Soft - soft velvety fabric for interiors and outfits

Story

The fabric with the unusual name soft replaced the usual natural materials - cotton, linen, wool, silk - at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. The appearance of soft material became possible after the active introduction of synthetic polyester fibers into textile production.

The material quickly gained popularity due to its exceptional softness and combination of positive characteristics, practicality and ease of use.

Scientists continue to work with the fabric and create its varieties, adding new qualities, improving the composition and expanding the scope of application.

Application

Types of fabric vary in application and are suitable for sewing dissimilar products:

• clothing fabric - dresses, blouses, home clothes;
• interior fabric - bed linen, blankets, pillows, mattress covers, bedspreads;
• furniture - upholstery and covers for furniture;
• curtains - curtains, curtains, draperies, screens.

Furniture software imitates exquisite upholstery materials: velor, plush, embossed velvet. The material is distinguished by its high strength, variety of textures, and in production it undergoes a special treatment with a composition that protects against moisture, mold and deep penetration of contaminants. Furniture with soft upholstery attracts with its beauty of appearance and durability of use.

Types and features of application

The most common is double-sided software, which has a front side with a pattern and a back side. In addition, on sale you can find such varieties of this fabric as:

• satin, which includes cotton and viscose, is used mainly for sleeping sets;
• soft silk, one side of which has a small pile, and the other has a glossy sheen, often containing viscose;
• super soft, which is used as upholstery for upholstered furniture;
• stretch - elastic material with lycra, used primarily for mattress covers and other sleeping accessories;
• blackout, characterized by increased density and light resistance.

Fabrics with the addition of natural fibers are used for bed linen and home clothing. Thin polyester materials, especially silk and blackout varieties, are used for bedspreads, curtains, various draperies and other decorative elements, which give the interior a very sophisticated look.

A special feature of the software is the ability to form beautiful gathers with double rather than triple the width, like most fabrics, which allows you to save material.

In addition, when cutting it, it is not necessary to maintain the direction of the grain thread, since curtains cut wide will not stretch.

One of the most popular is super soft fabric, which is used in furniture production. It is distinguished by softness, great strength and a variety of textures that reproduce exquisite expensive fabrics. Modern furniture upholstery undergoes a special treatment that makes it resistant to dirt and accidental ingress of liquid. Furniture upholstered with such material is not only very beautiful and pleasant to use, but also durable.

Description of the fabric: composition, properties, characteristics

The main distinctive quality of the material is reflected in its name: in English, “soft” means “gentle, soft.” Soft is an extremely soft material that is pleasant to the touch. In appearance it resembles velor: a fleecy front surface is combined with a smooth, even back.

Fabric strength and abrasion resistance are tested using the Martindale test. Curtain software can withstand up to 6,000 cycles, furniture software can survive 30,000 cycles, which is an excellent result.

The usual soft composition is 100% polyester.

To increase elasticity, elastane and lycra fibers are added to the fabric, to make the material more hygroscopic and breathable - viscose or cotton; if necessary, to provide the fabric with moisture- and windproof properties, nylon is included in the composition. The final composition of the fabric determines its appearance: the soft looks matte or shiny, has short dense or sparse long pile.

Curtain software is most often painted in a single color; manufacturers choose soft, pastel, discreet colors. Brightly printed material is common in clothing. The thermal printing method is used to apply patterns to the surface. A three-dimensional pattern, as if cut on a pile surface, is popular.

Recently viewed with this fabric: Velvet

An important characteristic of the material is wear resistance: the material does not deform, wrinkles little, does not fade under the bright rays of the sun, and does not fade.

Natural software fully meets all existing requirements and standards, is absolutely non-toxic, and safe to use.

Soft-touch coating | How to use and where to apply?

Today, consumer market products with a soft and pleasant-to-touch coating are gaining great popularity. More and more we are seeing designer accessories, cases for mobile phones, household appliances, which have a beautiful velvety surface a little like rubber. Let's figure out what kind of coating this is and such a pleasant matte velvety effect, called today “ soft-touch ”.

What is soft-touch coating?

“ Soft-touch ” - literally translated from English as “ soft to the touch ”. Accordingly, we can say that the coating called “ soft-touch ” will have a soft and pleasant tactile effect when touched.

The coating (varnish or “ soft-touch ” paint) was invented in 1992 for application to radio-electronic products and buttons of calculators, VCRs and remote controls, that is, for such products and surfaces where there is frequent tactile human contact with the surface.

