Tension Fabric Displays
Made to Be Seen
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SEG or Pillowcase
Frameless silicone edge or zip on graphic
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Single or Double Sided
Blockout liner stops show through
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Modular Frames
Reconfigure width, add towers and counters
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Reprint Only the Fabric
Frames outlast campaigns
A tension fabric display is a printed stretch fabric panel pulled tight over an aluminium frame. No panel joins, no visible hardware, no glare. Just a flat wall of colour that looks the same from ten feet away as it does from one.
Firebird Prints prints tension fabric displays in Vancouver for trade shows, conferences, showrooms, media walls, and permanent branded interiors. Both finishing systems, both frame types, printed and sewn here rather than ordered in.
SEG or Pillowcase, the Decision That Actually Matters
Almost every tension fabric display comes down to one choice, and most suppliers never explain it.
SEG, silicone edge graphics. A thin silicone strip is sewn around the edge of the printed fabric. That strip presses into a recessed channel in an extruded aluminium frame, and the fabric tensions perfectly flat right out to the edge. The result is frameless. You see graphic, not hardware. It is the cleaner finish, it holds tension better at 10ft and above, and it is the system that backlit walls are built on.
Pillowcase. Two printed panels sewn together into a sleeve with a zip along the bottom. The fabric slips over a tubular frame and zips shut, like putting a pillow in a case. Faster to fit, no tools, and the graphic can be printed on both faces. The frame edge stays slightly visible at the perimeter.
Which one. Take SEG if the display is large, if it will be photographed, if it sits in a permanent or semi permanent space, or if it will ever be lit. Take pillowcase if you travel with it constantly, want double sided printing, and want the lightest, simplest thing to put up.
Snap Tube and Extrusion Frames
Snap tube frames. Aluminium tube sections with push button connectors that snap together in a fixed sequence. Light, quick, and what pillowcase graphics are built for.
Extrusion frames. Heavier aluminium profile with the SEG channel machined along the front face. More rigid, more stable, and the reason SEG systems can carry monitor mounts, shelving, and counters.
Both assemble by hand. Be realistic about setup time though. A tension fabric wall takes longer to build than a pop up display, where the graphic stays attached to the frame and the whole thing expands in one motion. What you get in exchange is a flatter surface, a cleaner edge, and a system you can reconfigure.
Sizes and Shapes
Standard widths are 8ft, 10ft, and 20ft, in 8ft and 10ft heights. Beyond that the format is open, which is the point of the system.
- Straight walls for inline booths and flat back walls
- Curved and serpentine for softer booth entrances and open corners
- Towers for height and visibility above the crowd
- Arches and gateways for entrances and activation spaces
- Hanging structures for island booths where rigging is allowed
- Counters and storage rooms built from the same profile as the wall
Modular, Which Means It Changes With You
This is the real advantage over a fixed display. Extrusion frames use connectors, so a 20ft back wall can come apart into two 10ft walls for a smaller show. Add a tower next year, add a counter, extend the width when you upgrade your booth space.
A one piece display is whatever it was the day you bought it. A modular one grows.
Single Sided or Double Sided With Blockout
Pillowcase graphics can be printed on both faces, which is worth doing whenever people see the back of the wall. At most shows they do.
The thing to know is that without a blockout liner between the two panels, the artwork on the back will ghost through to the front, especially with light colours or strong hall lighting. An opaque liner sits between the layers and stops it. If you are printing two different designs back to back, you need it. Ask for it by name.
Fabric and Print
Graphics are dye sublimated onto polyester knit, so the ink is bonded into the fibre rather than sitting on the surface. Colour stays saturated, the print does not crack along fold lines, and the fabric can be machine washed cold and hung to dry.
Flame retardancy. Convention centres and many venues require fabric that meets NFPA 701 or an equivalent standard, and the fire marshal can ask to see proof. Tell us where you are exhibiting and we will confirm what your venue requires before production.
