Doug Dubay

Considerable discussion is given in the textile industry to the effects of UV light on the physical properties of fabric. While this is very important to consumers as they consider the long-term value of their purchase, of equal importance, is the appearance of the fabric in its intended environment. The amount, quality and angle of light and reflections all play an important role in fabric appearance, as does the function of the final product. Each of these factors can drastically change the presentation of the fabric and ultimately determine whether the buyer is happy with their purchase.

Amount
The volume of light in the area where the fabric will be viewed has a great effect on the visual perception of it. Lower light environments will make fabrics appear darker and any patterns less discernible. The brighter the lighting, the more obvious a pattern will be and colors will appear lighter and brighter as well. If your location is prone to predominantly bright lighting conditions you might also want to think twice about considering a light or white fabric as these colors do little to filter strong rays. A darker color will offer greater protection from eye strain caused by solar glare. Additionally, it’s important to note that with awnings, the fabric will be viewed from underneath and backlit much of the time, providing a completely different perspective that should definitely be considered prior to purchase.

Quality
The quality of the light refers to  its color undertones. These are typically referred to as either warm or cool. Warm lighting has yellow undertones and, as the name suggests, imparts warmer tones to everything it washes over. Cool light is the opposite and washes the environment with blue tones. While the quality of light can change depending on the time of day, weather conditions and more, certain geographies tend to lean toward being predominantly more warm or cool. You can balance or, conversely leverage, the light quality of your awning location by choosing colors that complement or match the quality of the light in that area. The psychological effects of colors are very powerful with warm colors creating the perception of warmth and cooler colors making occupants feel cooler. You can use these psychological tendencies to your advantage to create the atmosphere you desire.

Angle
The direction from where the light is coming is the angle. Since in most cases RECacril® is used outside, in most use cases the light will emanate from above. An important factor to consider prior to purchase is the consumer’s view of the final fabricated product. For awnings, one of the most important considerations is the underside of the fabric since most people will be viewing it from that angle. At Recasens, this is something that we’ve put great thought into, ensuring that patterns, as well as the weave of our solids, are beautiful to view from both sides.

Function
While the evidence of UV damage should take many years to appear in high quality synthetics, it’s certainly something to consider in the purchase process. UV radiation will ultimately cause colors to fade over time as well as weaken the structure of certain of materials. It’s important to consult with the fabric supplier to understand how resilient a fabric choice is to UV rays and other forms of environmental damage that might occur. Our fabric is made out of solution dyed acrylic fibers. This is the most UV resistant synthetic fiber on the market. Polyester fibers are also synthetic, but less UV resistant. Nylon is a synthetic fiber, but has low UV resistance. RECacril® is made from solution-dyed acrylic fibers which is the most UV-resistant synthetic fiber available on the market today.

There are more options than ever for outdoor fabric patterns and colors. Careful consideration of the intended environments in which they will be used is essential to ensuring that consumers will be happy with their choices for years to come. Ideally, viewing a swatch of the fabric in that environment during various times of day from all possible angles is the best way to ensure total satisfaction. Recasens offers hundreds of quality fabric options. View them here or contact us to order your 2018 RECacril® Collection Sample Book.

With Spring just around the corner, awning orders are coming in and fabricators across the country are looking for the latest patterns to offer their customers. We’ve been showcasing our 2018 RECacril^® Collection at numerous industry shows over the past several months and awning fabricators have been going crazy over our new stripe designs.

The most popular designs with awning manufacturers this year are our Cabriel R349 and Arga R351. Both neutral shades, Cabriel is a bold design of charcoal grey, beige and black stripes, while Arga is subtle golden caramel with fine, barely discernible stripes. Both fabrics are made using our proprietary Infinity Process, offering the exceptional repellency to water and dirt and the superior dimensional stability for which RECacril is known.

These, as well as all our new patterns and colors, are available for immediate order. Contact us today to place your order or to get your RECacril 2018 Sample Book.

We’re so excited about our 2018 RECacril^® Collection, even our solids are a little extra special this year!

Take a close look at some of our newer colors like Dun R244 and Denim R232 and you’ll see there’s more to these solids than meets the eye. These textured solids are shot through with subtle highlights and shades woven in for greater depth of color and visual interest, in addition to the exceptional durability for which RECacril is known worldwide.

Very popular with consumers this year are neutral colors, and our 2018 collection does not disappoint! Textured neutral solids like Linen Tweed R775 are ultra-versatile, don’t show dirt and are ideal for nearly any home exterior or marine application.

