Printing on Breathable Waterproof Fabric

The custom made Breathable Waterproof fabric, releases water vapor allowing perspiration to evaporate. Perfect for exercise wear. Please try a test print.

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Surface textures

This fabric has an initial softness to it, while simultaneously having a firm solid feel to it. There is a very slight give if you work with the grain of the material. Its back is slightly less soft in comparison to the face, but that is due to the PU coating giving the custom fabric a crisp handle. This allows the fabric to hold its shape well when manipulated.

Print detail

The matt finish combined with the white base provides a great platform for the bright array of colors available when printing. The print on Breathable Waterproof fabric has a very high level of detail and offers perfect print quality for very fine or intricate designs.

Usage

Because of all of the qualities of the breathable waterproof, it is great for a host of outdoor or water resistant situations. For example, waterproof jackets, outdoor clothing etc. The qualities of the material also lend themselves well to the making of tents and windbreaks, as they need a level of resistance to mildew, rain showers and rips.

Sizing For Hemming And Shrinkage

We have a full Cut & Sew service here at Contrado, and are able to hem your fabric prints for a small additional charge. We create a small one- or two-fold hem that typically uses 0.2" to 0.75" (5-20mm) of material, depending on the thickness of the fabric. So, for example, if you want a finished piece of fabric that measures 39.37" x 39.37", you will need to order a size of 39.96" x 39.96" to allow for the hem (on top of that please also allow for shrinkage of min 2%). The thicker the fabric, the bigger the hem will be. You can choose to have your prints hemmed with either Black or White thread. On our silk and other light woven fabrics, one hemmed edge will be straight (vertically down the roll) and the other will be slightly rippled. The hemming material allowances are as follows and you need to make your print bigger to accommodate the hem:

• Light Fabrics (0.59oz-2.95oz): For silks and other light fabrics, we use 0.24" - 0.32" / 6mm-8mm in the hem (2 fold), so overall width/height will be minus 0.48"-0.56""/ 12-16mm
• Medium Fabrics (2.98oz-5.90oz): For medium-weight fabrics that fray, we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (2 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.4" - 1.6" / 35-40mm
• Stiff/Heavy/No-fray fabrics: we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (1 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.5" / 35-40mm

All of these measurements are approximate and can vary. Including with shrinkage, it can mean a fairly significant difference to ordered dimensions, so please plan your print accordingly. Depending on how open the weave is, our fabric can shrink anywhere from 2% to 8% with the average being 2.5%.

How Would you Like the Edge?

• As it comes. We cut around your image, leaving a simply scissor cut, perhaps uneven white fabric border. 
• Hem with thread. We can hem your fabric with a choice of black or white thread. Please allow 1-2 days additional production time. See below for information on how hemming affects the size of your print. We offer an overlock hem, as well as a folded hem (one or two fold depending on the fabric) however not all fabrics are suited to both hem types. If you can see both options, it means both are suitable, and you will be able to choose whichever you prefer. 
• Cut on the line. We will cut neatly on the edge of your design. This means that if you have a border around your design we will cut around that border, if your design takes the whole space of the fabric, then we will neatly cut around the edge of that image. Please be aware, when we cut along the line, we have to cut against the grain of the fabric. This is the standard procedure for fabric cutting. This means that with some fabrics, for example, Georgette and Mulmul, which have a slight wave in them, some fraying will occur. This is unavoidable, as the cut follows the grain of the textile. 

All of our fabrics are cut manually by hand, with the utmost care and attention. If your fabric has a slightly uneven look on the edges or a touch of fraying, this does not indicate a flaw in the textile. It is not always possible to achieve a perfectly straight cut with certain fabrics, so please do bare this in mind when it comes to your design. If you have any queries or would like to know about our cutting methods in more detail, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Please note: As we make everything by hand, all sizes may vary slightly.

For further information about our fabrics see our FAQs.

Is this the lightest of the waterproof options?

It is actually the heaviest! Weighing 4.57oz, it is 0.74oz heavier than the Linden Waterproof, and a whole 2.65oz heavier than the Ella Waterproof. Having said that, it is light if you are planning on using it for a fabric to wear material.

Can I print on both sides of the Breathable Waterproof?

We do not recommend this. The process that we use means that the fabric is so deeply penetrated by the inks, that you can see through to the and the two prints might interrupt each other. This applies to most of our print textiles.

Is this a suitable umbrella material?

It could be considered heavy for an umbrella, and we usually suggest using the Ella waterproof, which is a little stretchier and cooperative when working with intricate structures like an umbrella frame. You could use the Breathable, but we would recommend one of our lighter waterproof fabrics.