Customise online button opens the designer, where you place your logo on the gilet or the puffer jacket and see where it falls in relation to the seams. The designer suggests the technique based on your logo and the quantity; it costs nothing, and only the order is paid for, from 10 decorated units per model.
Frequently asked questions
Is a synthetic fibre always made from oil?
No, but it is the most common case: 88% of the polyester produced worldwide is fossil-based, according to Textile Exchange's Materials Market Report 2025, and most of the rest is recycled polyester, remade from existing plastic rather than new oil. EU regulation 1007/2011 even names a synthetic fibre made from plant sugars, polylactide.
How do you recognise a synthetic fibre on a label?
By its official name: in the European Union, the composition label may only use the names listed in regulation 1007/2011, such as polyester, polyamide or nylon, elastane and acrylic. The words "100%" are reserved for garments made of a single fibre, within a 2% margin of technically unavoidable foreign fibres.
Is acrylic a kind of wool?
No: acrylic is a synthetic fibre, made by chemistry, whereas wool is a natural fibre, shorn from sheep. Soft to the touch, acrylic is sometimes blended with wool, as in the Flexfit Classic Snapback cap, in 80% acrylic and 20% wool.
How do you care for a synthetic garment?
By following the label of each model, because the instructions vary from one synthetic garment to another. At tknp.io, the Stanley Quester fleece, in recycled polyester, is not to be ironed and dries in the open air according to its product page, while the B&C Active T t-shirt, also in recycled polyester, can be washed at 60 °C.
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