By Cassandra Balentine
Eco-friendly media is a top consideration for many print service providers and the businesses they serve. Several printable textiles are available for wide format digital printers that are made of recycled materials or that are easily recycled.
Here are a few options that fit the criteria of eco-friendly fabric media. For more information on this topic, check out the May issue of Digital Output magazine.
Berger Textiles offers EVO, a dedicated range of textiles made from recycled yarn.
The EVO range includes a complete set of textiles produced using Global Recycled Standard-certified recycled yarn. Berger Textiles recently reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability with the announcement that its be.tex Aero, be.tex Expandable, and be.tex Revolution products are now only available in their EVO versions, delivering the same performance at the same price as their non-recycled equivalents.
The full EVO range includes be.tex Lumina Evolution/Samba Evolution for applications in backlit frames; be.tex Mozaik Evolution, a blackback textile ideal for exhibitions; be.tex Revolution Evolution/Display Evolution, display textiles for frontlit applications; be.tex Matisse Evolution for artistic print applications; be.tex Aero Evolution/Wind Evolution for high-performance flags; be.tex Expandable Evolution for applications requiring stretch; and be.tex Fiber Evolution, a non-woven banner material, suitable for promotional outdoor use.
Fisher Textiles has offered the Enviro-Tex fabric line, made from recycled polyester, since 2007. Driven by a vision to merge sustainability with cutting-edge technology, Enviro-Tex incorporates recycled polyester yarn sourced from various waste streams, including post-consumer plastics.
This not only addresses environmental concerns but also aligns with evolving consumer values towards eco-conscious products.
Fisher Textiles also recently expanded the Enviro-Tex line to include post-consumer recycled versions of the most popular styles for backlit (ET 8051 Super Sonic, ET 8301 Prime), pillowcase display (ET 9860 Silver Back), stretch (ET 9608 Power Stretch, ET 9848 EZ Stretch Premium), blockout (ET 9019 Nirvana, ET 9118 White-Out), and basic knit (ET 9708 Heavy Knit, ET 9410 Soft Knit).
HP Large Format Media currently offers recycled fabric products made with recycled water bottles and coating materials through Brand Management Group.
HP Recycled Removable Adhesive Fabric, 3-in Core (latex/solvent) is a repositionable adhesive-back fabric that is easy to install, reposition, and remove with virtually no residue, according to the company. The special adhesive is designed to stick to non-porous surfaces to create seamless, photographic image-quality wall and floor graphics.
HP Recycled Removable Adhesive Fabric, 3-in Core achieves a high-quality look with this versatile, easy-to-handle, repositionable self-adhesive fabric—ideal for a range of indoor and outdoor applications. Capture realistic graphic detail for applications from wall murals and event signage to retail displays.
HP Recycled Satin Canvas, 3-in Core (latex/solvent) is an affordable canvas that provides single-step print production, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming top coating. Produce high-performing, durable canvas wraps that resist edge cracking when stretched. Meet environmental goals with this REACH-compliant canvas made with recycled water bottles and coating materials.
Media One Digital Imaging, LLC develops innovative recycled fabric options to meet the evolving needs of its customers. The use of recycled fabrics within the large format industry has grown significantly in recent years, driven by heightened environmental awareness, advancements in recycling technology, and the ability to downcycle fibers for various applications.
An example of a recycled option from Media One is Coronado, which is a soft, crease-free eight ounce fabric available in widths of up to 126 inches. It is designed for displays, banners, and tablecloths. It is available in a recycled version.
Another consideration are solutions that utilize CiCLO technology. CiCLO is an additive that is introduced during the melt extrusion of the yarn manufacturing process. Embedded in the fiber, CiCLO provides nutrients that attract microbes and allow them to break down the CiCLO additive and surrounding polyester polymer.
Beaver Paper and Graphic Media Inc., a manufacturer of dye-sublimation media, offers TexStyles NatureSeries graphic fabric. NatureSeries Soft Knit looks and feels like traditional polyester with the same high performance and durable characteristics, but because it is made with CiCLO technology, it behaves more like natural fibers when discarded in a landfill.
TexStyles NatureSeries Soft Knit fabric has been tested to ensure traits such as tenacity, pilling resistance, and printability are unchanged.
May2025, Digital Output
