Screen, Blackout or Translucent: how to choose

Light is not magic: is science, design and common sense

In the world of solar protection, there's a common misconception, both common and dangerous: it's usual to think that "letting the light in" is the same as "maintain privacy". And no, it's not the same.

» As our commercial director, Tony, explainws:

What you see in daylight is what they'll see at nightime. Magic doesn't exist.

That's the key.

Choosing fabric correctly is not about aesthetic: it's a technical, visual and emotional decision that defines the confort, privacy and personality of a space.

Understanding the different types of Fabrics

Screen Fabric — the intelligence of the light

Screen fabric is the balance between clarity and control. It allows you to see the outside without losing all opening feeling.

It's secret is the level of opening: the smaller it is (1%, 5%), the more visual and thermical protection it offers.

Ideal for: office, livingroom, hotels and restaurants with views.

» In Enrollatech, we make our screen fabrics with thermical technology and precise light control. Made to resist, filter and embellish.

Translucent Fabric — the art of smoothing the light

Translucid fabrics allow the entrance of light, but blurs sillhouttes. It doesn't allow a clear vision, but brings you and homogeneous and enveloping clarity.

Transform the sun in texture and make the light an experience.

Perfect for places where the light is the protagonis: kitchen, bathroom or places without direct exposition.

Blackout Fabrics — total darkness as confort

Blackout fabrics blocks 100% of the light. It's not choosen because "it's beautiful", but because it has a technical function:

Block the entrance of light completely and guarantee total privacy

Ideal for places where darkness is essential: bedrooms, proyection rooms, hotels or auditoriums

» In Enrollatech, blackout fabrics has opaque multilayers and fireproof M1 treatments, everything to make even the most demanding standars posible.

Light ≠ Privacy

Here's where a lot of people get it wrong.

Light fabrics let light through, but, if well oriented, can protect your privacy. Dark fabrics seem more closed, but at night, with inside lighting, turns transparent.

Because of thet, the correct choice doesn't depend on personal preference, but this three facts:

The space solar orientation

Light contrast between inside and outside

The room's function (resting, work, reception...)

Good advice is not only offering "lighter or darker", but predict how is gonna be the light at every moment of the day.

How to choose depending on the Place

Type of Place	Recommended fabric	Reason Why
Houses facing south	1% or 5% Screen	Thermical and visual control
Bedrooms or hotels	Blackout	Darkness and total privacy
Kitchen and bathroom	Washable Translucent	Clarity without exposition
Office and Contract places	1% or 5% Screen	Prevents glare and improves energetic efficiency

Enrollatech's Philosophy — Light as an experience

We don't sell fabrics. We create light experiences. Our mission is to advice every client in the whole process of understanding their space. Because light is not imposed, is designed.

As Viktor Frankl said:

Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'

And our 'why' is clear because:

Making every person, architecture or decorator find the perfect balance between aesthetic, confort and technology.

Conclusion

Screen, Blackout or Translucent?

None of them is better than the other: each one has its purpose. The most important is understanding what you need to protect and what do you want to feel.