---
title: "Percale Weave"
description: "What percale weave is for bed sheets and how it differs from sateen in hand-feel and structure."
url: "https://bedguide.co.uk/glossary/percale/"
category: "glossary"
primary_entity: "percale weave"
date_published: 2026-08-03
date_modified: 2026-08-03
---

# Percale Weave

> Percale is a plain-weave sheet structure. Yarns cross one-over-one-under for a crisp, matte hand. Compared with sateen, percale usually feels airier and less lustrous. Fibre still matters. Cotton percale differs from linen or blended percale. Thread count alone does not define percale quality.

**Definition.** Percale is a plain one-over-one-under weave used in bed sheets. It feels crisp and matte, with a cooler hand than sateen of the same fibre.

Also called: percale cotton.

Full materials guide: [Bed sheet materials and thread count](/bedding/bed-sheets-materials).
Compare: [Percale vs sateen](/compare/percale-vs-sateen).

---

Source: https://bedguide.co.uk/glossary/percale/ · BedGuide — educational encyclopedia, no affiliate commission. Facts checked against official sources where possible; see https://bedguide.co.uk/editorial-policy. Report an error: https://bedguide.co.uk/corrections.