What Is Moire Wood?

Method

• Creating the moire effect in textiles involves manipulating the lay of the fabric through patterned pressing or through embossing it with an engraved roller. When pressing, the fabric is passed through cylindrical rollers impressed with their own pattern. The pile of the fabric is then crushed by the pattern on the rollers, which causes the crushed and non-crushed parts of the fabric to reflect light differently. The pattern wears away with time except when applied to acetate rayon.

Wallpaper

• Moire wallpaper is treated in the same fashion, by pressing through engraved rollers, producing the watermarked appearance that is synonymous with moire. The wallpaper, however, can hold the pattern because the material is changed by the process. Once hung, it is often painted over and gives the wall a faux wood or grained appearance.

Paints

• Paint shades are sometimes labeled “moire.” This does not denote any texturing or color variance within the paint itself but is simply a name that some manufacturers put to a certain, usually silky, family of colors or shades of colors.

Care and Storage

• When caring for and storing moire fabrics, laundering them should be left to dry cleaners. They can be freshened up with an iron, but use a low setting, only iron on the back side of the fabric, and use a pressing cloth on top of the fabric so the iron never directly contacts it. Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight as sunlight can fade the colors. Moire fabrics are best stored in cloth bags, such as those made of muslin, linen or cotton.