Masking & Blackout Fabrics

Masking fabrics and curtains are an indispensable element of stagecraft. They are almost always black and have the job of blocking and absorbing light and sound and to focus the audience’s attention on the featured performance and scenery. In the theatre, masking usually consists of legs, borders, tabs and blackout curtains. They block backstage elements from view such as walls, equipment, offstage actors and crew.

Masking fabrics also have many uses outside of theatre. They are widely used for arena and bowl reduction, defining spaces at large events, as well as light management on TV and film sets.

Use the charts below to narrow down your choice of masking fabrics to suit the requirements of your project and budget. Inherently Flame Retardant (IFR) synthetics are listed separately from natural fiber fabrics. IFR fabrics have the advantage of maintaining their flame retardancy through washings if they’re maintained properly (i.e., kept clean). Others prefer the look of natural fiber curtains, which are made flame retardant (FR) through application of an FR solution.

Masking fabrics also have many uses outside of theatre. They are widely used for arena and bowl reduction, defining spaces in large events as well as light management on TV and film sets, to name a few.

We sell black masking fabrics by the yard and custom sew them into curtains for every type of venue imaginable. We also have the largest stock of black masking rental drapes in the country. Whether you need a single 10’ x 10’ panel, or a mile wide of 20’ foot high black curtains, both our rentals department and custom sewing department can serve your needs.

The fabrics below are listed in descending order of price from the most to the least expensive. The brief comments are meant as a starting point in the process of Rose Brand helping you to focus on the best options for your application. Talk to our experts.

Blackness	Light Block/Opacity	Acoustic Sound Absorption
The blacker and more neutral, the better to absorb light. These descriptions are somewhat subjective but can serve to help narrow down your choices.	Very few fabrics are a total UV light block, but if they are at least 90% opaque they can be used as functionally opaque in most settings if there are not lights shining directly on the back of the curtains.	All of the masking fabrics provide sound dampening while some are better than the others. As always with acoustics, the characteristics of the fabric are one of several important factors in the context of any particular venue along with the distance from walls, fullness, lining and other architectural elements.

Fabric	Width	Blackness	Light Block/Opacity	Acoustic Sound Absorption	Comments
IFR SYNTHETICS
32 oz. Royale	54"	Superior	99%	Very Good**	Heavy weight deep pile for large-scale venues
25 oz. Charisma	54"	Best IFR Black	90%	Very Good**	The most widely used IFR velour for permanent masking
22 oz. ReVive™	64"	Good	99%	Best**	Great eco-friendly, sustainable fabric choice for school curtains
22 oz. Encore	64"	Good	99%	Best**	The Standard for schools, durable and wrinkle resistant
20 oz. Crescent	54"	Superior	90%	Very Good**	Widely used for high end tours and permanent house masking
23 oz. Athena	60"	Superior	95%	Very Good	Good for schools and arena reduction masking
14 oz. Magician	54"	Superior	85%	Good	Very black light weight napped velour
13 oz. Apollo	54"	Good	85%	Good	Most economical napped IFR velour
15 oz. ReVive™	62"	Good	70%	Very Good**	Great eco-friendly, sustainable fabric for Rental curtain masking and more. Durable and wrinkle resistant
15 oz. Encore	62"	Good	70%	Very Good**	The standard for rental masking, durable and wrinkle resistant
16 oz. Athena	60"	Superior	90%	Very Good**	Great for arena reduction masking
12 oz. Brava	54"	Standard	100%	Satisfactory	The most economical IFR light blocking masking
IFR 16 oz. Commando	62"	Standard	99%	N/A	The most economical 99% light blocking masking
Arena Cloth	130"	Standard	70%	Good	Great square foot coverage for the price

Fabric	Width	Blackness	Light Block/Opacity	Acoustic Sound Absorption	Comments
FR NATURAL FIBER
25 oz. Wizard	54"	Best	85%	Good	Super light absorbency
20 oz. Merlin	59"	Superior	90%	Good	The blackest, most light absorbing
32 oz. Magic	54"	Superior	99%	Best**	Heavy weight deep pile for large venues
30 oz. Wool Serge	59"	Good	99%	Very Good**	No nap/pile direction. Most popular in Europe.
25 oz. Memorable	54"	Superior	99%	Best**	Most widely used cotton velour for permanent masking
21 oz. Marvel	54"	Good	90%	Good	Widely used for show masking
16 oz. Commando	54"	Standard	99%	N/A	The most economical masking that is opaque
12 oz. Light Weight Commando	54"	Standard	70%	N/A	A good buy when opacity isn't necessary
8 oz. Duvetyn	54"	Standard	50%	N/A	The most economical masking for covering areas, but not for blocking light

**Acoustical Test Reports available under the product's Technical Information tab.