Linear Density Converter
Convert yarn linear density between tex, denier, dtex, and kg/m.
Used in textile engineering and fabric design for comparing yarn weights across systems.
Type in any field — the others update instantly.
Linear density measures the mass of a fiber or yarn per unit length. It is the standard way to describe thread and yarn thickness in the textile industry.
All conversions use tex as the base unit.
Key units:
- Tex = grams per 1,000 meters (ISO standard)
- Decitex (dtex) = grams per 10,000 meters = tex ÷ 10
- Denier (den) = grams per 9,000 meters = tex × 9
- kg/m = tex ÷ 1,000,000
Conversion formulas:
- 1 tex = 9 denier
- 1 tex = 10 dtex
- 1 denier = 0.1111 tex
- 1 dtex = 0.1 tex
Common fiber reference values:
| Fiber | Denier | Tex |
|---|---|---|
| Microfiber | <1 | <0.11 |
| Silk (single strand) | 1 | 0.11 |
| Nylon stocking | 10–15 | 1.1–1.7 |
| Cotton thread | 20–40 | 2.2–4.4 |
| Carpet fiber | 15–24 | 1.7–2.7 |
Denier is common in North America for consumer products. Tex and dtex are the ISO standard used in technical specifications.
Denier is the number most people have actually seen, on a package of tights. The higher it is, the thicker and more opaque the fabric: 15 denier is barely-there sheer, 40 to 80 is everyday opaque, and 100-plus is winter warmth. The same logic shows up on fishing line, outdoor gear, and carpet, where a higher denier means a heavier, more durable fiber. It’s a weight rating standing in for thickness.
Why measure mass per length at all, rather than diameter? Because fibers and yarns aren’t smooth round rods. They’re fuzzy, twisted, and irregular, so a caliper reading would be meaningless, while weighing a known length is repeatable and honest. One quirk to watch: cotton and wool often use older “count” systems that run the opposite way, where a higher number means a finer yarn, the inverse of denier and tex. So a high thread count and a high denier pull in different directions, which is exactly the kind of thing this converter exists to untangle.
How we build and check this converter
This converter runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.