Because there are no panel joins, a tension fabric wall photographs well. If your booth is going to appear in event coverage, on social, or behind an interview, this is the surface you want behind it.
Reprints for Frames You Already Own
If you have a frame from a previous show, or one you bought from another supplier, you usually do not need a new system. You need new fabric.
We print replacement SEG and pillowcase graphics to fit existing frames. Send us the frame system or the channel dimensions and we will match the silicone profile and the finished size so it tensions correctly. Getting this wrong is the reason cheap replacement graphics sag or refuse to seat, so the measurements matter more than the artwork.
For anyone with a functioning frame and dated branding, this is by far the cheapest way to have a new display.
Artwork for Large Fabric Wall Panels
- Design at full scale and check it at 25 percent zoom, that is roughly aisle distance
- Keep logos and text out of the outer few inches, where the fabric turns at the frame edge
- Anything below three feet is behind your counter and your staff all day
- Large flat colour areas show tension variation more than busy imagery does
- Send vector where possible, and allow bleed on every edge
We check scale, placement, and resolution on every file and send a proof before printing. If the artwork needs to be built or adapted to a new frame shape, our designers handle it.
Where Tension Fabric Walls Are Used
- Trade show back walls and exhibition booths
- Conference stages and speaker backdrops
- Media walls and press interview backgrounds
- Retail environments and showroom feature walls
- Office lobbies and permanent branded interiors
- Product launches and brand activations
Local Production in Vancouver
We print and sew at our shop on Victoria Drive in East Vancouver. That means you can see the fabric before it ships, get a tension check on the actual frame, and sort a reprint quickly when a date moves.
For exhibitors at the Vancouver Convention Centre, BC Place, or the PNE, collecting locally also means the display comes in your own vehicle instead of through the freight dock, which normally avoids material handling charges. We supply across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley and ship nationally.
Building the Rest of the Booth
Fabric walls sit alongside counters and podiums, printed table throws, and custom backdrops. If you want the graphic lit from inside rather than lit from above, that is a backlit display, built on the same SEG principle with an LED array behind the fabric.
For a fully built environment rather than a wall system, see custom trade show booths, or browse all trade show displays.
Tension Fabric Display FAQ
What is the difference between SEG and pillowcase?
SEG has a silicone strip sewn to the fabric edge that presses into a channel in the frame, giving a flat, frameless finish. Pillowcase is a sewn sleeve with a zip that slips over a tube frame. SEG looks cleaner, pillowcase is quicker and can print both sides.
Is a tension fabric display the same as a pop up display?
No. A pop up uses a collapsible frame with the graphic permanently attached, so it expands in one motion. A tension fabric display is assembled from separate frame sections and the fabric is fitted afterwards. It takes longer to set up and gives a flatter, more configurable result.
Can it be printed on both sides?
Yes, on pillowcase graphics. Add a blockout liner between the panels so the back artwork does not ghost through to the front.
What sizes are available?
Standard walls are 8ft, 10ft, and 20ft wide in 8ft or 10ft heights, with curved, serpentine, tower, and arch configurations beyond that.
Can I print a new graphic for a frame I already own?
Yes, including frames bought elsewhere. Send the frame system or the channel dimensions so we can match the silicone profile and finished size correctly.
Is the fabric washable?
Yes. Dye sublimated polyester knit can be machine washed cold and hung to dry. Do not iron directly on the print.
Does the fabric meet venue fire requirements?
Many venues require fabric meeting NFPA 701 or equivalent and can ask for documentation. Tell us the venue when you order and we will confirm what is needed.
Can the display be reconfigured later?
With extrusion frames, yes. A 20ft wall can split into two 10ft walls, and towers, counters, and extensions can be added using the same profile.
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info@firebirdprints.com
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Order a Tension Fabric Display
Send your booth size, event date, venue, and whether you want SEG or pillowcase. If you are not sure which, tell us how often it travels and whether it will ever be lit, and we will tell you which one to buy.