Now “ soft-touch ” varnish or paint is used for absolutely all consumer market products. We can often notice a pleasant velvet effect on computer mice, car interior parts, glasses cases, household appliances, toothbrushes, furniture fittings, mobile phone cases and even on large kitchen fronts, furniture, etc.

The “ soft-touch ” coating, when applied to any surface, gives the product a deeply matte appearance, giving it warmth and softness. Basically, soft-touch varnish or paint is used for decorative finishing of metal and plastic surfaces in industrial and industrial production. Such materials are intended:

• for painting products made of ABS plastic and PVC plastic;
• for painting polycarbonate;
• when painting car interior parts (i.e. automotive industry);
• for painting metal (aluminium, steel and various alloys).

How to use varnish or paint with a soft-touch effect?

Typically, a soft-touch coating is a two-component polyurethane enamel or a two-component polyurethane varnish for painting metal or plastic products. Let's figure out what the difference is.

Varnish with soft-touch effect

Soft-touch varnish is a transparent polyurethane coating (two-component polyurethane varnish) that can be applied to an already colored surface. The varnish can be used as a top coat to protect UV printing on mobile phone cases or as a protective coating for any other product.

Paint with soft-touch effect

A tinted paint and varnish material that is applied on top of polyurethane primers. Soft-touch paint can be presented in various colors according to all world catalogs (RAL, NCS, British Standard catalogues, etc.).

Application of coatings with a soft “soft-touch” effect

An important point is that varnish or paint with a soft-touch effect may differ in the drying method. “soft-touch varnishes and that dry with conventional air drying, and there are products that can only be dried in a specialized chamber at high temperatures. For example, a paint with a “soft-touch” effect from the Italian manufacturer ALCEA can be dried using air drying at 20°C, while varnish from the manufacturer LECHLER can only be dried using high-temperature drying in a chamber (60°C). Both products must be applied using a standard air spray method.

The recommended layer thickness is 50 microns.

Recommendations for the use of soft-touch coating

When using this soft coating, the following must not be allowed:

• prolonged exposure of contaminants to the surface;
• contact with the surface of alkaline and acidic compounds (bitumen stain cleaners, insect repellents, concentrated detergents, etc.);
• cleaning the surface with NOT alcohol compounds (i.e. if dirt gets in, it is best to clean the surface with alcohol or a special degreaser);
• long-term mechanical effect on the painted surface.

If you have any questions or want to choose a soft, pleasant-to-touch coating with a “soft-touch” effect , call us at 8-812-902-502-8 and we will definitely find the best solution for you!

Kinds

There are various types of material on sale:

• soft satin - fabric with cotton or viscose threads for sewing bed linen;
• soft silk is a double-sided fabric, one side is smooth and glossy, the other has a characteristic soft short pile, suitable for sewing beautiful clothes;
• flock soft is a durable fabric used in the furniture industry;
• stretch soft - an elastic material with lycra or elastane in its composition, used to create sleep accessories;
• super-soft Niagara - a newfangled lint-free dress fabric, thin, elastic, elegant;
• soft blackout - the material is distinguished by its density and light-proof properties, necessary for the production of practical curtains.

Types of fabric soft

There are many materials on the fabric market whose names include the word soft. These are the so-called types of software. Let's consider its main types.

Velsoft is a soft synthetic terry. The pile can be on one front side or on both sides - front and back.

Soft silk is a double-sided fabric. One side is smooth and shiny, and the other side has fine lint. There is no clear rule which one is front and which is purl. Manufacturers add viscose to this fabric.

Niagara soft is a dress material made of polyester with viscose. Material with a silky sheen, smooth surface, opaque.

Supersoft is very durable, intended for the manufacture of furniture upholstery and outerwear. Resistant to moisture and dirt.

Soft satin - consists of cotton. Thin and light fabric, very pleasant to the body, does not wrinkle and is breathable. It is mainly used to make bed linen.

Blackout soft is a dense material that is not capable of transmitting light. This soft material is used for sewing curtains.

Stretch soft - contains a large percentage of lycra or elastane. It is used for sewing elegant and comfortable clothes: dresses, trousers, skirts.

Advantages and disadvantages of the software

Soft fabric has positive consumer qualities:

• softness;
• strength;
• long service life;
• drapeability;
• dirt-repellent properties;
• wear resistance;
• dimensional stability;
• color fastness;
• ability to resist the spread of mold and fungi;
• ease of working with fabric.

