Please turn your device to portrait.
Demand for blockout is pushing suppliers to reframe what they sell. Shaw, Meyer Blinds and Ricky Richards each arrive at mid-2026 with expanded collections that go past opacity to width, material credentials and durability. For retailers and installers, the shared message is that blockout now trades on recycled yarn content, strata compliance, rolling quality and warranty as much as on light control.
Three suppliers, working on unrelated products for different parts of the window, have landed on the same answer this year: go wider.
Shaw’s DuoBlock 3.0 sits on a 3.0 metre construction and Icon FR 3.2 runs to 3.2 metres. Meyer Blinds’ Yolanda is a 3.2 metre wide blockout, with Eden X and Levan at 3 metres. Ricky Richards has taken Outlook Zero Classics to 320cm against the 220cm where traditional canvas typically stops, which the company says removes structural joins on 99 per cent of traditional awning styles. Glazed openings have grown, in housing and commercial work alike, and the join has become the specification problem that width solves.
Materials have moved up the list alongside it. Simon Meyer says customers are now asking how fabrics are made and what goes into them, and Meyer Blinds has answered with recycled yarn content across two new blockout ranges, both PVC-free and lead-free. Shaw has come at the same specification pressure from another direction, adding a basalt-backed option to DuoBlock 3.0 to broaden the range’s appeal where strata bodies specify blockout performance.
The third shift is what blockout gets sold on. Opacity is assumed. What separates one range from another at the counter is how quietly it rolls, how it holds colour, how much solar heat it stops and how long the warranty runs. Shaw is pitching its new Cove blockout partly on rolling quality and its pairing with motorisation. Ricky Richards is pitching Dark-Night on glare and heat gain, and backs the Zero range for 15 years where canvas UV warranties typically run five to ten.
For retailers and fabricators, the practical read is that blockout has become a specification conversation rather than a colour card one.
SHAW STRENGTHENS ITS BLOCKOUT COLLECTION
Following the industry response at this year’s SuperExpo, Shaw has unveiled the latest evolution of its blockout collection, an expansion the company says reflects its commitment to innovation, customer feedback and practical design.
Already recognised for what Shaw describes as one of the most extensive blockout ranges in the window furnishings industry, the company has broadened the collection with new manufacturing methods, refreshed colour palettes and product enhancements that reflect current interior trends while responding to the needs of window blind manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
Leading the launch is Cove, a new plain blockout developed in collaboration with Shaw’s manufacturing partners. Designed to deliver depth of colour, Cove features a nano-flocked backing that provides a soft hand, quieter operation and smooth rolling performance. Shaw says these qualities make it a natural companion to the ultra-quiet ShawSmart motorisation program.
Its understated palette of muted earth tones reflects growing consumer demand for timeless, calming interiors, offering versatility across both contemporary and classic design schemes.
Building on one of its longstanding performers, Nuance reimagines the Mantra collection for the current market. Featuring a subtle linear texture, the company says it works equally well as a standalone roller blind or paired with sheers and curtains to create layered window furnishings.
Its curated palette focuses on whites and warm neutrals, providing retailers with the breadth of choice customers continue to seek in that colour category.
Shaw has also taken the opportunity to refine several established collections. Following customer feedback, Le Reve and Endota have both received palette updates. New warm neutral tones have been introduced while retaining the colour-matched backing that Shaw says has made these textured blockout fabrics enduring favourites.
Vibe, one of the cornerstone collections within the Shaw range, has undergone a colour refresh. Recognised for its distinctive matte finish and extensive colour offering across multiple roller and vertical widths, the updated palette brings Vibe into line with current interior trends while preserving the characteristics that Shaw says have established it as one of its strongest performers.
Practical performance remains central to Shaw’s product development strategy. Recognising the growing demand for products that meet strata specifications, DuoBlock 3.0 now includes a basalt-backed option in two of its most popular white shades. Shaw reports that the range has continued to gain momentum since its move to the wider 3.0 metre construction, and this latest addition further broadens its appeal.
Commercial applications are also driving interest in Icon FR 3.2, Shaw’s wide-width flame-retardant blockout fabric. At 3.2 metres wide, Shaw says Icon FR achieves a flammability index of less than five, which the company positions as a solution for larger installations where compliance and unbroken coverage are required.
The expanded blockout collection reflects Shaw’s ongoing investment in products that combine durability, functionality and contemporary design. Across new and refreshed ranges, the emphasis is on practical, cost-effective solutions supported by neutral palettes that offer longevity in interior design.
Shaw reports that the response at SuperExpo confirmed continued industry appetite for innovation grounded in real-world performance. The company says the expanded collection, which it describes as one of the most comprehensive blockout ranges available, gives retailers greater choice across residential and commercial markets.
SUSTAINABILITY MEETS PERFORMANCE IN MEYER BLINDS’ SIGNATURE X
Meyer Blinds has put its answer into Signature X, which the company describes as the largest update to the Signature range in more than six years. The collection carries 22 fabric ranges sourced from mills Meyer Blinds describes as among the world’s most respected, and according to the company more than 60 per cent of it is entirely new, with many ranges exclusive to Meyer Blinds. The release introduces new textures, colours and finishes while retaining the best sellers customers already know.
