Jeans Zippers: The famous YKK YZip

Zippers are used in a variety of products and parts, such as clothing and bags, it is one of the most frequently used trims.

There are several types of metal zipper, including standard metal zipper, YZiP, and EXCELA zipper.

What kind of zipper is YZiP?

YZiP is a zipper commonly used for jeans and cotton pants, and there are two types of YZiP, YZiP (for jeans) and YZiP (aluminum), depending on the type of element material. The differences are described below.

YZiP (for jeans) has a thicker element than normal metal zipper to increase strength, and is used in the front of products that are washed, such as jeans, or products that are made of thicker fabric, which places more stress on the zipper.

Since jeans are stiff with glue in their raw denim state, they are generally washed before being distributed for the purpose of softening the fabric to make them easier to wear and to eliminate shrinkage and color fading. YZiP can withstand that load, so please use strong YZiP when performing wash processing.

Product Classification (Type and Color Range)

YZiP comes in two types: close ended and open ended zipper, and there is no 2 way open zipper as two way-opening zippers are not attached to the front of pants.

There are sizes 3, 4, and 5 available. The larger the number, the larger the teeth size.

Element colors are as follows: Gold, Antique Gold, Antique Silver, Dull Silver, Black, Nickel Silver.

Tape Types

Now, did you know that YZiP has two types of tapes: P tape (polyester) and CP tape (cotton-polyester mixed weave)?

 P tape  (polyester tape) is the one you can  see everywhere.

Then, what is CP tape (cotton-polyester mixed weave tape)?

CP tape is for post-dyeing. Polyester must be dyed under pressure, which can be costly, but CP tape can be dyed because it has cotton woven into it!

CP tape is available in only two colors, J196 (jeans pattern) and CP501 (white).

If you want to product-dye the zipper to match the color, remember to order CP tape.

Slider  attaches to Y-zip

When used on pants, you don’t want the zipper to open without your permission while wearing.

When you order a Y-zip, a common GSN8 slider will be attached unless otherwise specified.

The GSN8 is a semi-automatic locking slider, so there is no need to worry about it opening on its own. It locks when the puller is down, and unlocks and starts moving when the puller is up.

Of course, other sliders can be attached, but please choose the one with a lock if you use it for pants.

Cautions

There is a YZip called aluminum YZiP which is made of an aluminum alloy and is lighter than the one for jeans. However, it is not suitable for pants fronts because of its low resistance to friction and impact. Aluminum YZIP  is thicker and stronger than the standard metal aluminum zipper, and also feels lighter than aluminum, so some brands use it for blouse fronts,.

Also, depending on the washing method, there is a possibility of deterioration, so please be sure to conduct a quality confirmation test in advance.

Conclusion

Y-zip is a strong zipper that can withstand wash processing, and there is also a tape called CP tape that can be dyed.

There are many types of zipper, so it is difficult to choose the right one. Some are functional, but in the end it comes down to preference.

For more information about YKK zippers, please visit ApparelX’s YKK product page.