seeker613 Loc: Brooklyn, N.Y.

I just got a 6'5"x6' collapsible backgroud - made of muslin & cotton, that was touted as 'wrinkle free'. It is decidedly NOT wrinkle-free; which leads to my question: how do you get the wrinkles out?

It is double-side black & white material that despite hanging on a stand for 24hrs +, the wrinkles just won't 'quit'.

Please advise! Thanks in advance!

Eli

lehighjack Loc: somewhere in FL

Depending on fabric, use a portable hosed clothes STEAMER. They run from about $20 to over $100.

seeker613 Loc: Brooklyn, N.Y.

lehighjack, thanks for the reply. Won't doing the 'folded taco' manuever & replacing it into pouch just return it to being wrinkled?

Are there any materials that don't wrinkle? I heard there are (all) cotton ones, but I'm guessing that there'd be shrinkage if you had to 'spot clean' & you couldn't use it outside even if it might just drizzle.

So hand steaming won't hurt a muslin+cotton combo, how much have you found is enough that won't hurt /shrink the material? It is stretched & fixed onto a metal collapsing frame wish. It seems like steaming could shorten the product lifespan. Wish I had done more homework on this purchase; but the product description said it was wrinkle free… Should have opened & unfolded it & checked for wrinkles, but I trusted the product listing & now it's too late to return (not time, just made other mistakes) ☹

Thanks for your help!

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

I have that type of background. Bought a hand steamer at Walmart for $19. Here is what I found. Streaming is not likely to reduce the life of the backdrop. What breaks down fabric fibers when you launder clothiers is chemicals like bleach or starch moist heat is actually not harmful to the fibers. As far as shrinking unless you are steaming it while it is still closed it’s not a problem. It’s stretched pretty tight on its frame any shrinking that occurres actually will reduce the Wrinkling. I take the steamer with me when I use the back drop it is easy to use and very handy if any of your subjects have wrinkles in their clothes also. Just never let them try to use it while they are still wearing the clothes that are wrinkled. It might be a small inconvenience but it really is not a big deal. It’s become part of my portrait emergency kit.
If you don’t want to carry a steamer with you another thing I have done that has worked is hang the open backdrop the night before and steam the wrinkles out. Leave it hanging overnight and don’t fold it up until you are ready to leave for the shoot. That way it is only folded for a short time and it shouldn’t wrinkle.
Good luck.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

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So...aside from the advertisng hype let me explain: I have a long experience with many kinds of studio and portable backgrounds.There are hardly any woven fabrics or materials that are truly wrinkle free. Lots depend on the type of textile, the thread count,the length and flexibility of the fibers and threads that it is made of. Mostly, once the fibers break, so the speak, due to folding or creasing, that's the end. Sometimes irong or steamng will restore the material but, in the case of painted or printed backgrounds, the surface my be marred due to the heat or moisture. You may not want to steam or iron the background every time you fold it for transport.

Velevet or velveteen is less like to wrinkle. If you need a sold color you can find it a fabric store and make you own. If you require a scenic or painterly background, the aforementioned compamy can supply it. Since velvet tends to eat light, it is less likely to show minor creases, especially in darker colors. How you light the background and whether it is in or out of focuse also influences the results.

Another alternative is to find a knitted or jersey-like fabric.

I have used a few cloth foldable backgrounds, however, I prefer to use window shades for portable use- i buy large white, black or gray ones and paint them myself. I have also had very large canvas or muslin foldable backgrouds- even the best of them wrinkle and they weigh a "ton"- it's a 2-man job to hang them unless you have a portable crane. Getting them back into the bag ain't lots of good fun either.

Denny has been aroud for a long time and the offer good customer service. It seems that the hit on a nice material. If you call them the might be able to make a custom color, scene, or pattern for you.

seeker613 Loc: Brooklyn, N.Y.

lehighjack, sounds good! Thanks so much for your 1st hand experience! Will keep in mind! Thanks to all

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

With photos I often see posted here on the hog that use some sort of background, that background is too close to the subject. In an ideal world/studio, you should have enough room to light it separately from the subject and throw that background (and the wrinkles) out of focus.
I've not seen wrinkles show up on the pop-open backgrounds I use. With the larger muslin ones, at the studios where I worked we rolled them up on a carpet tube or PVC pipe. If they're not rolled, I don't fold them. we put them loosely in a big box so they only got random creases. A steamer, clamps and gaffer tape always took care of those.

WirtzWorld Loc: SE WI

I have several Muslim and cotton backgrounds, somewhat larger but this works. Hang it and mist with warm water. Brush with your hands in one direction and when it dries it should be relatively wrinkle free. If not, repeat. To transport or store, I would roll it carefully and keep it like that. I have long tubes for some of them, but even the ones without tubes stay pretty flat.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/tpr?p=11551781&t=663585

Check out the o above link- I responded to your question back in 2020 and provided a link to a company that specializes in photographic backgrounds. Check out the above link and the one in the other response.

I have used many different kinds of portable and studio backgrounds made of various materials. I have found many fabrics to be wrinkle-resistant but never found one that is entirely wrinkle-proof once it has been folded up and stuffed into a carrying case and transported.

I have used various knitted or so-called jersey materials that can be stretched back into a wrinkle-free state if pinned or stapled to a wall or other solid surface and stretched tightly. Darkly coloured velvet and velveteen fabrics absorbed light and are less likely to show any wrinkles. Lots depend on how the background is lighted, its distance forom the subject, and if it is rendered in or out of focus.

Most of my long-lasting portable backgrounds are on canvas or other sturdy material and rolled up on wooden dowels or window shade poles. I have a few very large foldable portables but they are intentionally wrinkled and show as such unless they are well out of focus.

If you tell me what you are shootg- headshots, groups, full-lengths, etc., how you are setting up and lighting, I may be able to help you better.