skai® Faux Leather
skai® artificial leather is an excellent surface material. The imitation leather has attracted international attention and is a stylish, comfortable solution that fits an enormous variety of applications, from the interior design of high-quality residential and commercial areas, to the medical sector and outdoor use. Some of our artificial leathers also easily meet all fire protection requirements (B1 certified) – and thus provide a good alternative to real leather. Perfectly coordinated collections and innovations provide solutions for upholstery and furniture fronts of all kinds to merge into a single unit. Artificial leather made from PVC plastic gets top scores for durability, an indication of its genuine quality.
skai® Faux leather for a range of applications
Contract furnishing
The commercial fit-out sector places high demands on our skai® upholstery fabrics. Applications such as bed headboards in hotels and cruise ships or seating in restaurants and stadiums must be flame-retardant, to protect passengers and guests in the event of an emergency. Our products meet a wide range of flammability standards. Our skai® Parotega NF and skai® Palma NF products comply with the strict specifications for Class 1 fire protection.
Depending on the use, materials for commercial fit-outs must be the most durable versions possible. For seating areas that are often frequented by visitors, the furniture must be highly resistant to abrasion, to prevent wear. skai® Pandoria Plus and skai Toronto EN meet the highest requirements with 300,000 Martindale tours.
Furniture designers and manufacturers
Furniture manufacturers, furniture designers, interior designers and decorators are inspired by the attractive designs, strong structures and on-trend colors of our artificial leather for their own productions. Using our faux leather for furniture, they always create emotionally touching living worlds with irresistible appeal, whether our materials are used on the couch, on the armchair or on the wall. Our products are ubiquitous: at home, in the car, at work, on holiday and during leisure time. In any situation, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They enrich and beautify our lives. They make sure that we are comfortable and feel good around the clock.
Artificial leather for outdoor applications
With skai® cool colors Venezia we offer innovative outdoor faux leather. skai® cool colors Venezia is a high-quality upholstery fabric for outdoor use whose surface significantly reduces the warming of the upholstery material in direct sunlight. Special cool colors pigments reflect up to 80% of near-infrared radiation. This reduces the heating of the upholstery material by up to 25%. This outstanding technology has already proven itself in other business areas, such as convertible seat covers or window frames.
Here applies: The darker the color, the greater the effect. In the outdoor sector, skai® cool colors Venezia now allows the use of colored synthetics across the entire spectrum, which was previously problematic due to heating.
skai® Artificical leather novelties and special features
Things to know about Faux Leather:
What is faux leather?
From an early stage, attempts have been made to produce leather imitations i.e., cheap and durable alternatives to temperamental and scarce real leather that were easily available by the meter. Artificial leather in the strictest sense has been around since the middle of the 20th century. It consists of at least two components: a textile substrate made of natural or synthetic fibers onto which a cover layer of colored plastic is laminated on a PU or PVC base.
Use of artificial leather
Soft artificial leather, as described above, is popular as a versatile cover for seats and couches. For example, it replaces nappa leather on seating and reclining furniture such as armchairs, sofas and benches. Real leather can also be easily replaced by artificial leather in waiting areas and offices, in cars, ships and airplanes, or on treatment chairs and couches in the medical sector. By deviating from real leather, almost all conceivable colors and patterns are possible, whether red, brown, beige, pine green, turquoise, black, grey, metallic tones and even color combinations. Because of its excellent properties, artificial nappa leather is also preferred to real leather for use on door trims, wall elements, consoles and gearshift bellows, among other things.
Types of artificial leather
What all synthetic leathers have in common is that they are manufactured as industrial open-ended belting and are often intended to give the impression of real leather. For this purpose, one or more layers of PVC or polyurethane are applied to a textile or synthetic base layer. For the deceptively real look and feel, the surface is then given a textured or grain embossing. A finish protects against mechanical stress and other environmental influences. Depending on the intended use, there are thin, medium or thick versions. What all high-quality artificial leathers have in common is that they can be cut to the exact requirements of the processor. Expensive waste, as with genuine leather, can be minimized.
