Short answer: This glossary lists 28 terms a buyer meets when ordering made-to-brief home decor; each term page cites two public sources and compares the term with a neighbour.
All terms, A to Z
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| AQL | AQL is the worst defect level that is still treated as acceptable when a batch is judged from a sample. It is a limit used to make inspection decisions, not a target for production. |
| Backing board | A backing board is the rigid sheet at the back of a framed piece that supports the artwork and protects it from knocks and pollutants. Conservation guidance asks for acid-free, neutral-pH materials. Some guides describe two layers, a primary board the work is mounted on and a secondary board behind. |
| Bill of lading | A bill of lading is a document issued by a carrier to confirm it has received cargo for shipment. It records the carriage terms and, in some forms, can represent ownership of the goods. |
| Colourfastness | Colourfastness is how well a dyed or printed textile keeps its colour, resisting fading or running, when exposed to washing, light, rubbing, sweat and similar conditions. It is checked with standard tests and graded on rating scales. |
| Commercial invoice | A commercial invoice is the exporter's document describing a cross-border sale. Customs use it to work out duties and taxes. It also serves as proof of the sale. |
| Contract manufacturing | Contract manufacturing is when a company pays an outside factory to make its products under contract. The company sells them under its own brand and usually provides the design. |
| Cork board | A cork board is a board faced with cork, used to pin up notices, notes and pictures. Cork is the bark of the cork oak. Its cell structure lets pins go in easily and mostly recovers when they are removed. |
| Digital textile printing | Digital textile printing is printing colourant onto fabric with inkjet technology, directly from a digital file. The ink type must suit the fibre, and fabric is often pretreated, then fixed with heat and sometimes washed off. |
| Glazing | Glazing is the clear protective layer, glass or acrylic, placed in front of a framed picture. It guards the work from dirt, pollutants and handling. Good practice is to use a type that filters ultraviolet light. |
| Golden sample | A golden sample is the final, buyer-approved sample made by the factory before mass production. It is kept as the reference that bulk goods are compared with. |
| GSM | GSM is the weight, in grams, of one square metre of a material such as paper or fabric. A higher number means a heavier material per area. It is a measure of weight, not of thickness. |
| HS code | An HS code is a number that classifies a traded product under the Harmonized System. The base code has six digits and is used by customs worldwide for tariffs and trade statistics. |
| Incoterms | Incoterms are standard international trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce. They set out who does what, who pays for what and who bears which risk when goods move from seller to buyer. The 2020 edition has eleven rules. |
| Martindale test / rub count | The Martindale test measures how well a fabric resists abrasion by rubbing a sample against a standard abrasive in set cycles. The rub count is the number of cycles reached at the defined wear end point, and a higher count means better abrasion resistance. |
| Mat board / mount board | Mat board, called mount board in British usage, is the paper-based board cut into a window and placed between artwork and glass in a frame. It frames the picture and keeps it from touching the glazing. Conservation guidance prefers cotton rag or purified, acid-free grades. |
| MDF | MDF is an engineered wood panel made from fine wood fibres mixed with resin and pressed under heat. It has a smooth, even surface that takes paint or veneer well. Standard grades are mainly for indoor use. |
| Non-woven wallpaper | Non-woven wallpaper is wallpaper on a backing made from a sheet of cellulose and textile fibres bound together, rather than ordinary paper. The backing stays dimensionally stable when wet, so paste is applied to the wall and the strip is hung without soaking. |
| ODM | An ODM is a manufacturer that designs as well as produces a product. Another company then sells that product under its own brand. |
| OEM | An OEM is a manufacturer that makes parts or products which another company sells under its own name. In the contract sense, the client usually provides the design and the factory builds to it. |
| Packing list | A packing list is a document that travels with a shipment and lists what is in it. It shows items, quantities and often weights and dimensions. It is used to check the delivery, not to bill for it. |
| Peel and stick wallpaper | Peel and stick wallpaper is wallpaper with a self-adhesive back covered by a liner. You peel off the liner and press the strip onto the wall, with no paste or water, and it is generally meant for temporary or easy-change use. |
| Private label | A private label product is made by one company and sold under the brand of another company, usually a retailer. The brand owner sets the specification and handles selling, while an outside manufacturer produces the goods. |
| Proforma invoice | A proforma invoice is a preliminary invoice sent before a sale is complete. It shows expected prices and terms but is not the final bill. The commercial invoice follows once the sale is done. |
| Purchase order | A purchase order is a document a buyer sends a supplier to order goods or services. It lists what is wanted, in what quantity and at what price. It usually becomes binding when the supplier accepts it. |
| Sublimation | Dye-sublimation printing uses heat to move dye into a material, and it is used on polyester. The design is either printed on paper and transferred, or printed directly onto the fabric. |
| Tempered glass | Tempered glass, also called toughened glass, is glass heated and then cooled fast to make the surface strong. It is several times stronger than ordinary annealed glass. It breaks into small granular pieces and cannot be cut after tempering. |
| Wallpaper roll | A wallpaper roll is the standard unit in which wallpaper is made and sold: a long strip wound on a core and hung in vertical lengths. Roll width, length and area differ between the American and European systems, so a roll is always described by its dimensions and by whether it is a single or double roll. |
| White label | A white label product is a ready-made item that one manufacturer makes and other companies sell under their own brand names. The seller adds its own label and packaging but does not make the product itself. |
How each term is built
- Every term page rests on two fetched public sources from different publishers, listed on the page with the fetch date.
- Each page adds a comparison with a neighbouring term and generic questions to ask a supplier.
- Terms that did not pass the two-source test are not published here.
Explainers that use these terms
- EXW, FCA, FOB and CIF Compared for Buyers Importing from India
- Prototype, Pre-Production Sample and Production Sample: What Each Proves
- How a Purchase Order Should Read: Field-by-Field Checklist
- How to Read a Product Spec Sheet Before You Approve It
- What to Put in a Packing List for an Export Shipment
- Shipping Documents for Home Decor Imported from India: Who Issues What
- How to Evaluate a Manufacturer: Criteria and Evidence to Request
- Quality Inspection Basics: Inspection Stages, AQL and Defect Classes
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As of 2026-11-12. General information, not legal, customs or tax advice. Wording is paraphrased from the pages linked; your written quote and contract govern.