CONTRACT FABRIC SPECIFICATION: A SIMPLE GUIDE
Designers are forging a new path within the Interior Industry, whilst also pioneering new techniques, applications and connections in this ever expanding sector of the Interior Industry...
How do you navigate your way through the complexities of contract furnishings?
In today’s world so much depends on validation, and it’s critical that the products you supply as a Textile Designer or Interior Designer meet all required regulatory requirements when supplying digitally printed textiles for the contract furnishings Industry.
Today, in the UK, standards for contract furnishing fabrics and Upholstery have never been higher, and in general, conformity to these standards is a passport to new opportunities. As the marketplace expands, we see new, emerging Designer brands selling their fabric collections directly to the Interior Design Industry. But how do you choose the correct base fabric to meet your clients requirements?
Here’s our short guide to get you on the right path to success:
The standards take two forms: Performance which is not a legal (but a commercial requirement) and Regulatory, which are legal standards which have to be met in order that the Interior design project can be certified by the local Fire Officer.
Performance Standards:
Comprise, of various tests that measure the printed fabrics durability under set laboratory conditions. Detailed below and by way of example, are the most common, but not necessarily all the tests that may be required for your project. Required certifications should be agreed with your client before fabrics are specified.
Noted below: Test: British Standard (or accepted test) and the minimum commercial level pass required.
Light fastness BS EN-ISO-105B02 Minimum 6
Wash fastness BS EN-ISO-105C02 Minimum 5
Wet & Dry Rub Fastness BS EN ISO – X12: 2002 Minimum 4
Abrasion Martindale (domestic) Minimum 30,000
Abrasion Martindale (contract) Minimum 90,000
Abrasion BS EN ISO 5470-2 (general) Minimum 50,000
There are other tests, which are helpful, such as tensile strength, tear strength and fastness to perspiration, but the above are the minimum performance requirements that have to be met by your fabric supplier, if you are to be able to consider using his products (subject to use) in your Interior scheme.
Regulatory Requirements:
Flame Resistance Standards where necessary, must apply to your specified digitally printed fabric. Make no mistake, when it comes to these standards, you have to conform, there is no room for error, and your digitally printed fabrics, whether furnishings or upholstery have to be supplied with valid certification. It is a legal requirement if your project is to be certified for public use.
When it comes to these standards, there are two different basic sectors:
The first sector is for “Fabric for General Contract Furnishings”, such as Curtains and Accessories (with the exception of cushions). Here there is one relevant standard:
Flame Resistance: BS5867 PART 2 TYPE B & C
If the digitally printed fabric concerned can pass this test, then it can be used in any Contract Installation of Curtains, Drapes and Accessories (cushions excepted).
The second sector is for “Fabric for General Contract Upholstery” (including cushions).
Flame Resistance : BS 5852 Ignition Sources 0 & 1 / Crib 5 testing
If the printed fabric specified can pass this test, then it can be used in any Contract Upholstery Installation (including cushions).
The final sector is for “Maritime Use” such as Cruise Liners and Yachts. Here the standards are slightly more severe and use different tests.
Two testing standards apply:
Maritime Curtains & Furnishings: IMO A563 (14)
Maritime Upholstery IMO A562 (16)
When specifying or producing Contract Fabrics, you have to pay attention to the standards required.
On the face of it, it seems to be a minefield, and yet, all of the standards are well within the normal technical reach of the fabric manufacturer, and the Digital Printer. As long as care is taken in sourcing the correct fabric specification and the correct certification is achieved, both production and manufacture can proceed.
The Contract market place, prior to Digital production was a Trade only sector that relied on an Industry built for Regulation and Durability with limited (by definition only) creative opportunities. With the advent of Digital Print Technologies we have witnessed a reform in Bespoke design for the Contract Interior sector.
Offering incredible creativity at large and small print volumes to architects, Interior designers and specifiers worldwide.
Independent Designers were once excluded by expensive bespoke manufacturing and are now utilising Digital printing technology. Forging a new path whilst also pioneering new techniques, applications and connections in this ever expanding sector of the Interior Industry.
Colour Is Too Important to Leave to Chance
Print will always be the part of the garment people see first.
But the sum of all parts — the fabric, the trims, the fasteners, the finish — is what determines whether a design actually delivers on its promise. Brands that continue to treat colour as a single creative decision, rather than a coordinated technical discipline spanning their entire supply chain, will keep paying for it in re-dips, delays, and disappointed design teams.
A Century of Textiles, and an Ever-changing World
Few companies can trace their roots back more than a century and still count themselves among their industry's innovators. Texia, headquartered in Monistrol de Montserrat, Spain, is one of them.
But the story of Texia is not simply one of longevity.
It is a story of continual reinvention. As the textile industry has grown more global and competitive, Texia has repeatedly reshaped its business, investing in technology, developing its own brands, and placing sustainability at the centre of its mission. In doing so, it offers a compelling example of how a heritage manufacturer can lead rather than follow through a period of profound industry change. Image Credit: Texia
What are we craving Ultimately?
The instinct to slow down while simultaneously optimising every measurable aspect of life isn't a passing curiosity. It's a structural response to a world that feels increasingly unstable, and it's reshaping what people expect from their homes, hotels, workplaces and healthcare environments alike.
For the design and manufacturing sectors, this means rethinking both product and process.
