Golden GAC 400 Fabric Stiffener

Makes solid, stable works of art from fabrics and paper

GOLDEN Special Purpose Acrylic Polymer GAC 400 - is used to stiffen fabric or paper made of natural fibres. It is a water-based acrylic (acrylic polymer) that dries to a hard, stiff film.
GAC 400 is used by artists to create free sculptures from light fabrics - e.g. cotton, silk or linen etc.
The liquid GAC400 enables the modeling and forming of draped fabrics.

Quick guide for GAC 400

GAC 400 must be absorbed into the fibres of the fabric or paper to work throughout the material. It should not be applied thickly and works best if it is not diluted.
If you choose to heat-set GAC 400, this can reduce the water sensitivity and increase the stiffening properties.

Take great care not to roll, stretch or bend a fabric or paper stiffened with GAC 400, as micro cracks will form which ultimately reduce the stiffness of the material.
You need 300g GAC 400 to stiffen one square meter. With the soaking method, more of the product is needed.

How do I apply GAC 400?

Apply GAC 400 generously to the paper or fabric with a brush and allow to soak into the material. Thicker natural materials such as cotton canvas work best.
Excess or unevenly applied product is not a problem as it becomes translucent after drying and is hardly visible.
Expect some shine on the surface and a slight darkening of the fabric. For even more stiffness you can soak the fabric or paper in GAC 400, which has been poured into a flat container. Wipe off the excess and drape or position for drying. Again, you don't need to worry about removing excess product.  We recommend latex or vinyl gloves for this technique.

How do I modify fabric or paper objects?

Polyethylene plastic foils are well suited as a non-stick surface for the wet parts of the fabric and the fabric can be easily removed after drying.
However, paper can be a greater challenge, as it can easily tear if it sticks to the plastic. Heavier papers work better. It is best to use acid-free paper for art applications.
For sculptural applications, GAC 400 is best for small pieces of paper or fabric as it can be difficult for heavy or very large objects to maintain their shape. It may be helpful to drape the wet material over a stand to maintain shape while drying, but the stand should be made of HDPE plastic or covered with a polyethylene plastic film to prevent sticking. A scaffold may come in handy. 
The paper or fabric can be painted after drying.

Heat fixing options and recommendations:

While GAC 400 is only rarely thermofixed and can be used to stiffen materials even without thermofixing, thermofixing offers some advantages, such as a much lower water sensitivity and a certain increase in stiffness. If thermosetting is not carried out, the parts with GAC 400 should not be in contact with water or immersed for a longer period of time, as the medium could soften or possibly liquefy.

Let the GAC 400 dry overnight to perform the heat setting. Use a hairdryer to heat the GAC 400 high for 5 or 10 minutes. This heat setting is based on temperature and duration; the hotter the setting, the faster the process will be. The surface must not be burned. The temperatures in hair dryers can vary greatly. You should choose the hottest setting.

Please note that traces of formaldehyde are released when heat setting GAC 400. We recommend to provide fresh air supply during heat setting.

Selling unit: 1 piece (237ml & 946ml)