Strength, durability, cost, and stretch make polyester material the most widely used in fabric structures. Polyesters that are laminated or coated with PVC films are usually the least expensive option for longer-term fabrications.
Laminates generally consist of vinyl films over woven or knitted polyester meshes (called scrims or substrates), while vinyl-coated polyesters usually have a high-count, high-tensile base fabric coated with a bondable substance that provides extra strength. Precontraint fabric is made by placing the polyester fabric under tension both before and during the coating process. This results in a weave that has increased dimensional stability.