ABSTRACT
Soft goods is a broad term for scenery mostly made of fabric. The backdrop is the most common form of soft goods. Regardless of whether staff carpenters, painters, or subcontractors build the soft goods, standards govern their design and construction. The traditional materials used for drops are linen, canvas duck, and muslin. To protect soft goods, clear flame retardants, available in either liquid or crystal form, are formulated for fabrics. Bolts of muslin pretreated with flame retardant come with a certificate stating that the fabric has been treated. Additives can be mixed with paints to make them more flame retardant, and some paints manufactured specifically as flame retardants are available from most paint suppliers. Soft goods also may be sized and primed with latex paint, but a polymer paint finish does not take paint as smoothly as starch and animal glue primers.