Faux vs. real leather
Real leather is one of the oldest cultural goods manufactured by humans. As far back as the Stone Age, it was used as clothing, protection, containers, and more. Natural leather is obtained from animal skins in a complex process. To render it pliant and durable, it is mechanically and chemically processed.
Artificial leather, on the other hand, is a synthetic leather imitation that can be industrially manufactured in any quantity to be sold by the meter. Material properties, appearance and texture can be endlessly varied: from the popular patterns of a wide variety of natural leathers to textile fabric textures including seams and stitching, right through to custom technical embossing.
Artificial leather quality
Today, the synthetic doppelganger of real leather has nothing to do with the often still clumsy imitations of earlier decades. Modern artificial leathers are often indistinguishable from real leather to the naked eye or by touch, and are often superior and more suitable for industrial production than the prototype. The innovative upholstery fabric is also impressive when it comes to sustainability: artificial leather with recyclable material components, bio-based raw materials or even with recycled content from bottle PET or coffee grounds are already a reality today.
Faux leather durability
Unlike real leather, mechanical stress, sunlight and moisture have little effect on the highly water and UV-resistant imitation. It doesn’t fade, or become brittle or stained. With careful maintenance, artificial leather still looks almost new, even years later. skai® cover fabrics also impress with their perfect suitability for everyday use. For applications in demanding hospitality or mobility situations, an innovative surface sealant provides unsurpassed resistance to ketchup and red wine stains, jeans abrasion or even intentional soiling! This is easy not just on the eye, but on your wallet too!
Processing skai® faux leather
Faux leather can be manufactured, transported, stored, and processed in large rolls to be sold by the meter. Imitation leather is more economical and quicker to manufacture than real leather; less trimming is required during processing. Artificial leather can be cut, pinned, sewn, nailed, or glued, easily and safely. Depending on the product and application, our skai® faux leather can also be pulled around curves and edges.
How is skai® faux leather manufactured?
Manufacturing of faux leather: An elastic cover layer made of PU or PVC plastic is applied to a substrate made of synthetic fibers on large machines, after which the foam layer is applied. This is followed by surface embossing of the leather imitation: cowhide, ostrich or creative embossing – almost everything is possible and is even part of the skai® standard repertoire. Finally, a transparent protective layer protects the surface from dirt, abrasion and UV radiation.
Faux leather – cleaning and maintenance
Cleaning and care of faux leather: It is an extremely easy-to-clean upholstery material. In most cases, all that’s needed is to wipe the surface with a warm, mild soap solution and a microfiber cloth, and then dry it. A soft hand brush can also be used for heavier soiling. In contrast to open-pored real leather, leather imitation is not harmed by juice or even red wine stains, once the mark is immediately wiped off the fabric. In situations where artificial leather upholstery is subject to heavy-duty use, for example in the catering trade, the innovative staynu coating ensures unrivalled resistance to soiling – even a permanent marker stain can be easily removed!
Advantages of artificial leather
The many advantages of faux leather are:
- contains no animal components, and therefore meets the requirements for vegan textiles.
- every roll in the range has exactly the same properties
- can be produced in qualities, colors and finishes that rarely or never occur in nature: from black to copper, brown, ochre, slate gray, mustard yellow or moss green.
- In terms of its look and feel, artificial leather is almost impossible to distinguish from real leather.
- In terms of of care and robustness, artificial leather is even further ahead!
- Particularly sustainable material: vegan, durable, and in many cases partly recycled, thanks to innovative substrates.
How can I buy skai® faux leather?
skai® artificial leather can be ordered directly from us for orders above a certain quantity. You can also order artificial leather samples online beforehand, with no commitment. Our sales staff will be happy to advise you. Just call or email us!
Order your faux leather samples free of charge now!
Do you want to see and feel these high-quality materials for yourself? Simply add the samples you need to your shopping cart on the corresponding product page and send your order to us right away.
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