Glossary

Specimens are tested using a Wyzenbeek Precision Wear Tester using a tension of 6 pounds force and a load of 2 pounds force. The abradant is 220-grit silicon carbide-coated abrasive sheet. After the requisite number of cycles, wall covering in Categories III and IV shall show no evidence of appreciable change to the decorative surface. Wall covering in Categories V and VI shall show no evidence of fiber show–through or damage to the supporting substrate.

Blocking Resistance describes a wallcovering's ability to resist sticking to itself or to adjacent surfaces when rolled up, stacked, stored, or shipped. A material with poor blocking resistance can bond together under pressure or heat during transit, leading to surface damage when unrolled. High blocking resistance ensures that PrestoTex arrives in perfect condition, unrolls cleanly, and retains its printable surface quality even after extended storage. This property is important for print shops and wallcovering installers managing large-format rolls in varying storage environments.

The amount of force a wallcovering material can withstand before it tears or fails under tension. Tested in both the machine direction (along the roll) and the cross direction (across the width), this measurement reflects how well the material holds up during installation, particularly when pulling, stretching, or repositioning the wallcovering. A high breaking strength means fewer tears during handling, cleaner seams, and a more durable finished installation.

A specimen and a 0.50–inch mandrel are conditioned at 20 ± 4°F for a period of 30 min. The specimen is bent 180° around the mandrel with the uncoated side of the wall covering contacting the mandrel. The specimen is removed and a visual inspection done to detect cracks. To pass, the wall covering must not crack during testing.

Color gamut refers to the range of colors a printer and ink set can reproduce on a specific media. With PrestoTex polyester fabric wall media, the achievable gamut depends on the printer, inks, and RIP settings, plus the media's coating and white point. Using the correct media preset and ICC profile helps maximize gamut while keeping colors accurate and consistent across panels.

Color holdout refers to a material's ability to keep ink near the surface so colors stay dense, vibrant, and well defined instead of soaking into the media. With PrestoTex polyester fabric wall media, good holdout helps the printed color sit on the ink-receptive surface layer rather than being absorbed into the fabric, which improves saturation and edge sharpness. A strong holdout can also help achieve more consistent color across a full-wall graphic, especially in solid fills and gradients.

Measures how well a wallcovering's printed surface holds its color when rubbed, preventing dye or ink from transferring onto hands, clothing, or adjacent surfaces. A wallcovering with high crocking resistance maintains its appearance over time and won't leave color marks when touched or cleaned. This is especially important for high-traffic areas and commercial installations where walls are frequently brushed against.

Flame spread and smoke development ratings describe how quickly fire travels across the surface of a wallcovering and how much smoke it produces if ignited. These two values are among the most important fire safety benchmarks for any material used in commercial or public interior spaces. A lower flame spread index and a lower smoke developed index indicate a safer material. Many commercial building codes, architects, and specifiers require documented E84 ratings before approving a wallcovering for use in offices, healthcare facilities, hospitality spaces, and other occupied buildings.

GSM stands for grams per square meter, and it is a standard way to measure the weight of wallcovering media. For PrestoTex polyester fabric wallcoverings, GSM helps describe how substantial the material is, which can relate to opacity, durability, and how it handles during installation. GSM is commonly used internationally, while some customers are more familiar with weight expressed per square foot, and either measurement can be provided when specifying the media.

Heat Aging Resistance measures how well a wallcovering holds up when exposed to elevated temperatures over an extended period. To pass, the material must show no appreciable change to its decorative surface, including no fading, cracking, peeling, or distortion. This is a critical performance indicator for commercial spaces like restaurants, hotels, retail environments, and anywhere walls may be exposed to consistent warmth over the life of the installation.

Ink absorption rate refers to how quickly and how much ink a printable wallcovering surface takes in during printing. For PrestoTex polyester fabric wall media, this is influenced by the ink-receptive coating and the fabric texture, and it affects dry time, dot sharpness, and color density. There is no single standard absorption rate across the industry, so print performance is typically managed through printer and RIP settings, media presets, and ICC profiles developed for specific ink sets and devices.

