The traditional method of woven Wilton involves running yarn continually through the process creating the carpet pile and the backing. Where a colour does not appear on the surface it appears in the back of the carpet. At the point in the design where a specific colour is required pins then raise the pile yarn to the surface of the carpet from the backing to create the design. Can be manufactured in all cut or all loop pile as well as alternating cut and loop. Wilton is limited to a maximum of 5 colours and can be expensive due to the dormant yarn running through the backing.
Weaving on Fine Brussels Jacquard Wilton 5 frame looms, like the Wilton looms involves yarn running continually through the weaving process creating the carpet pile and the backing. Where a colour does not appear on the surface it runs in the back of the carpet, at the point in the design where a specific colour is required the needles then raise the pile yarn to the surface of the carpet from the backing to create the design. These are determined by the 'stamped' jacquard cards that sit on the top of the loom. These cards work in a similar way to the computer programming: using 0's and 1's (jacquard cards were the first form of computerisation). Fine Brussels Wilton Carpets can be manufactured in cut or loop pile as well as being able to create patterns of cut and loop. Brussels Wilton is not limited to 5 colours as planting of bobbins in the frames at the back of the loom mean that many colours can be used. However a high number is unusual; 6 to 8 colours are much more common. Brussels Wilton is a very hard-wearing carpet woven at 9.5 pitch with 11, 12 or 13 rows per inch, at 2 and three shot (cotton weft per row) that creates a durable carpet with a very fine weave.
The Face to face Wilton process is similar to the traditional Wilton manufacturing except this time the material is woven between two backing processes creating a sandwich effect. A blade then slices the material into two creating top and bottom carpets which are identical, but mirrored. The process is very cost effect with no yarn wastage, but can only be produced as cut pile carpet. Most plain Wilton uses the face to face manufacturing method.
A flatweave carpet is created by interlacing warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads. As the yarn lies flat they do not have a pile, and due to difficulty with seaming, flatweaves are more commonly available as runners and rugs. Design is restricted to the patterns created by the interweaving of the warp and weft and the different types of yarn that can be used.