When a sheer or translucent fabric is placed in front of your star drop it will diffuse the light creating a "corona ray" effect on the light that shines through. Check out some of the examples that we played with below.  If you would like to do your own tests we will be happy to provide you with fabric samples upon your request.

Red Chiffon

Teal Crystal

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Here is a guide to choosing flame retardants for wood and paper products that you may use on your next gig.  Remember, since FR laws and codes are instituted on a local level, and your local fire marshals or building inspector has the final authority to approve your use of products, invite them into the discussion early. We recommend that you treat and pre-test samples of all of your substrates and then have them approved by the relevant fire safety authority in your area prior to installation. Click on any 'X" in the following chart to get more information about each FR product. Of course, satisfactory fire resistance depends on proper identification of substrates and proper application of the chemical according to the manufacturer's directions.

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Click on the video below to see an example of the custom sewn digitally printed car covers made by Rose Brand. These covers were printed on Poly Silk using the Direct Dye printing method and are being used by Ford in their national unveiling campaign for the 2011 Ford Explorer.  Contact Rose Brand for all of your custom sewing and digital printing needs!

One of our priorities at Rose Brand is to help you maintain an appropriate level of soft goods fire safety and to guide you in your choice of fabric products and FR chemicals. Since FR laws and codes are instituted on a local level, and your local fire marshals or building inspector has the final authority to approve your use of products, invite them into the discussion early. We recommend that you treat and pre-test samples of all of your substrates and then have them approved by the relevant fire safety authority in your area prior to installation.

We've prepared the following chart that is intended to be a starting point for FR product selection. We've matched some of our most popular fabric substrates with their appropriate FR solution treatment. Just click on the "X" to get more information about each FR product.  Of course, satisfactory fire resistance depends on proper identification of substrates and proper application of the chemical according to the manufacturer's directions.

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When we introduced Matthew David of 360 Design Events LTD. to our digital printing on specialty fabrics, he knew he had found the perfect way to produce his vision for a grand format backdrop at a Lincoln Center gala event. As explained to Matthew, our Lightbox fabric is made to be lit from behind. When the fabric is direct-dye printed and backlit, it produces a brilliantly luminescent effect that’s similar to viewing film on a light box. Having viewed a backlit fabric sample, Matthew said, “I didn’t know you could do that with fabric!”

                      

Comparison of "unlit" sample of digitally printed lightbox fabric (left), vs. "backlit" sample (right).

Matthew utilized the virtues of the fabric perfectly. His brilliant design for the Lincoln Center gala featured a 30’ high x 60’ wide, stylized image of NYC’s iconic skyline and East River. When backlit, the skyline and river appeared to glow from the very lights depicted within the image itself. The effect was simultaneously realistic and fantastical (see skyline image below). More...

Oliphant Studio Begins Work on a 20'H x 280'W Custom Painted Backdrop in Rose Brand's Warehouse

Here at Oliphant we paint very large backdrops in a very short time. That is our claim to fame and we take pride in always doing a good job. The actual painting area in our New York City studio is about 20’x 45’ which is pretty small compared to the size and number of drops we produce, but we always figure out how to get the job done. 

So I felt pretty discouraged when production designer Stefan Beckman called during February’s Fashion Week. He was producing the Hermes Launch party and he wanted a 20’x 280’ seamless muslin painted sunset (similar to the paintings of artist Ed Ruscha) and he needed it in a week. Once installed the drop would encircle the room representing a twilight sky behind a turn of the century wharf. It sounded like a great job but I had no earthly idea how I could pull this off in a week. So I did what I often do when I have no idea how to do something; I called my friend Josh at Rose Brand. More...

An NFPA 705 match test being performed on a piece of fabric.

Fire safety is serious business and Rose Brand offers years of experience, dedicated support, and practical solutions to keep you and your audiences safe. While local fire codes may vary and local enforcement is open to interpretation and discretion, almost everyone has the same question in mind: Does the fabric self-extinguish if exposed to a small flame?

The goal is to keep accidents involving flame, heat and fabric from spreading rapidly. In the U.S., the most widely followed standard to determine fire resistance in curtain fabric is the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 701 standard. This standard specifies a lab test and the limits of allowable burning of curtain fabric. Since the lab test is impractical for spot checking fabrics outside of a formal lab, the NFPA has also established a field (match) test, NFPA 705.

As shown in the photo above, a vertical flame test is used to determine if a drapery fabric resists burning and is self-extinguishing. If a fabric is not sufficiently flame resistant to meet a standard, the fabric is labeled Non Flame Retardant (NFR). Fabrics that meet a self-extinguishing standard are categorized as Flame Retardant (FR), Inherently Flame Retardant (IFR), or Durably Flame Retardant (DFR). The method by which the fabric got to be sufficiently flame resistant determines the specific label.More...

Here is the third article in our series on “How To Light A Scrim.” This article is derived from questions most frequently fielded by our salespeople at Rose Brand.

Does it matter in which direction the “tooth,” or opening in the scrim, is oriented?

Vertical tooth alignment (left) Horizontal tooth alignment (right)

The tooth is about twice as high as it is wide, and this is the common orientation when sewing the scrim. The properties of the scrim, however, are not affected if the tooth is rotated. In fact, this may be done to save a user money and more efficiently use the available widths of scrim in stock. 

Another common reason for rotating a scrim is to More...

Markey’s Rental and Staging specializes in creative solutions for corporate theater, live event management and audio visual presentation. They pride themselves on offering well-maintained, high-quality equipment. So when their new digital signage kiosks came back dinged and dented from their first gig at an event in Atlanta, GA , Markey’s knew they had to come up with a better solution to maintain the look of their gear.The powder covered metal kiosks are meant to hold 52” LCD monitors in high traffic areas, so there is a high likelihood of nicks and dents. Markey’s Event Operation’s Manager Patrick Rhoda said, “I’ve worked with Rose Brand in the past and I’ve seen and used fitted truss covers on gigs. I thought Rose Brand would be able to help me out.”

So Patrick hopped onto our web site and shot us an e-mail via sales@rosebrand.com, to ask if we could develop an appropriate cover that would keep the kiosks looking good, despite the abuse they receive during a rental engagement. He was advised that we custom sew almost anything imaginable and that we could certainly develop the custom covers he sought.

Patrick and his Rose Brand sales rep decided that our Tendo fabric was the best choice for the project. Tendo is a washable, wide-width, Trevira® IFR, 4-way stretch fabric, sold exclusively by Rose Brand. After Patrick provided the measurements, our sales person engaged Rose Brand’s sewing team to create a sample cover.

Rose Brand has made fabric covers for various applications such as speakers, tripods, and other studio equipment. However, this project involved a one-of-a-kind piece, for this particular A/V stand. Even though the customer gave us initial dimensions to work with, creating the initial sample was like making a gown for a mail order bride! More...

In our industry, scenery and equipment are constantly relocated, shipped, stored, pushed and pulled. One of our favorite tools for accomplishing these tasks is the Triple Swivel Caster StageMaster Jr. It’s both inexpensive and can carry a substantial amount of weight (weight capacity varies depending on the model chosen). While a lot of shops build their own casters using valuable labor time during tight schedules, StageMaster Triple Swivels start at just $100 and ship overnight, from our stock, to virtually anywhere.

The StageMaster Jr. triple swivel caster with 2.5" neoprene wheels. 

StageMaster Triple Swivel Casters are also known as “Zero-throws,” “Turtles” and “Tri-way Swivels.” Whatever you call them, they have significantly less resistance to movement than ordinary casters; a huge advantage when moving large, heavy objects. StageMasterMore...