Screen Innovations (SI) has launched an online shade selection and specification tool. Guiding integrators, designers, homeowners, and end-users through the fabric selection process, SI’s new Fabric Wizard provides one convenient place to learn about and quickly and easily determine the best shading fabric for any indoor and outdoor application.
More than 850 indoor and outdoor fabrics and insect screens from leading designer shade suppliers, including Phifer, Mermet, Serge Ferrari, Wilson, and more, have been thoughtfully categorized according to the installation location, function, color, and other parameters, significantly streamlining what could otherwise be an overwhelming and complex exercise. SI’s Fabric Wizard starts by asking website visitors to identify the purpose of the shade, be it for UV protection, privacy, heat reduction, glare control, or insect prevention. Based on those answers, as well as color preferences, Fabric Wizard cultivates a manageable list of the most appropriate fabric choices.
“We recognize that fabric selection is unfamiliar territory for many when designing shading solutions,” says SI CEO Ryan Gustafson. “Fabric Wizard helps integrators get up to speed quickly on the important aspects of fabric selection and leads them through the specification process while providing them with an interactive tool that helps their clients visualize how fabric composition and color influences its ability to block UV rays, control the indoor climate, enable a view of the outdoors, or keep bugs out.”
For customers who also want physical samples of products recommended by Fabric Wizard, SI will send up to three swatches free through SI dealers. “We always suggest people place the fabric swatches on their intended windows and live with them for a while before making a final decision,” says Jason Russell, SI VP of residential sales. Integrators can also pull fabric swatches from the SI’s Nano demo kit, which contains 300-or-so of the company’s most popular fabric offerings.
The Fabric Wizard complements SI’s popular Flow online shade configuration and ordering software. After using Fabric Wizard, integrators can plug the fabric choice into the Flow configuration tool, adding dimensions, motorization type, and other specs to build a complete turnkey shading solution, along with estimated pricing.
The Fabric Wizard was designed by SI to be much more than a specification tool, however. It includes a wealth of useful information that explains through text and visuals common performance differences, advantages and disadvantages of certain fabric colors, and composition features essential for light filtering, UV protection, heat control, and more. “Our goal is to help integrators, designers, and end-users understand how shades differ in their composition and functionality and why those facets are important to consider when choosing shading products for the home,” says Russell. “By understanding these principles, they can confidently design the best shading solution for any indoor or outdoor home environment.”
For more information, visit https://www.screeninnovations.com/fabrics/.
