Plain Neoprene:
There is no fabric or texture in the neoprene rubber on the “plain” side—just raw rubber. White neoprene rubber may yellow over time even with fabric over it.
Perforated Neoprene:
Perforated neoprene is ideal for medical braces and other body applications that call for breathable material. Only the rubber itself is perforated. The nylon or polyester fabric you choose is not perforated.
Smooth Neoprene:
This neoprene has a surface texture much smoother than plain neoprene. It’s commonly used in clothing and wetsuits.
Textured Neoprene:
Textured neoprene has a rougher surface on the plain rubber side, allowing it to maintain better contact with the surface that it is placed upon.
Polyester Fabric:
Polyester-covered neoprene will generally hold up better in direct sunlight than nylon will. Print on polyester if you wish to use an “inkjet” or dye-sublimation printing process that sprays ink into the fabric. A polyester fabric surface will hold the image much better and more clearly than nylon. Since the color of the fabric will influence the color of the ink used, we recommend using a white polyester fabric to make sure the final colors are true to what you need.
Nylon Fabric:
Nylon fabrics tend to fade in sunlight while polyester fabric doesn’t. Nylon is suitable for silk-screen printing. Since the designs will be on top of the fabric surface, any color of fabric will work well for this kind of printing. Nylon fabric has a stretch of longitude 95.56% and latitude 244.75%.
U-Loop:
This neoprene has a fuzzy loop fabric applied that is perfect for the hook side of Velcro® to bond with. U-loop should be used in hook-and-loop applications that are not separated frequently since U-loop will wear out. It increases airflow for close-to-skin applications when facing skin.
UBL:
A higher quality version of the U-loop neoprene. It stands for UnBreakable Loop. UBL should be used when Velcro will be frequently applied and removed. It is textured on one side.
Peel/Stick Adhesive Backing:
This is an adhesive backing applied to neoprene. Simply peel away the paper to expose the adhesive for application.
