Factors affecting the quality and life of tarpaulin Tarpaulin is a thicker cotton or linen fabric. It is named after its early use in sails. Generally, plain weave is used, and a small amount of twill weave is used. Multi-strand yarns are used for warp and weft yarns. Tarpaulin is now more and more widely used, today we will understand the factors that affect the quality and life of tarpaulin.