The collection spans blockout, screen, light filtering and high-performance metallised backed fabrics, giving retailers options across residential and commercial projects.
According to Simon Meyer, Managing Director of Meyer Blinds, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for both retailers and end users.
“Customers still expect excellent blockout performance, but many are now asking questions about how products are made and what materials are being used,” says Meyer. “The recycled blockout ranges within Signature X help retailers answer those questions without compromising on quality, style or functionality.”
Leading the collection are Eden X and Levan, two new blockout ranges incorporating recycled yarns. Eden X is manufactured using 100 per cent recycled yarn, while Levan contains 43.6 per cent recycled yarn. Both are PVC-free, lead-free and available in practical 3 metre widths, offering retailers a sustainability story alongside everyday performance.
Another addition is Yolanda, a premium 3.2 metre wide blockout fabric. The wider width helps minimise joins on larger windows, making it particularly appealing for contemporary residential and commercial projects. Like much of the Signature X blockout collection, Yolanda is PVC-free, lead-free and fire retardant.
Across the broader blockout offering, fabrics including Barwon, Macquarie, Merrica, Mitchell, Murray, Richmond, Tennyson Plus and Vegas 2 carry consistent performance credentials: PVC-free and lead-free construction, fire retardancy and generous widths suited to today’s larger glazed openings.
“Retailers should be leading with the combination of performance, sustainability and presentation,” says Meyer. “Signature X gives them stronger fabric stories, more exclusive options and a collection designed to meet the needs of modern projects.”
Updated Signature X sample books are now available to order. The refreshed folder design is cleaner, more intuitive and easier to navigate, making it quicker to locate ranges and present fabrics to customers. Fabric ranges are clearly organised for faster presentations, with the books designed to stand out on the shelf.
RICKY RICHARDS TAKES AIM AT THE CANVAS MARKET
Ricky Richards has gone after a persistent problem in the traditional canvas market. For architects, designers, installers and fabricators, specifying outdoor fabrics has long meant trading heritage aesthetic against engineering performance. Canvas is the clearest example: it offers the look suited to period homes and traditional storefronts, but arrives with familiar limitations including shrinkage, mould susceptibility, wavy side hems, and widths capped at 220cm that force structural joins on most standard awning builds.
The company’s response is the Outlook Zero range. Outlook Zero Classics takes direct aim at the traditional canvas space, pairing heritage-inspired aesthetics with advanced textile engineering. Alongside the established high-performance products in the range, the Zero Classics and Mode Zero portfolio has been upgraded with Dark-Night technology, which Ricky Richards positions as a new industry benchmark for glare reduction and visual comfort.
Engineering out the flaws
Outlook Zero Classics is engineered as a direct replacement for poly/cotton canvas alternatives, without sacrificing architectural character. Advanced synthetic fibres guarantee zero shrinkage, and the fabric’s engineered surface structure makes it highly resistant to mould and significantly easier to keep clean than conventional canvas.
For fabricators and installers, the most significant improvement is width. Traditional canvas typically tops out at 220cm, which forces vertical joins on standard-sized structures. Outlook Zero Classics is manufactured at 320cm wide, which the company says eliminates joins on 99 per cent of traditional awning styles. The fabric also requires no side hems during fabrication. It lies flat under tension, removing the edge waviness that can compromise the clean lines of a traditional canvas skin.
Introducing Dark-Night technology
Where the physical dimensions of the Zero range address workshop and installation problems, Dark-Night technology targets the science of solar protection.
Rather than relying on surface coatings to deflect light, the technology integrates an ultra-dense black core yarn directly into the weave. The black polyester mesh core acts as an internal optical barrier. Ricky Richards cites three benefits from that construction. The first is reduced light transmission, providing shade density under peak summer conditions. The second is glare reduction: by absorbing scattered light rays internally, the company says the fabric decreases eye strain and creates a cooler, visually restful microclimate under the structure. The third is enhanced privacy and thermal defence, with the specialised core composition minimising solar heat gain, reducing a building’s reliance on mechanical cooling and lowering energy costs.
A multi-tiered portfolio
The Zero family is structured across three product lines for premium external specifications:
Longevity as standard
In commercial and high-end residential work, an external fabric’s longevity ties directly to the project’s return on investment. Traditional canvas suppliers across the industry typically cap UV warranties at five to ten years. Ricky Richards backs the Zero range with a 15-year UV warranty, which the company attributes to the composition of the fabric.
The Zero range brings together 320cm join-free widths covering 99 per cent of awning styles, zero shrinkage, mould resistance, no side hems required in fabrication, and Dark-Night’s integrated light-blocking core. For specifiers weighing alternatives to traditional canvas, Ricky Richards presents the range as a single answer for both residential heritage and modern commercial work.