Disadvantages of Matter:

• for many, the unnatural composition matters;
• insufficient breathability;
• low hygroscopicity, with the exception of fabrics containing viscose;
• high electrification, which can be prevented by the use of antistatic agents.

Care instructions

• Soft furniture upholstery can be cleaned with a soft damp brush or treated with a washing vacuum cleaner. To remove random stains, use a soap solution.
• Curtains are cleaned of dust once a week with a dry brush.
• Washing clothes and curtains is done in water at temperatures up to 40 degrees. Dry things naturally, carefully straightening them out. Iron from the wrong side with a non-hot iron.
• To care for fabric, do not use bleaches, aggressive washing powders, or brushes with hard bristles: they easily damage the structure of the material and render the item unusable.

Products made from soft fabric, which includes viscose, are treated with delicate care: they should be washed on a gentle cycle or by hand, or entrust the care of them to professional dry cleaners.

Features of care

The software is unpretentious, caring for it will not take much time.

Please note: Curtain and furniture fabrics undergo additional processing to increase their dust-proof properties. Sometimes they don't even require washing. Dry cleaning with a vacuum cleaner or clothes brush is sufficient.

However, some rules must be followed. Only if they are followed will the products retain their attractive appearance for many years. Experts recommend:

• Bed linen and heavy curtains can be washed in a machine on a delicate cycle at a temperature of +40 degrees. Soft fabric, which contains viscose, requires only hand washing and a temperature no higher than +30.
• Soft gels should be used as detergents. Solvents and bleaches are prohibited. They spoil the structure of the fibers.
• Stains that are difficult to remove are first wiped with a washing solution along the pile.
• Products must not be twisted. Machine spinning should be carried out at minimum speed.
• You can dry things in a vertical or horizontal position, but they must be well spread out.
• Products made from software do not wrinkle. Therefore they do not need ironing. But if single creases occur, you can iron the fabric from the inside out through damp gauze. The suitable mode is “Synthetics”.

Note: Light curtains can be hung wet on the curtain rod. They will dry on their own, but be sure to arrange the folds beautifully.

Recommendations for use

• To choose quality material, you should carefully examine the sample provided in the store. You should refuse the purchase if the fabric has lint, leaves traces of paint on your hands, or emits an unpleasant chemical odor.
• Cutting products made from software is equally successful in two directions: length and width. This trick allows you to save material and sew curtains of non-standard sizes.
• Savings are also facilitated by the fact that to create beautiful rounded draperies, double the length of the fabric is enough.

What kind of fabric

Soft – the fabric is very delicate with a fleecy surface. A description of the software will help you better understand what kind of fabric this is. Soft double-sided material with pile, reminiscent of velor. The pile can be either long or short. Its density is also different. They produce artificially aged canvases with small trimmed areas or long but sparse pile.

The front side of the fabric is always fleecy, the back side is smooth. Depending on the type of material and its composition, the “face” can be matte or with a slight gloss, embossed or jacquard pattern.

The material began to be produced at the end of the 20th century. He quickly won the love of fashion designers, interior designers and consumers.

The fabric can be for dresses, curtains, furniture. But it is always distinguished by its attractive appearance and special softness.

Customer Reviews

Buyers respond positively to soft curtain fabric, praising its softness and delicacy. They note that the material looks impressive and neat. A special advantage is ease of care: the material is easy to wash, dries quickly, and does not require ironing. Less popular is software for clothing; despite its beauty and lightness, the stumbling block is the polyester composition: the majority of users are wary of synthetics.

Soft is a popular fashionable fabric, a market leader among curtains and furniture materials. It looks sophisticated and stylish, helping to create an atmosphere of comfort in the interior. It is used less often in sewing outfits, but it emphasizes individuality when creating an image.

Stretches or not, real review

To finally figure out the question of “whether the software stretches or not,” I decided to go to the store and check the stretchability of the fabric with my own hands. As you can see in the photo, the fabric easily stretches and returns to its original size. The soft stretches quite easily, due to the fact that it contains elastic fibers such as lycra or nylon. It should be noted that the fabric stretches in both longitudinal and transverse directions.

See similar articles

• Chintz is a lightweight cotton fabric for summer clothes.
• Jeans - fashionable thick cotton fabric
• Felt - wool fabric for needlework and hats
• Crepe chiffon is a translucent fabric with a grainy surface.
• Fleece is a soft polyester fabric for warm clothing.
• Blackout - light-proof dense fabric for curtains

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