RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, CA – Little Big Town (pictured here, touring in support of their album, Tornado), Death Cab for Cutie and Emblem are three of the music acts now using flame-retardant digitally-printed backdrops made from a new cotton canvas print substrate offered by Sew What?, Inc. The new substrate can be digitally printed while retaining its flame-retardancy, reducing production time and meeting fire regulations.
More details from Sew What? Inc. (www.sewwhatinc.com):
Printing on other fire retardant fabrics often requires topical treatment after printing to ensure that the printed backdrop is flame retardant. “The treatment process can add several days to the production cycle, so this substrate can be a real lifesaver for production designers on tight deadlines,” explains Lynda Vaughn, general manager of Sew What?, Inc. and an expert on U.S. flame retardancy regulations. “But choosing cotton canvas over other substrates doesn’t mean a sacrifice in terms of image quality. On the design side, our cotton canvas substrate accepts ink very well. That means we can use direct printing to render colors with an intensity close to that of dye sublimation.” Other benefits of the cotton canvas substrate include the fact that it releases wrinkles easily, making it a touring-friendly option, and it also accepts UV paint well, for those designers whose scenic backdrop design calls for both digitally printed and invisible UV painted images.
Vaughn regularly advises Sew What’s clients on how to navigate the complex world of flame retardancy regulations. As she explains, “Flame retardancy regulations in the United States can be quite confusing to our clients. Many don’t realize that regulations can vary depending upon the city or state where the drapery will be used, or they need guidance as to the difference between fabrics that are permanently flame retardant and those that are topically treated for flame retardancy. As a provider of custom stage drapery, we play a key role in helping our clients better understand the regulations and recommending fabrics and print substrates that meet all of the client’s needs, including those related to flame retardancy.”
The company is approved to certify that its products meet the toughest national, state and local flame retardancy regulations, including NPFA 701, California Title 19 and New York City Title 27. Vaughn has nearly 10 years of experience in operations at Sew What?, Inc. As an expert on flame retardancy regulations, she writes regularly about flame retardancy on the company’s website and blog.
For more information and images of recent projects for Little Big Town and others, please visit the Sew What? web site portfolio at http://www.sewwhatinc.com/portfolio.php.
