Overview
Two layers of coloured reflective tape folded into a piping, with a tricot backing. The second layer is structure, not extra thickness: it holds the fold so the trim keeps a clean edge on heavy outerwear.
A single-layer piping collapses at the fold under a heavy shell. Once the crease softens the trim reads as a flat strip instead of an edge, and the reflective face starts to curl at the seam. The double layer keeps the fold crisp through the seam allowance, which is what a structured jacket or vest actually needs.
Specification
- Code: RS-F-SP-07
- Daytime colour: Customized
- Material: Coloured reflective tape, double layer
- Backing: Tricot fabric
- Width: 1.3 cm to 3 cm (customizable)
- Attachment: Sew on
Why colour changes the compliance route
Folding coloured tape into a piping means the reflective surface is behind a colour layer, so the trim does not carry the retroreflection the garment may need. That is a design decision, not a defect — but it has to be made early. If the same garment also needs a certified element, the compliant silver has to sit somewhere else on the panel, and that placement is easier to plan than to retrofit.
Typical use
Structured jackets, vests, hats and caps where the trim reads as a coloured edge rather than a neutral safety stripe.
It is also used on outerwear ranges that sell on colour story, where a silver piping would look like a component from a different product.
What to confirm before ordering
- Colour and the compliance route: a coloured reflective face does not carry a 20471 claim. Decide where the certified element sits before approving the colour.
- Finished width vs flat width: piping is measured after folding — state which dimension you mean.
- Seam allowance: confirm how much sits inside the seam, since that part is not visible.
- Shell weight: the double layer is there for structured shells; on light fabric a single layer may handle better.
- Wash cycle: domestic or industrial, stated up front.
Compliance note
Colour and effect layers sit in the optical path and absorb most of the returned light, so a surface like this does not reach the 330 cd/(lx·m²) that EN ISO 20471 requires for retroreflective material, at any grade. It is specified for appearance, not for a certified hi-vis claim.
Where a garment needs a 20471 claim, a plain silver element has to carry it. Mixing a colour element for design with a compliant element for performance is standard practice — the two just have to be planned together at design stage.
Related formats
For a single-layer elastic piping, see Silver Reflective Piping on Spandex; for a segmented build that flexes, Segmented Reflective Piping Tape. Overview at Reflective Materials.
Samples and lead time
A4 swatches are free so your team can check colour, flex and hand feel under your own lighting before committing. Standard lead time is 2–4 weeks from order confirmation.
