In textile manufacturing, finishing refers to the processes that convert the woven or knitted cloth into a usable material and more specifically to any process performed after dyeing the yarn or fabric to improve the look, performance, or “hand” (feel) of the finished textile or clothing. The precise meaning depends on context. Some finishing techniques such as bleaching and dyeing are applied to yarn before it is woven while others are applied to the grey cloth directly after it is woven or knitted. Some finishing techniques, such as fulling, have been in use with hand-weaving for centuries; others, such as mercerisation, are byproducts of the Industrial Revolution.