November 1, 2015
In honor of Specialty Fabrics Review‘s first 100 years, we asked our readers for thoughts on the magazine to help us continue its successes into the next 100 years: topics covered that hold the most long-term and lasting significance for the industry, and what the Review’s most meaningful role has been to the industry. I …
December 1, 2011
Compiled by textile professionals I’m in California and need to know what the prevailing wage is for awning installation. Can you advise me? Prevailing wage is something that is used in bidding on public works-related projects, to make sure the wage you’re paying your staff is comparable to what the majority of workers doing similar …
Compiled by textile professionals We’re applying for a grant and need to show how many women/minority owned businesses there are in the sewn products industry. Can you tell us where to look for that information? Special programs or consideration are sometimes given to companies that are women- or minority-owned. The U.S. Census Bureau does a …
Compiled by textile professionals We’re being asked by our client to certify that the filters we make for them don’t contain any animal products. We use an unfinished woven cotton fabric that we source from India. Would there be any animal products in that type of fabric? A fabric that is sold as unfinished, or …
November 1, 2011
Compiled by Juli Case Where can we get copies of Federal labor law and OSHA posters? Businesses in the USA are required to post information for employees on federal labor law and safety issues. You have three options for obtaining posters. First, you can simply print them from a government site and use as is. …
Compiled by Juli Case We have a customer who wants us to replace an old retractable awning system with something similar. The problem is that their old system has scissor arms and projects 13 feet. Any idea of who might have this? Scissor arms are a style more popular in Europe than in the U.S., …
Compiled by Juli Case How do I get my fabric certified to Title 19? Title 19 is the flammability document for the state of California, although it’s referenced by other parts of the U.S. as well. The certification process is managed through the California State Fire Marshal (CSFM). The process as it is now is …
Compiled by Juli Case We’ve got a job where we’ve been asked to use a fabric that is acoustically reflective. What kind of material is that? Sound waves tend to bounce around an open space. A hanging fabric, such as a banner or fabric sculpture, can disrupt or even absorb that wave; fabric is more …
October 1, 2011
Compiled by Juli Case We’ve been asked by a customer in Ecuador if our products comply with OAE, IAF or IACC. How do we find out if they do? OAE stands for the Ecuadorian Accreditation Organization. According to the OAE website, they are the entity in Ecuador that is responsible for insuring that the products, …
Compiled by Juli Case My customer is looking for biodegradable tarp material. Is there such a thing? Tarps are typically intended to withstand the elements, so biodegradability isn’t a particularly sought-after characteristic. Cotton is a natural material, so cotton tarps would be biodegradable, but we’re not aware of any synthetics that are specifically made for …