Guide
Inflatable fabrics and printing explained
The denier (D) of an inflatable fabric is the mass in grams of 9000 metres of yarn: a 300D polyester is light, a 600D heavy. PVC, fully waterproof, and TPU are used for airtight shapes. Printing is done by dye sublimation on polyester, as on the ZSC and GSHC tunnels, or on removable Velcro panels.
Contents · 7 sections
What does denier mean on an inflatable fabric?
Denier (D) is the mass in grams of 9000 metres of yarn: it measures how fine the yarn is, not the quality of the finished fabric.
Inflatable tunnels come in 300D, 420D and 600D polyester, from light to heavy grades; denier alone says nothing about waterproofing, wind rating, fire rating or service life.
Weight follows denier: at Michelin Inflatable, a 600D polyester fabric weighs 225 g/m² and a 1000D one 350 g/m².
For transport, the range is wide: according to one manufacturer, advertising inflatables weigh between 50 g for a light PVC ring and 250 kg for a very large cube.
Which fire rating a fabric needs indoors is explained in the guide to fire ratings for inflatables.
PVC, coated polyester, ripstop or TPU: which fabric should you choose?
PVC is fully waterproof, nylon only water-resistant; a PVC-coated polyester combines a polyester (PET) base with a PVC coating loaded with flame-retardant and UV additives.
Architectural membranes are heavy: the Flexlight 942 by Serge Ferrari, designed for pavilions and inflatable structures, weighs 900 g/m². By contrast, a PU-coated polyester certified M1 can weigh 150 g/m² and stay water- and airtight.
Ripstop is a woven fabric with a crosshatched grid of threads: if it tears, the small squares contain the rip and stop it from spreading.
TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resists abrasion and wear; BASF lists giant flexible tanks and boats among its uses.
A shape kept inflated by a blower tolerates seams; a sealed shape must be airtight. The giant Buttonscrave bag combines both inflation methods, constant air and sealed air. The guide to constant-air, sealed and helium inflatables compares them.
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Request a quoteHow is an inflatable printed?
On polyester, by dye sublimation: the ink is printed on transfer paper, then heat-pressed onto the fabric with no pre-treatment, and the print does not peel or crack.
For the Lion ZSC and Aigle GSHC tunnels, more than 500 and more than 400 pieces of fabric were laser-cut, sublimation-printed and hand-sewn.
The Astra Festival moon was sublimation-printed, backlit and given an M1 fire-retardant treatment.
UV printing is a different process: the ink is cured by UV light and can be printed on substrates such as PVC. The LE CHAT replica made for Henkel has high-definition UV printing.
Full print or Velcro panels?
A full print covers the whole surface; removable banners attached with Velcro let you change visuals from one event to the next.
Manufacturers offer screen printing or full-surface digital printing, and direct or Velcro-detachable branding.
The giant Buttonscrave bag, 14 m by 8.5 m high, is sublimation-printed over its whole surface.
Velcro suits changing sponsors, on a race arch for instance; a full print suits a character, a mascot or a product.
Will Pantone colours be matched on an inflatable?
A colour can be matched when its Pantone reference is provided during design, but it is checked on the real fabric: the same Pantone colour already looks different on coated and uncoated paper.
The files and references to send are covered in the guide on how to brief a custom inflatable.
How well does an inflatable resist UV and sunlight?
A PVC coating can contain UV additives that protect the fabric; for colours, ask for the colour fastness to light under ISO 105-B02, rated against blue wool references 1 to 8.
Do not confuse UV printing, a printing process, with UV resistance, which depends on the fabric and the inks.
According to Epson, a dye-sublimation print withstands washing without peeling, cracking or fading.
Can an inflatable be transparent, mirrored or chrome?
Yes: Digital Inflatables made a 3.50 m chrome ball in 2 weeks for a music video by Angèle, and 3 chrome structures 4 m tall for L’Oréal Pro in Paris.
The workshop also offers mirror balloons measuring 50 cm to 8 m in diameter, in 20 colours.
For transparency, some TPU grades, known as aliphatic, are glass-clear.
The making steps are set out in the guide to how custom inflatables are made, and the trade terms in the inflatable structures glossary.
Full specifications
| Denier (D) | mass in grams of 9000 metres of yarn |
|---|---|
| Common polyester grades | 300D (light), 420D (medium), 600D (heavy) |
| PVC-coated polyester | polyester (PET) base, PVC coating, flame-retardant and UV additives |
| Dye sublimation | heat transfer onto polyester, no pre-treatment |
| Lion ZSC tunnel | more than 500 fabric pieces, laser-cut, sublimation-printed and hand-sewn |
| Colour fastness to light | ISO 105-B02, blue wool references 1 to 8 |
Frequently asked questions
What fabric is used for advertising inflatables?
It depends on the inflation method and use: PVC is fully waterproof, nylon only water-resistant, and TPU resists abrasion.
What does 600D mean on a fabric?
600D means a 600-denier yarn, that is 600 grams per 9000 metres of yarn.
Does dye sublimation fade?
It withstands washing without peeling or fading; in sunlight, its durability is measured as colour fastness to light under ISO 105-B02.
Can you change the logo on an inflatable?
Yes, with removable banners attached with Velcro, which let you change visuals from one event to the next.
Can an inflatable have a chrome or mirror finish?
Yes: Digital Inflatables made a 3.50 m chrome ball for a music video by Angèle and offers mirror balloons in 20 colours.
Sources
- QUDT, denier unit qudt.org
- Inflatable tunnel buyer’s guide (mvpvisuals.com) mvpvisuals.com
- Serge Ferrari, expertise and technologies sergeferrari.com
- BASF, Elastollan for films and textiles plastics-rubber.basf.com
- Epson, dye-sublimation printers epson.eu
- Mimaki, UV-curable inks mimaki.com
- Digital Inflatables projects page digital-inflatables.com
Drafted with AI assistance from the company’s verified facts, reviewed and approved by Jodoc Elmiger, founder and managing director of Digital Inflatables.
