Cotton Duck Canvas- Numbered Ducks VS. Single Fill

Let’s start by clarifying one thing, cotton duck and cotton canvas are one of the same things. Cotton duck is a term related to the industry and cotton canvas is more of a consumer term.

Numbered Ducks vs. Single Fill Ducks

• Numbered Ducks

Named Numbered Ducks because of its "#" like weave structure. It is also known as "double fill" or "plied yarn". Historically, this type of Cotton Duck Canvas was given numbers. These ducks identified by the "#" sign in front of a number from 1 to 12. Woven from yarns, this duck is composed of two or more twisted/plied threads in the warp direction and filling (side to side) direction to make a tighter and stronger weave construction over single fill ducks. Popular uses of this material include more rugged outdoor or industrial applications. Numbered ducks varies in weight from mill to mill and there is no real universal standard weight for each number.

#12 is the lightest weight numbered duck and #1 is the heaviest. Anything heavier than #1 would be considered as a Naught Duck. As if it wasn't confusing enough, many wholesale suppliers also carry Army Duck, which is technically a numbered duck as well, but uses smaller plied yarns to create a finer texture and better durability.

Numbered Ducks are the main product used to differentiate between the textures of primed and un-primed artist’s canvas. The tight weave of numbered ducks also makes it durable & less permeable to inks, liquids, paints, etc. It is a perfect choice for Canvas Tents, Drop Cloths, Upholstery, Tarps, Silk Screening, Digital Printing, Theatrical Back Drops, and more. Heavier cotton duck canvas is also an attractive and cheap solution for sound dampening/barriers in media rooms, offices, studios, schools or at home as wall covering or a drapery.

• Single Fill Ducks

Single fill ducks are recognized by their ounce weight. This weight is the approximate weight per square yard. For example, 10oz duck is around 10 ounces per square yard and 1 square yard is 36" x 36 ". Single fill ducks differ from numbered ducks in that they are usually woven from thin single yarns wove in pairs in the warp direction and thicker single yarns in filling direction. Hence, the term "Single Filled Duck" and Oz. ducks are interchangeable terms.

Single fill duck is a medium weight cotton duck canvas used in a wide array of applications. They are extremely popular for acrylic primed artist canvas, canvas tote bags, athletic padding, fleece lined jackets, slip covers, crafts, bags, liners, table cloths, and much more. This duck material is also commonly tarp treated for use in finished tarps and is available in A and AB grade.

There was a need to have a lighter fabric which possesses all the qualities and can be durable. An army duck canvas fabric is a good example of it which used in army specifications.