These new colors are available for immediate order. Contact us today to place your order or to receive your RECacril 2018 Sample Book.

For over 100 years, Recasens has forged a proud history of innovation in the creation of high performance technical fabrics for sun protection, textile architecture, and the transportation and marine industries. Today, manufacturers, fabricators and distributors in the marine and awning industries trust Recasens to provide a wide range of premium, quality solutions for their customers, feeling secure in the knowledge that Recasens stands behind the durability and long-lasting aesthetics of their products.

Globe Canvas Products

A wholesale manufacturer of commercial and residential awnings for over 40 years, Globe Canvas prides itself in creating ‘awnings that last longer!’ So it’s no wonder, when they chose the new RECacril^® collection as their own ‘House Brand.’ To support their marketing efforts, Recasens created custom fabric sample books to help the sales staff market their new house brand through its dealer network.

ShadeTree Canopies

ShadeTree Canopies has been manufacturing quality retractable canopies for residential and commercial applications for over 20 years. RECacril is a preferred fabric used in the manufacture of their canopies and retractable pergolas, and is widely featured in their print advertising campaigns in consumer magazines for its durability and aesthetic appeal.

Whether it’s building a top-quality product or providing superior marketing support, Recasens has proven time and again that it’s a trusted partner in the marine and outdoor fabric industry. These manufacturers and fabricators are just a few of the many that have come to rely on Recasens for quality construction and innovative design. Contact us today to find out how we can support your business.

We are proud to announce the release of the 2018 RECacril^® Collection of high performance fabrics. Our 2018 line features a wide range of highly fashionable new colors and patterns that are in very high demand with both residential and commercial consumers. Both beautiful and durable, RECacril is suitable for indoor and outdoor use and is exceptionally resistant to high-salinity environments, making it popular for marine applications as well.

Made from fade resistant solution-dyed acrylic fibers, RECacril has fewer flaws, better stability and sold at a highly competitive price point, making RECacril a top value for fabricators worldwide. Our proprietary Infinity Process offers exceptional repellency to water and dirt and superior dimensional stability that resists both sagging and frilling. RECACril is woven with care to maintain its aesthetic beauty and functionality for many years longer than the competition.

The 2018 RECacril Collection is available for order now. Contact us today to receive your 2018 sample book.

RECscreen^® 6000P is finally here, and we’re pretty excited!  Warps and wefts of different colors are woven with thick yarns into a beautiful two-sided twill weave pattern that gives RECscreen 6000P a beautiful aesthetic and strength. With a 97% shade factor and an average openness factor of 3%, it allows air permeability while blocking both heat and UV A/B rays from the sun, improving room ventilation and thermal stability as well as reducing energy consumption year round. Diagonal ribs increase the fabric strength, giving it great dimensional stability even under high tension. A strong and durable fabric, RECscreen 6000P is suitable for interior and exterior use, including  solar screens, awnings, and large zipper side retention screens. And like all our products, Recasens stands behind the quality construction of RECscreen 6000P with a 10-year limited warranty.

RECscreen fabrics are made using PVC-coated, high-tenacity polyester yarns. The flexibility and cylindrical shape of polyester yarn gives it significant advantages over other traditional materials like fiberglass, including making it easier to open, close and fold retractable blinds or awnings without damaging the fabric.

Advantages of RECscreen yarns
All RECscreen fabrics are made of high-tenacity polyester yarns which offer significant advantages over the more commonly used fiberglass yarn:

• Polyester yarn is more flexible than fiberglass yarn. Polyester screen yarns have a higher resistance to bending and torsion than fiberglass screen yarns making polyester screen fabric more resistant to breakage due to fatigue, folding or creasing.
• High-tenacity polyester yarn ensures a perfect cohesion of the PVC finish. Unlike fiberglass and PVC, PVC and polyester share similar elastic and temperature behavior properties and create clean core cuts that do not fray or fringe regardless of the cutting process.
• Because the yarn does not fray or fringe, the edges do not need taping or finishing, saving time and money.
• High quality polyester and PVC pigments don’t fade or break down when exposed to continuous sunlight and offer unsurpassed dimensional stability for demanding applications like retractable zipper screens. (Color fastness factor 7-8, UNE ISO 105 B02).
• Free from glass fiber, lead and other toxic heavy materials commonly used, our polyester yarns are odor free.

Sample cards of RECscreen 6000P will be available by the end of December. If you’d like to learn more about RECscreen 6000P, please contact us today!