Printed Shade Fabric Options

Before diving into specific fabric types, it helps to understand two key measurements: opacity and openness factor. Opacity refers to how much light the fabric blocks—a 100% opaque fabric blocks all light. Openness factor measures the percentage of the fabric surface that consists of tiny holes allowing light and air to pass through.

Blackout Fabrics (0% Openness, 95-100% Opacity)

Blackout fabrics provide complete light blockage, making them ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, home theaters, and media rooms where darkness is essential. The opaque backing prevents any light from passing through, creating a dark environment even during bright daylight hours. For printed shades, blackout fabric offers an additional advantage: because no light passes through the fabric, your printed image appears with maximum vibrancy and color saturation. There is no "washing out" effect from backlighting.

Our blackout fabrics are constructed with either a white backing (which reflects heat and light back outside) or a colored backing that matches the print side for a uniform appearance from outdoors. The white-backed option offers slightly better energy efficiency, while the color-matched backing provides a more refined exterior appearance.

Room-Darkening Fabrics (Less than 1% Openness, 50-95% Opacity)

Room-darkening fabrics block most light while allowing a subtle glow around the edges. They provide significant light reduction without the complete blackout effect, making them suitable for bedrooms where you want darkness for sleep but prefer some ambient light during the day. These fabrics offer excellent privacy—silhouettes are not visible from outside at any time.

Light-Filtering Fabrics (1-5% Openness, 15-50% Opacity)

Light-filtering fabrics soften and diffuse incoming sunlight, creating a pleasant, evenly-lit ambiance. They reduce glare on screens and reflective surfaces while maintaining privacy during daylight hours. At night with interior lights on, silhouettes may be visible from outside, so these fabrics are best for living rooms, offices, and spaces where nighttime privacy is less critical. The diffused light these fabrics create is ideal for working, reading, or any activity where harsh direct sunlight would be uncomfortable.

Solar Screen Fabrics (5-14% Openness)

Solar screen fabrics are designed specifically to reduce heat and glare while maintaining outward visibility. The open weave allows you to see through the shade during daylight hours—the view is similar to looking through a window screen. These fabrics block 86-95% of UV rays and reject up to 78% of solar heat, making them excellent for energy efficiency in sunny rooms.

Privacy with solar screens is directional: during the day when it is brighter outside than inside, you can see out but people cannot see in. At night when interior lights are on, visibility reverses—people outside can see silhouettes inside. For this reason, solar screens are often paired with secondary window treatments (drapes or blinds) for nighttime privacy.

Fiberglass Core Fabrics

Fiberglass core fabrics are constructed with glass fiber yarns (200-400 filaments per yarn) coated with PVC. The fiberglass provides exceptional dimensional stability—these fabrics do not stretch, shrink, or warp with temperature and humidity changes. This makes them ideal for large windows and commercial applications where consistent flat hanging is essential. Fiberglass fabrics are inherently fire resistant and typically meet NFPA 701 standards without additional treatment.

Polyester Core Fabrics

Polyester core fabrics use synthetic polyester fibers (50-100 filaments per yarn) with PVC coating. While slightly thicker and heavier than fiberglass, polyester fabrics offer a softer hand feel and are often preferred for residential applications. Polyester cores are also available in PVC-free versions for eco-conscious customers. These fabrics may require fire-retardant treatment to meet commercial fire codes.

PVC-Free and Eco-Friendly Options

For customers concerned about environmental impact and indoor air quality, we offer PVC-free fabric options. These fabrics use alternative coatings such as TPO (thermoplastic olefins) or are constructed entirely from 100% recyclable polyester. Many PVC-free fabrics are GREENGUARD Gold certified for low chemical emissions and qualify for LEED building certification points. These eco-friendly options are free from PVC, formaldehyde, antimony, halogen compounds, and other chemicals of concern.