Custom Printed Silk Fabric

Surface textures

The front texture is a smooth, sleek, graceful fabric with a glossy shine to the finish of the lustrous face. In contrast, the back texture is just as smooth and soft and flowing but with a crepe finish to it, which actually changes the texture a lot, but still keeps the overall feel soft and fluid. The way this fabric feels on the body is so effortless that it almost feels weightless, it’s very soft and moves over the skin very easily. When it comes to the drape, the material flows and falls in natural waves and folds.

Print detail

Unlike the majority of silk satin providers, we use reactive printing, the highest quality printing method and the only way to honor 100% natural silk. Being a 100% natural fabric, no chemicals have been used on the fibers of the fabric. With a shiny finish on the face and a matt on the reverse, the detail of the final print is very fine and produces very crisp lines with rich block colors. Precision is clear here, intricate work will show up perfectly. Your prints will also have a stunning luminosity, which you can only get with natural fabrics. Our silk is printed using a reactive printing process which creates superior color depth, wash and rub fastness. Unlike pigment, the reactive dyes we use bound to the fabric fibers, rather than lying on the surface - meaning your silk can be washed with other garments.

Usage

This high quality silk has so many uses that it’s tough to choose. The lighter 1.47oz can be used for light scarves and accessories, as well as finer details. The thicker 2.51oz can be used for garments, lingerie, and scarves. Your designs come to life on the highest grade silk with the greatest vibrancy of color. We have lent our services to film and theater productions, for scene or dressmaking, especially period work. Interior designers also use our digitally printed silk for specific requirements in fine detailing and luxury finishes.

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.

What is the difference between the Silk Satin weights?

The 2.51oz is more suitable for garments such as nightwear and lingerie. As the 1.47oz is lighter, it's the perfect material for scarves and accessories.

Can I get my silk hemmed?

Yes, you can select hemming under the product options. Make sure to add some hemming allowance to your customized measurements. Please see the print guideline above for more information.

Is this silk suitable for clothes?

There is no question here, the silk is perfect for clothing, both sides are soft and it's so light it's ideal for summer wear. We see a lot of the silk being used to make scarves, so we add a hemming option just to be thorough.