Roller blind fabric comes down to four families: blockout, sunscreen, light filtering and outdoor mesh. Pick the family based on what the room has to do, then worry about the colour.
Blockout, and what the backing is for
Blockout starts as a woven polyester, then gets a coating on the back, usually two or three passes of acrylic or a PVC layer. The coating stops the light, not the weave. Most blockouts land around 250 to 340 gsm, and the heavier ones hang straighter on a long drop.
Because there is a coating involved, blockout does not like being folded. A hard crease can crack the backing, and that shows up later as a bright line when the sun sits behind it. Roller fabric rolls, it does not fold.
Backing colour matters too. A white or pearl backing reflects heat and keeps the look consistent from the street, which is why strata buildings often ask for it. A dark backing absorbs more heat against the glass and reads warmer inside.
Sunscreen mesh and what openness means
Sunscreen is a woven mesh with measurable gaps in it. The openness factor is the share of the fabric that is hole: 1%, 3%, 5% and 10% are the usual choices. Lower numbers block more sun and give better daytime privacy, higher numbers keep the view crisp.
Colour changes the result as much as the number does. A charcoal 5% controls glare better than a white 5% and gives a clearer view out. A white or pearl back reflects more heat off the glass and looks brighter from the street, which is why a lot of the better fabrics are built with a light back and a dark face.
The threads themselves are either PVC coated polyester or fibreglass. Polyester is the common one and it handles a wipe down well. Fibreglass holds its shape and does not stretch, which suits a wide window.
Light filtering and sheer fabrics
Light filtering fabric is translucent with no visible holes in it, so it glows rather than showing a weave. You get daylight and daytime privacy with no real view out. That makes it right for a bathroom, a hallway window, or a front room close to the footpath.
Sheer roller fabric goes lighter again, closer to a voile. It is usually paired with a blockout on a double bracket, where the sheer softens the daylight and the blockout does the work after dark.
One thing to know about both of them is that they do not stop shadows. Stand between the fabric and a lamp at night and your outline shows through, so a bathroom still wants a blockout if that matters to you.
Outdoor mesh takes a different beating
Outdoor roller fabric is a heavier PVC coated mesh, built to sit in weather and hold its shape when the wind comes up. UV, salt air off the coast and constant temperature swings are what kill an outdoor blind, so the fabric and the hardware both have to be rated for it.
Do not put an indoor sunscreen on a balcony or a patio. It is not the same material, and it will stretch and mark inside the first summer.
Fabric width, joins and wet rooms
Roller fabric comes off a roll, and most roll widths top out between 2000mm and 3000mm depending on the range. Go wider than the roll and the fabric has to be joined, which you will see in daylight. On a wide opening we would rather split it into two blinds under one pelmet.
In bathrooms and laundries, stay with fabrics that wipe clean and keep the bottom rail clear of a wet sill. Steam plus a fabric that holds moisture is how mould gets started.
Kitchens are their own case. Grease travels in the air and settles into an open weave, so a smooth faced fabric near a cooktop keeps looking clean for a lot longer than a mesh will.
Matching the fabric to the tube
Fabric weight decides the tube. A light sunscreen on a small window runs fine on a 32mm roller. A heavy blockout on a wide window needs 38mm or 45mm, or the tube bows and the fabric starts tracking to one side as it winds.
This is the part a fabric sample book will never tell you, and it is why we look at the window before recommending anything. Come and feel the fabrics, or let us bring the samples to you with a free measure and quote. You can browse the full roller blind range, look closer at sunscreen mesh and openness factors, or see how a sheer roller blind handles daylight.
Common questions
What does gsm mean on roller blind fabric?
Grams per square metre, so it is a measure of the weight of the fabric. Most blockouts sit around 250 to 340 gsm. Heavier fabric hangs straighter and needs a larger tube, which is why a wide blockout goes on a 45mm roller rather than a 32mm one.
What is the difference between sunscreen and light filtering fabric?
Sunscreen is a mesh with measurable holes in it, so you keep a view out through it. Light filtering fabric is translucent with no holes, so daylight comes through but you cannot see the garden. Bathrooms and street facing windows usually suit light filtering.
Can I use an indoor fabric on an outdoor blind?
No. Outdoor roller fabrics are heavier PVC coated mesh built for UV, wind and salt air, and the hardware is rated to match. An indoor sunscreen on a balcony will stretch, mark and fail, usually before it has seen out a full Sydney summer.