Finishing methods for materials

By Andrea Swensson

Vinyl laminated polyester

Heat sealing
“Provides a clean, pleasing finish to the quality printed product. No holes punched in the material. No thread to distract the appearance. And bonding strength to last the life of the material versus a tape, which can lose its hold in varying environments.”

Jamie Nute, Sinclair Equipment Co.

Vinyl

Heat sealing
“Advantages of welding are the speed and the strength of the actual seam itself. If you are making a pocket with a sewing machine, you’re actually perforating the material, which weakens the material for a tensile strip.”

Truy Pham, Miller Weldmaster

Acrylic

Sewing or tape
“Because of the contoured nature of a textile material, I would think sewing might be the best result for the finishing of this material. A joint, hem or pocket can be heat sealed to an acrylic coated surface by use of a special thermal bonding tape. This can provide good tensile strength for indoor and outdoor applications.

Jamie Nute

Polyester, cotton, cotton blend

Sewing or heat sealing
“You would have to either sew it or weld it. You cannot tape a textile banner. It’s just a matter of putting Scotch tape on your shirt—it wouldn’t stick at all.”

Truy Pham

Canvas

Cutting
“If a fabric does not fray, it is a candidate for a cutting table. And, it should last forever (theoretically) indoors or outdoors.”

Bill Hartman, i-cut/Kongsberg Finishing Systems

Andrea Swensson is a freelance writer from Minneapolis and an editor at City Pages.