Custom Printed Waterproof Fabric

Surface textures

There is a clear difference between the back and front faces of this fabric. The front texture is even and smooth, whereas the back is slightly more rubbery, with a plastic feel. As this is a fabric often used for the making of garments, it has a feel to it, which is cool to the touch. The waterproof coating gives the fabric a stiff handle, allowing it to drape in quite a structured way, maintaining its shape once manipulated.

Print detail

With a clean white base to the color of the fabric, which, paired with the color intensity produced in our prints and the slight sheen to custom Ella Waterproof fabric, produces a finish which is highly detailed. Prints are very sharp and precise. If you would like to see pattern printing for each fabric up close, please order a swatch pack and compare the samples in further detail.

Usage

Because this fabric is strong, lightweight and water resistant, it makes it ideal for use in light garments e.g. wind breakers and applications such as umbrellas. It is great for waterproof linings but not for exercise clothing, as it’s not a highly breathable fabric.

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 best material for umbrellas?

We do have a few custom printed waterproof fabrics but this is the most compatible with an umbrella frame, as it is light but still stretches slightly to perfectly fit the taut structure of an umbrella frame.

What is the difference between this and Linden Waterproof?

Both are great options for printing on waterproof fabric, but the Linden is thick and heavy with no stretch, whereas the Ella Waterproof fabric is almost half the weight and has a slightly finer weave, which makes the surface less textured.

Is the Ella Waterproof suitable for clothing?

It may be the lightest of the waterproof options, however, it's not a breathable material so we would advise the Breathable Waterproof if you were looking to make some wearables.