Rethinking equipment purchasing strategies

June 1, 2021  |  Feature

Of all the adages that could be applied to the past year, “Necessity is the mother of invention” may be the most appropriate for the fabrication business. Fabricators, and the equipment manufacturers that supply them, learned more about pivoting than they probably ever wanted to know. The conven…
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Up against a wall

June 1, 2021  |  Feature

Wallpaper has been around for centuries—since the 16th century to be exact. In its earliest iterations, wallpaper was printed on paper in monochrome black ink, and color soon followed with the introduction of polychrome block printing. Eventually, in the late 1960s/early 1970s, vinyl wallpaper too…
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The balancing act of textile treatments

June 1, 2021  |  Feature

Fueled by consumer demand, textile treatments are evolving to provide an ever-growing array of performance benefits. This development has also driven the need to pay close attention to regulations and environmental considerations. COVID-19 has, not surprisingly, escalated interest in antimicrobial t…
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Karl Deardorff’s smart moves with SLO Sail and Canvas

May 1, 2021  |  Feature, Perspective

At age 19, Karl Deardorff bought a sewing machine from Leo Robbins, his first sailing instructor. “I wanted to be able to fix and alter my own sails,” he says. The machine went with Deardorff to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he was also on the sailing team.
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Putting the art in fabric architecture

May 1, 2021  |  Feature

James Wines is known as a provocative artist who creates building-sized installations that some would say are more architecture than art. Indeed, he wrote a book about the fusion of these two artistic expressions called De-architecture, where he insisted that “buildings don’t need a defensive ra…
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Bringing digital printing in-house

May 1, 2021  |  Feature

Standing out from the crowd has become more important than ever for businesses of all stripes, and many turn to vibrant, riveting digital graphics to get their messages across.
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2021 Specialty Fabrics Showcase, Part 2

May 1, 2021  |  Feature, Specialty Fabrics Showcase

Awnings, tents, shade sails, marine upholstery, protective gear, furniture: regardless of the end product, the fabric needs to perform in harsh conditions while looking good, keeping the planet green and fitting into a client’s budget.
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What’s driving transportation textile trends?

April 1, 2021  |  Feature

The transportation industry is undergoing massive disruption, driven primarily by the climate change imperative: electric and hybrid automobiles; e-vans to deliver our online purchases; mandates for fuel economy, emissions and noise reduction; material sustainability; and pandemic-related concerns w…
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