All About Curtain & Upholstery Fabrics
There are five different styles/category of fabric that form the foundation for the vast array of curtain and upholstery fabrics you see on the market today. Each fabric style outlined below has its own unique characteristics and are produced using different techniques. Some of these fabric types will be well known to you like plain and printed fabrics, while others less so.
You may be wondering why cotton and linen for example are not included here – this is because they are a type of composition that falls within one of these categories below.
Here we give you a high-level overview of the styles of fabrics available to you for your home interior or commercial interior project.
PLAIN
Plain fabrics are characterised by simple weaves and textures not showing any complex design.
Simple weaves are for instance – hopsacks, twills, herringbones and satins. Common fabric compositions used for plain fabrics include natural fibres (cotton, linen) as well as synthetic fibres (polyester, acrylic, etc.)
Plain interior fabrics take on a simple and paired back aesthetic. Ideal for a minimalist décor, you can complement plain fabrics with more textured and tactile textiles for added interest to your home décor.
PRINTED
Printing is the process of applying coloured designs and patterns to a woven textile. One or more colours are applied to the fabric in specific parts only, using thickened dyes to prevent the colour from spreading beyond the limits of the pattern or design. In quality printed fabrics, the colour is bonded with the fibre so as to resist loss of dye from washing and friction (crocking). Printing is an ancient textile manufacturing technique of which there are five print production methods you can use:
Burn Out Printing:
A process which uses chemicals, rather than colour, to burn out or dissolve away one fibre in a fabric. The purpose is to achieve a sheer design on a solid or opaque fabric. The chemicals used during production can make this fabric sensitive to ultraviolet degradation when hung in direct sunlight.
Digital Printing:
Rapidly becoming a popular and commercially viable printing method due to its flexibility, precision and consistency. With this new printing technique it is now possible to print any design, even with photographic detail, onto fabric. There are no restrictions in the amount of colour that can be used.
Engraved Roller Printing:
The printing method used for the majority of fabrics worldwide. The colours are printed directly onto the fabric. There must be one roller for each colour used in the print. The more colours used, the better the print definition and depth of colour. The number of colours used is printed on the left hand selvedge of a fabric along with the brand.
Hand Block Printing:
The oldest form of printing. Print designs are created by transferring dyestuffs onto fabric with the help of wooden, linoleum, or copper blocks. Artisans hand craft individual blocks to carry each different colour in a design and perfectly match block placement to create the all-over design.
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Poll: Does a savoury scone require cheese on top, or folded inside?
Help settle the great kiwi debate ... cheese on top, or folded inside?
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76.9% Inside!
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23.1% On top!
Got more greens than you know what to do with? 🥦🌱🥕
Whether it’s a courgette takeover or a feijoa frenzy, don’t let those garden gems go to waste!
Our suggestion to you: Did you know you can grate and freeze excess courgettes to use in chocolate cake later? It sounds a bit dodgy, but it makes the cake incredibly moist ... and hey, it counts as a serving of veg, right? 🍫
What’s your go-to move for a bumper harvest? Drop your best "glut" recipes or preservation hacks in the comments below! 👇
Mr Minit in Chartwell: Be wary
Hi all,
Just sharing my experience. I had the battery for my car key replaced in March 2025 at Mr. Minit in Chartwell. I was given a one‑year warranty, which seemed impressive at the time.
However, the battery stopped working early Mar 26. With the warranty card, I brought the key back to have it checked and replaced. What I didn’t realise was that the battery was *not* actually replaced. He only tested it with a meter. When I asked whether he had replaced the battery, he said “yes,” but that wasn’t true. He then said he had tested the battery level and there was no need to replace it. When I asked to see the meter, it showed the battery was in the green zone which means it was ok.
I was then advised that I might need to replace the entire key unit. I asked whether he had properly troubleshot the issue to confirm it was the battery and not the key itself. His reply was that he normally doesn’t do that, but I was a “special case.” That means, the warranty card was a misrepresentation and there was no real intention of replacing the battery when it was faulty.
After he finally replaced the battery with a new one, my key worked perfectly again.
**Lesson learned:**
Make sure you take a photo of your warranty card. I feel like the warranty is mostly for show — if I had lost it, I would have been charged another $20+ for a battery. Worst still, I would have to pay more to change the key unit unnecessarily.
Make sure you witness that they replace your old battery with a new one if it's still under warranty.
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