How to select the correct fabric for your Ziptrak® Interior
There are countless brands and types of interior fabrics available on the market that can be paired with the Ziptrak® Interior Blind System. The fabric selected is essential and will determine how well blinds meet your needs. Selecting the correct type of fabric to meet your requirements is important. The most common interior fabric types are block out, screen and translucent.
Interior Blockout Fabrics
Block out fabrics are ideal for privacy and light-blocking.
Block out fabrics with white back coating are best for heat reflection and insulation.
Interior Translucent Fabrics
Translucent does not mean transparent, these fabrics allow brightness and privacy during the day.
Lighter fabric tones are best for heat protection.
Interior Screen Fabrics
Screen fabrics offer glare and UV protection but zero privacy at night.
Darker fabric tones are best for glare reduction and sharper views.
Complete Privacy, Day & Night
Interior Blockout Fabrics
Complete Privacy, Day & Night
Block out fabrics offer complete day and night-time privacy, they are ideal for home cinemas, shift workers and families with young children.
100% light-blocking fabrics come in different thicknesses; 0.40mm thickness is considered a thin fabric while 0.70mm tends to be on the thick side. They also come in different weights; 330gsm is on the lighter side whilst 390gsm is heavy. Thicker and heavier light-blocking fabrics have excellent insulation properties that can contribute to an energy-efficient home.
Smart Coating, Stylish Design
The back of a thicker light-blocking fabric has a white coating that reflects external light and reduces heat radiating into a room. This coating is present only at the back of the fabric, white is the most common but some brands also use coloured back coatings. The internal side of the fabric can have any colour scheme, there is a wide range of rich colours and beautiful textures available to match or complement your interior design.
Light vs Dark: Choosing the Right Shade
Based on our experience, thinner block out fabrics in lighter colours such as cream or light grey can have a ‘glow’ effect from harsh external light sources. Although lighter fabric colours will block all external light, if utilised where intense direct sun or another external light source is present, the fabric may look like it is glowing. However, lighter coloured fabrics can provide good insulation for energy efficiency. Darker colours are considered the best for blocking all light but like a black car left in the sun, darker fabrics can absorb heat and radiate this into a room.
Location Matters When Choosing Fabrics
When selecting a light-blocking fabric, it’s important to consider the position and orientation of your blinds. East- and west-facing installations receive the most intense light during sunrise and sunset, potentially creating a ‘glow’ effect on the fabric at these times. Blinds located in exposed areas – such as hilltops, coastal settings, or open fields – are also more susceptible, with the effect being most prominent during the brighter summer months.
Blockout fabrics:
Skye | Linesque | Mantra | Palm Beach | Endota | Icon – BO fabrics by Shaw
Balmoral | Gala | Metroshade – BO fabrics by Texstyle
Soft light, total daytime privacy.
Interior Translucent Fabrics
Daytime Privacy with Natural Light
Translucent fabrics, also known as light-filtering fabrics, are the perfect solution for daytime privacy. Keep in mind that while plenty of natural light will gently fill a room you will not see through the fabric. Translucent fabrics provide good shade and are efficient at stopping sun glare.
Colours That Shape Comfort
When deciding on what colours to use for a translucent fabric, consider that lighter tones might not be as good at blocking glare but will be significantly better at keeping heat out than a darker tone. This can make a difference when maintaining a cooler temperature in your indoor area during summer by using a lighter coloured fabric vs. a darker one. Traditionally used in bathrooms and living rooms, translucent fabrics allow heaps of daylight in, for a well-illuminated room while keeping it private during the day.
Translucent fabrics:
Skye | Le Reve | Mantra – LF fabrics by Shaw
Broome | Concorde – LF fabrics by Wilson
Perfect light, clear views and comfort
Interior Screen Fabrics
Smart Fabrics for Every Interior
Some thicker light-blocking fabrics have a white coating on the back that reflects external light and reduces heat radiating into a room, while others do not. This coating is present only on the back of the fabric — white is the most common, but some brands also use coloured back coatings. The internal side of the fabric can have any colour scheme; there is a wide range of rich colours and beautiful textures available to match or complement your interior design.
Keep in mind that lighter tones of screen fabrics will have a reduced see-through view compared to darker tones. The darker tones are excellent at reducing glare but can heat up during the day and radiate into a room.
Different Transparency Levels
As a rule of thumb, lighter colours are ideal for heat protection while darker colours are best in delivering sharper views.
If you are looking for the best of both worlds (clear views, and glare and heat protection) you may have to compromise with an in-between colour such as grey.
Screen fabrics are available in different densities or transparency levels, also known as the ‘openness factor of the weave’. These determine the clarity of the view and can vary from 2% to 10%, e.g., a fabric with 2% openness stops more glare as the threads are closer together while a fabric with 10% openness offers better views.
Screen fabrics:
Aventus – SF by Shaw by Shaw Fabrics
Design Your Blind