Overview
A reflective fabric whose returned spectrum changes across the width of the roll, producing a fade rather than a flat rainbow. In daylight it reads as a dark textile; under a light the gradient appears.
The gradient runs across the width, not along the length. That single fact decides how the panel is cut: cut a piece along the roll and you get a band of one part of the spectrum; cut across it and you capture the whole fade. Two panels of identical size can look completely different depending on which way they were taken off the roll.
Specification
- Base fabric: Reflective textile
- Effect: Gradient spectrum across the width
- Daytime colour: Dark grey to near black
- Width: Up to 140 cm
- Attachment: Sewn or heat applied
Plan the cut before you plan the design
Because the effect is a property of the width, the layout has to be drawn against the roll geometry. A design that assumes the fade runs vertically will need the panel rotated, and rotating a reflective fabric changes how the grain sits under the needle. Agree the cut direction on the marker before sampling, otherwise the first sample and the production run will not match — and that disagreement usually surfaces after the fabric is already cut.
Typical use
Fashion outerwear, sneaker and bag panels, event apparel and any product where a shifting reflective effect is the design intent rather than a uniform marking.
It is also used where a single garment needs a transition rather than a stripe — a fade down a sleeve, or a panel that moves from one tone to another across the chest — without piecing several fabrics together.
What to confirm before ordering
- Cut direction on the marker: the fade runs across the width, so rotation changes the result. Agree it before sampling.
- Where the fade should land on the garment: give us the target so the panel is taken from the right part of the roll.
- Attachment: sewn or heat applied; heat changes the surface slightly, so pick one process and stay with it.
- Width and slitting: up to 140 cm, or slit — slitting narrows the spectrum you capture.
- Colour tolerance: a gradient has no single colour to match against; agree a reference panel rather than a colour code.
Compliance note
Effect reflective surfaces like this are specified for appearance, not for EN ISO 20471 retroreflection. The colour layer sits in the optical path and absorbs most of the returned light, so the panel will not reach the 330 cd/(lx·m²) floor whatever grade is used. Treat it as a design material, and put a compliant silver element elsewhere on the garment if the product needs a 20471 claim.
If the garment must be certified, the reflective element that carries the claim has to be a plain silver grade. Combining an effect panel for appearance with a compliant element for performance is normal practice — it just has to be planned at design stage, not added afterwards.
Related formats
For the standard rainbow spectrum see Blue-Purple Rainbow Reflective Fabric; for artwork printed onto a reflective base, Reflective Printing Fabric. Colour options overview at Colour Reflective Fabric.
Samples and lead time
A4 swatches are free so your team can measure retroreflection, hand feel and colour before committing. Standard lead time is 2–4 weeks from order confirmation.
