Overview
A yarn built on reflective fabric rather than reflective film: a silver or high reflective tape is slit to yarn width and carried on a textile backing. Softer hand and a brighter face than a film build at the same width.
The two builds differ by what carries the reflective layer. Film is thinner and stiffer, so a film yarn holds a sharp line but feels wiry in a knit. A textile backing drapes with the structure it is worked into, which is what you want when the trim has to move with the fabric rather than sit on it.
Specification
- Code: RS-F-YR-03
- Reflective face: Single side
- Reflective layer: Silver or high reflective tape
- Backing: Textile
- Daytime colour: Grey
- Width: ≥0.5 mm, made to order
- Application: Woven, braided or knit into fabric or trim
Single side means the twist decides where the face goes
A single-side yarn has one reflective face, so anywhere the twist turns it inward the effect disappears — a braided cord made from it can end up with a broken reflective line depending on how the strands land. That is not a defect, it is the trade for a brighter face and a softer hand. It is the right build when the yarn is worked flat or laid so the face stays outward, and the wrong one for open structures seen from both sides.
Typical use
Woven and knit structures, laid trim and decorative yarn where the face can be kept outward.
It is also used where brightness per millimetre matters more than uniformity — the fabric build reads brighter than film at the same width.
What to confirm before ordering
- Twist direction and construction: with one reflective face, the twist decides how much of it stays visible.
- Finished diameter: the yarn is made to order from ≥0.5 mm — give the cord or trim size you need.
- Reflective layer: silver or high reflective tape, chosen against the brightness you need.
- Exposure: if the structure is open or seen from both sides, consider the double-side build instead.
- Daytime colour: grey as standard.
Compliance note
A narrow-format element like this is a design component, not a retroreflective material in its own right. Reflectance is measured on a flat surface, and a yarn presents a curved and interrupted face, so it is not specified against the 330 cd/(lx·m²) floor on its own.
It is normally used alongside a compliant panel rather than instead of one. If the trim is meant to contribute to a visible area, confirm the intended construction before the sample is approved.
Related formats
For an open structure seen from both sides, see Double Side Reflective Yarn for Knitting; for a fabric-backed double-side build with added abrasion resistance, Double Side Reflective Fabric Yarn.
Samples and lead time
A4 swatches are free so your team can judge colour and hand feel under your own lighting before committing. Standard lead time is 2–4 weeks from order confirmation.