The Structual Shift is Real and its Already Here
Volumes are moving east, where digital production is accelerating rapidly. Consumer behaviour has shifted.
Demand is now driven by personalisation, shorter buying cycles, and an expectation of near-instant responsiveness. Regulatory pressure is intensifying, with supply chain transparency now a legal and commercial fact in many markets. And margins? They are under sustained, structural pressure.
This is not a temporary disruption. It is a fundamental reordering of how textile manufacturing must operate.
The Challenge: Standing Firm as the Industry Shifts
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At the same time, manufacturing in the UK has grown steadily harder - rising minimum wage, national insurance, energy and substrate costs all bear down on margins. Surface Print have embraced all of these challenges - and stand resolutely prepared for the future.
From Helsinki's printing mill to Paris's Le Marais, discover how Marimekko is scaling a design-led brand with purpose, craft, and bold innovation.
But what makes Marimekko's story compelling is not just its aesthetic legacy?
The word "toxic" carries weight. It conjures danger, harm, and things best avoided.
“Yet in the textile industry - Where between 3,000 and 10,000 chemicals move through the supply chain, a reflexive fear of the term is one of our biggest obstacles to progress.”
This article distils the key takeaways and what buyers, designers, and brands should be asking right now.
What Is the Digital Product Passport?
At its core, a Digital Product Passport is a digital record attached to a physical product - For a printed textile product, this means the DPP would capture data on the substrate, inks and dyes used, the printing process and technology, chemical compliance, environmental impact (including water and energy use), supply chain traceability, and end-of-life instructions.
The Market Gap that Changed Everything
Future Fashion was founded in 2019, timed deliberately to coincide with a pivotal moment in global textile technology: the commercial launch of the EFI Reggiani BOLT Single-Pass digital printing system.
The founders recognised that single-pass architecture had fundamentally changed what was industrially possible - and that Pakistan's domestic market had yet to catch up.
Print is no longer defined by the inefficiencies that once characterised it…as advances in production processes and technology have significantly improved its environmental performance.
Taran Rai, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Epson explains why?
The story of what happens when young designers access digital technology is still being written.
What once was a theoretical sustainability goal seems to have shifted into an active regulatory reality.
Is the Textile Market Finally Recovering?
After a difficult few years, there are genuine reasons for optimism. Duncan was candid about the challenges: "The market for textiles has been very difficult over the last three years. I'm not going to hide the truth there. But the tide is turning.“
A profound shift is currently reshaping the sector
Changing consumer expectations demand greater design diversity, faster turnaround times, and sustainable manufacturing practices.
To thrive, interior brands must adapt their supply chains, bringing production closer to the end consumer and moving away from bulk manufacturing.
Digital textile printing offers a definitive solution to these operational bottlenecks.
Digital transformation doesn't announce itself.
It accumulates - one innovation at a time - until an entire industry looks back and realises the ground has shifted beneath its feet. That's precisely where textiles stands today.
The conversations happening now about AI, automation, sustainability, and digital product passports are not theoretical. They are shaping decisions being made on factory floors and in boardrooms right now.
“By leveraging advanced digital textile printing, Marylene Madou has successfully merged traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Her approach offers a blueprint for how independent designers can scale their brands globally while maintaining a minimal environmental footprint.”
The textile industry is undergoing a vital transformation. As the insights from Techtextil and Texprocess reveal, the path forward relies on a combination of sustainable hardware, intelligent chemistry, and seamless digital workflows.
From Zimmer's industrial-scale energy reductions and Stratasys's on-demand 3D embellishments, to Kornit's single-step technical printing and the unified digital ecosystems of NedGraphics and Optitex, the tools for change are here. To stay competitive, brands and manufacturers must adopt these innovations, moving away from fragmented, wasteful processes towards a truly connected, circular economy.
Friedmans stands as a testament to the power of combining traditional textile knowledge with forward-thinking innovation.
“Operating from their UK headquarters, Friedmans now serves a diverse array of sectors, including swimwear, dance, entertainment, sportswear, interior decor, prosthetics, and even pet apparel. With a strategic supply chain that reliably serves clients worldwide”
The apparel decoration industry is decisively moving away from isolated, analogue production tools toward connected digital manufacturing environments.
"Kornit’s unwavering commitment to transformative technology continues to disrupt the status quo. For business leaders and innovators ready to capture the future of apparel manufacturing, the path forward is clear”
The Urgent Need for Sustainability at Scale
The transformation at Coats provides a vital blueprint for the wider textile and apparel sector. True sustainability cannot be achieved in silos. As Dearing emphasised:
“Cross-industry collaboration is the engine of meaningful change. Brands, machinery suppliers, chemical providers, and fibre producers must act as an interconnected ecosystem”
Today’s customers demand superior product quality, real-time data visibility, and lightning-fast turnaround times.
For large-scale garment decorators, managing these expectations while balancing seasonal demand fluctuations - such as the massive surges seen during Black Friday - presents a monumental challenge.
"Relying on transactional vendor relationships and outdated legacy equipment is no longer sufficient to secure long-term stability and growth.”
Printing method is never a secondary detail. It shapes the entire life cycle of a product, from concept to customer. In today’s fashion industry, where margins are tighter and speed matters more than ever, technical knowledge has become a competitive advantage.
“The future of textile design belongs to professionals who can combine creativity with execution, aesthetics with practicality, and vision with production reality”.
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