Wednesday 16 May 2012

Wondering Wednesday : Lutradur v Zeelon



...as in, what's the difference between Lutradur and  Zeelon?  Well, they have quite a few things in common.  They are both spun bonded, semi transparent and easy to colour.  They burn nicely, giving super effects. They come in a variety of different weights.  They don't fray.  The difference between them, though, is that Lutradur is made of polyester, while Zeelon is made from nylon. 

So what, I hear you holler?  Well, that's imporant because of the colouring aspect.  Both Lutradur and Zeelon can be coloured using paints of various types.  It's when it comes to dyes that they differ.  Lutradur can only be dyed using transfer (sublimation) dyes, which were specially designed for polyester fibres.  Zeelon can be dyed in that way, also, but, being nylon, it is also possible to use acid dyes on them, making them a little more flexible. 

The only other main difference to my mind is that they are slightly different in terms of their texture; Zeelon is smoother than Lutradur.  Otherwise, they seem to be interchangeable.  Is one 'better' than the other?  Well... it depends on what you want them for.  For me, it comes down to personal preference.  Try them out... see which you prefer. 


2 comments:

Lois Parker said...

very useful, thanks...just about to start a 'slash and burn' project and wondered about the three products available. I had been told Lutrodor tended to grey colours so the information on dying is very useful.

artmixter said...

I think any semi translucent material you use over another will have some sort of dulling effect on the colour underneath, but it's not my experience that Lutradur greys colour.