An ink-receptive coating is a specialty surface layer applied to printable wall media that helps ink bond properly and display accurate color. On PrestoTex polyester fabric wallcoverings, this coating is what allows digital prints to dry correctly and maintain sharp detail without smudging or bleeding. It also supports consistent print quality across the material, helping the finished wall graphic look uniform and durable once installed.

Media hand feel refers to how a material feels to the touch, including its texture, softness, thickness, and flexibility. With PrestoTex textured polyester fabric wallcovering, the hand feel is fabric-like rather than smooth, which can help the print look more natural and less glossy on the wall. Hand feel also influences how the media handles during installation, including how easily it can be positioned, smoothed, and conformed to the surface.

Print surface uniformity describes how consistent a material's printable face is across the entire roll, including texture, coating coverage, and overall smoothness at a microscopic level. For PrestoTex polyester fabric wall media, uniformity helps ensure even ink laydown so colors, gradients, and fine details look consistent from panel to panel. Variations in the print surface can show up as mottling, banding, or slight color shifts, especially in large solid areas.

Shrinkage refers to how much a wallcovering contracts in size after installation, exposure to moisture, or changes in temperature and humidity. Excessive shrinkage can cause seams to open, edges to pull away from the wall, or the overall installation to look misaligned over time. Low shrinkage is especially important for large-format installations, precisely tiled repeating patterns, and any application where seam integrity and long-term alignment are critical to the finished look.

A sample from an area with as many different printed colors as possible, as well as the ground, is exposed to the following reagents: (1) Distilled water, 65 to 75°F; (2) Distilled water, 115 to 125°F; (3) Ethyl alcohol; (4) Vinegar, 3 % acetic; (5) Alkali solution; (6) Hydrochloride, 5 %; (7) Soap solution; (8) Detergent solution; (9) Pure orange juice; (10) Butter; (11) Catsup; and (12) Tea. Immediately after application, the reagent is covered with a watch glass and allowed to stand for a period of 24 hours. After removal of the watch glass, the wall covering is cleaned using, as appropriate, hot or cold distilled water, 50 % ethyl alcohol, or with the specified detergent solution. The specimen shall show no evidence of appreciable change to the decorative surface.

Tear Resistance measures how much force is required to continue a tear once it has started in a wallcovering material. Unlike breaking strength, which measures initial failure, tear resistance reflects real-world durability, such as what happens if a corner catches or a seam edge begins to separate. Strong tear resistance is a key indicator of a wallcovering's longevity on the wall.

A textile wallcovering is a wallcovering made from a fabric-based material rather than traditional paper or vinyl. PrestoTex is a textile wallcovering made from printable polyester fabric, giving it a textured appearance and feel on the wall. Textile wallcoverings are often chosen for their premium look and for how well they support large-format digital printing for murals and graphics.

A wallcovering substrate is the base material the wallcovering is built on, and it is what gives the product its structure and performance once it is on the wall. For PrestoTex wall media, the substrate is a digitally printable polyester fabric, commonly offered with a removable, repositionable peel-and-stick adhesive backing or as a non-adhesive option. The substrate influences key results, such as high opacity, wall coverage, durability, and how easily the material installs and removes.

Wallpaper base material refers to the main material the wallpaper is made from, and it determines how it prints, installs, and performs on the wall. For PrestoTex wallcoverings, the base material is a digitally printable polyester fabric, which provides a textured, fabric-like finish. The base material influences durability, high opacity, cleanability, and how easily the wallpaper can be positioned and removed, especially when paired with a removable peel-and-stick adhesive.

A sample from an area with as many different printed colors as possible, as well as the ground, is tested using a Gardner Abrasion tester equipped with a specified cellulose sponge and a specified detergent solution. After the requisite number of cycles, the machine is stopped, the specimen removed, rinsed under running water, and set aside for examination after drying. After drying, the specimen shall show no evidence of appreciable change to the printed or ground surface. Areas of localized wear clearly related to wrinkles is ignored.

White point refers to the natural "base white" of a printable material before ink is applied, including whether it appears bright, warm, or slightly cool. On PrestoTex polyester fabric wall media, the white point affects how colors reproduce because the printed image is built on top of that base tone. Accurate color matching depends on using printer profiles and settings that account for the media's white point, especially for neutrals, skin tones, and brand colors.