Wood Seating Specification Guide - OEC Business Interiors

Guidelines for Directional FabricsGuidelines for DirectionalFabrics.What is the issue?Some textiles are plain and look the sameregardless of which direction the fabric isapplied to the product. But many customersprefer fabrics that have patterns that give aclear direction to the textile. Because thereare limits to how directional fabrics can beapplied to panels and chairs, it is importantto understand directional fabrics to avoidbeing disappointed.Talking about directionFabrics come on rolls. The long treads thatrun parallel to the length of the roll arecalled the warp. The perpendicular threadsthat run parallel to the width of the roll arecalled the filling.Railroaded means the height dimensionof the product is perpendicular to the warpof the fabric; warp horizontal and acrossroll are other terms for running the fabric inthis direction. All Steelcase standardfabrics are railroaded. The yardagerequirements for railroaded cutting arecalculated using the width of the fabric,quantity ordered, style of chair(s), andpattern repeat..Woven way means the height dimensionof the product is parallel to the warp of thefabric; warp vertical and down roll are otherterms for running the fabric in thisdirection. The yardage requirements forwoven way cutting are calculated using thewidth of the fabric, quantity ordered, andstyle of chair(s).What determines fabric direction?The width of the roll of fabric and thetechniques that are used to apply it to theproduct can both determine the direction.Standard default direction for seatingproducts with Steelcase standard fabricsis railroaded. No exceptions are possible.COM fabrics are standard woven way. Youmay specify a COM fabric to be cut in aspecific direction if the product allows it tobe applied. The purchase order mustclearly state the cutting direction if it isother than standard.Tip: If you are changing the cutting directionof fabric, yardage requirements mayincrease, resulting in an additionalupcharge. This upcharge will be appliedto the purchase order.cSee Yardage Requirements in the SurfaceMaterials Reference Manualfor specific information.If you have any questions regardingcutting direction guidelines, please contacta Steelcase COM consultant at616.246.9822 or 1-888-STEELCASE.You can also find this information on ourWeb site:• Visit www.steelcase.com• Click on “Knowledge & Design”• Select “Customer’s Own Material”.COM pattern exceptionsSometimes COM fabrics have patterns thatlook awkward or inappropriate if they areapplied in the standard direction (wovenway). Those cases are addressed withthese two pattern exception rules.IncorrectIncorrect1Fabrics with stripes or flame stitch will beapplied so that the patterns are vertical.IncorrectIncorrectCorrectCorrectCorrectCorrect2Fabrics with patterns of people, vines, orflower arrangements will be applied so thatthe pattern is vertical..Surface MaterialsWood Seating Specification Guide 141