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Muslin Backdrops – The Dos and Don’ts

A versatile and long-lasting product, muslin backdrops are used in theatre production, studio photography, video production, and more. Muslin backdrops have a very long and rich history and both professionals and novices use them.  And we are sure you must have come across several versions of these cloth backdrops in your photography career. The heavy-duty curtains they use in school and college theatres? They are all made of muslin.

Here is a comprehensive guide to muslin backdrops. It has everything you need to know before buying the photography backdrop and how to do proper maintenance afterwards.

What are Muslin Backdrops?

Muslin backdrops are made of 100% cotton fabric and coloured with dyes. The solid material is lightweight, easy to set up and use, and remains the same colour even after years of usage.

Our muslin backdrops are made with a cotton fabric that is resistant to wear and tear. We work with the best textile manufacturers in India to stay up to date with industry standards and give you better quality time after time. The fabric we use is 100% Indian cotton and ranges from 165gsm to 350gsm.

We offer you several different kinds of Muslin Backdrops – Mottled Muslin, Single Colour Muslin, and Portable Backdrops. The difference between the three categories is the painting and dyeing techniques used to create the patterns and designs as well as their utilities.

Mottled Muslin backdrops are one seamless piece of cotton fabric. We create them with creative dyeing techniques, some of which are our in-house speciality. And the best feature is that they help you get better lighting as the backdrop removes any extra reflection from the image. 

Single Colour Muslin backdrops are also made with one piece of seamless cotton. As the name suggests, they are coloured in one solid colour and give you the option of selecting garments and models to create a unique shoot. 

The Portable Backdrops come with their own collapsible steel frames. It gives you a very smooth surface that ensures you don’t get inconsistent lighting. And you can prop it against a wall or a pole without any extra help, making it very easy to set up in any given location. 

Can Muslin Backdrops improve your content?

A good backdrop shifts the focus of the audience to the subject of photography. Muslin backdrops help you achieve this in various ways. The natural folds and creases add extra depth and texture.

If you love a certain location and want to design a set around it, then our muslin backdrops are pretty useful. As they are extremely portable and lightweight, you can carry them around easily. You can drape them across a stable surface, lay them out on the floor, or hang them on a wire or rod. If you get one of our X-Frame backdrops, you will get a ready-made frame that you can prop up without any help. 

Image Credits: Kalyani Ambike(Left) & Ashwin Fernandes (Right)

Creating full-length fashion photographs, videos, and reels becomes a hassle-free process with a backdrop that is hanging in one place. You can walk around on it or dance on it without worrying that the backdrop might tear, as the sturdy cotton fabric is very durable. And you can use it for topdown shots or videos.

The versatility of muslin also extends to product photography and food photography. They are easy to style and you can mould them around the product you want to highlight. There is no limit to how creative you can get with a backdrop like this.

How to take care of Muslin Backdrops?

Muslin backdrops are very lightweight and you can easily pack them up and take them to any location. To ensure that you get maximum use out of one backdrop you can follow some simple tips and tricks.  

The cotton fabric gets natural wrinkles the more you use it or if you store it for a long time. Get rid of these wrinkles easily by using a steam iron, flat clothes iron or a water spray. If you are using an iron to remove the crease, then make sure it is on low heat. It will keep the dye from reacting and/or changing colours and looking odd on camera. But a steam iron is the safer option because it preserves the colours and is also easy to use. A water spray is the safest way to preserve the colours and the fabric. Spray the backdrop and let it hang freely so the wrinkle disappears on its own. 

And if you don’t have the time to get the creases out, there is a simple way to make sure they don’t appear in your photos. You will have to shoot with a larger aperture and get your subject to pose at a distance from the backdrop. This gets rid of all obvious wrinkles. 

After your shoot is over, fold up the backdrop and store it in the packet. Ideally, store it in the same packet we deliver it in. Keep it in a wardrobe, cupboard, or even a utility closet. The main thing to remember is that it is safe from both direct sunlight and humidity. Add silica gel packets to remove moisture around it.

We do not recommend washing the backdrops in a washing machine as it removes the vibrant dyes of the backdrop and adds extra creases. If the backdrop has dirt then use a sponge and non-abrasive detergent to remove it from the spot.

We hope this guide helps you make a more guided decision with muslin backdrops.