Liquid moulding processes are unique in that resin is infused into a dry fibre preform. Appropriate wet-out of the reinforcing fibres is thus a necessity for the achievement of good composite properties. For this class of manufacturing methods, both macroscopic flow, as related to Darcy’s Law and characterized by permeability, and microscopic flow, as related to fibre wet-out, are important. The current research investigates factors affecting permeability and fibre wet-out as related to liquid moulding. Specifically, it is shown that fabric permeability is dependent on the type of test fluid used. Surface tension and contact angle measurements indicate that interactions at the microscopic level between fibre and test fluid account for these differences in permeability. The investigation illustrates the competing nature of macroscopic and microscopic flow in liquid moulding.