Intarsia vs Jacquard
Two ways to knit colour into a garment, constantly confused. The difference shows up on the back of the fabric — and in the weight and cost.
Both put multiple colours into a knit, but they build them differently — and that changes the hand-feel, the weight and the price.
Intarsia — blocks of solid colour
Each colour area uses its own yarn supply, knitted only where that colour appears. There are no floats carried across the back, so the fabric stays a single thickness and the colour blocks are crisp and reversible-clean. Ideal for argyle, large motifs and graphic colour-blocking.
Jacquard — patterns carried across
Multiple colours are knitted across each row, with the unused colours carried (floated) on the back. This makes jacquard thicker and warmer, and well suited to repeating all-over patterns (Fair Isle, geometrics) where colours recur frequently.
Tell them apart by the back: intarsia has a clean back (no floats); jacquard shows floats and is denser. Intarsia for solid colour blocks; jacquard for repeating multi-colour patterns.
Cost & design notes
Both add machine and programming time over plain knitting, so both cost more than jersey or rib — see the cost breakdown. Intarsia's clean single-thickness is great for lighter garments; jacquard's floats add warmth but can limit very fine detail. Our Shima Seiki machines support intarsia up to 16 colours in one course.
Designing a colourwork piece? Show the placement clearly in your tech pack and we'll advise the best technique — request a quote.
Ready to make it?
Send a tech pack, a reference garment or a brief. We respond within one business day with a capacity check, indicative pricing and a sample timeline — direct with the founder.