Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
Fabric-covered snap caps are snap button caps covered in fabric instead of metal – most often in the same fabric the product is made from. The button blends into the garment, bag or cover, while the fastening keeps its spring-loaded click. At Polkom, caps covered in your fabric are made on inquiry: you send a fabric sample, we choose the system and size, make a sample and, after approval, the production run.
What a fabric-covered snap cap is
A 54 or 61 system snap button has 4 parts: cap, socket with spring, stud and post. The cap is the only part visible on the right side – so it alone defines the look. On the standard style the cap is metal and can carry a relief logo. On a fabric-covered cap, the metal base of the cap is covered in fabric, while the functional parts – spring, stud and post – stay the same as on the metal style.
The result is a button that looks like a sew-on covered button but is set with a press and fastens without a buttonhole. This is convenient for products where a buttonhole is undesirable or hard to make – thick fabrics, knitwear, covers, childrenswear.
When a cap covered in your fabric is worth it
- Tonal match – when no metal colour on the finish card works with the fabric.
- Patterned fabrics – checks, stripes, florals or prints where the button should continue the pattern.
- Quiet fastening without metallic shine – dresses, eveningwear, childrenswear, home textiles.
- Single-fabric collections – when the fabric is the brand's identity and every detail must be made from it.
- Fabrics printed with the brand – if your fabric has a logo or monogram in the pattern, it can also show on the cap.
Fabric-covered snap caps in your fabric: ordering steps
The process is practical and starts from the fabric, not from the catalogue.
- You send a fabric sample. A piece of the product's real fabric is enough, not a photo – thickness, density and behaviour under tension are decisive. If the fabric is patterned, mark which part of the design should fall on the cap.
- We choose the system and size. Depending on the fabric and product, we recommend the 54 system for thin and medium wovens or the 61 system for dense fabrics, as well as a cap diameter from the catalogue sizes.
- We confirm the finish of the metal parts. The socket, stud and post are visible on the reverse and when unfastened – a finish is chosen from the card; all are nickel free.
- Sample. We make a sample of the covered cap and do a trial setting on your fabric.
- Approval and production. After the sample is approved, the series order follows. Price, minimum quantity and lead time – on inquiry.
Which system and size – a guide from the catalogue
The covered cap is built on an existing snap button system. The table shows the styles with a 54 system cap for which a covered version is requested, and the catalogue cap sizes. Whether a specific fabric and size are feasible, we confirm after a sample.
| Code | System | Cap sizes (mm) | Suitable fabrics | Typical products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S54-10 | 54 standard | 11.5; 12.5; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 25; 30 | thin and medium wovens, denim shirting, poplin | shirts, bodysuits, denim shirts, baby and childrenswear |
| H61-10 | 61 standard (with a 54 system cap) | 11.5; 12.5; 13; 14; 15; 16; 18; 19; 20; 25; 30 | dense fabrics, denim, wool, oilcloth, leather | jackets, denim jackets, trench coats, coats |
| SP-10 | Combined system with a 54 cap | 10.5; 11.5; 12.5; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 25; 30 | dense and technical materials | jackets, denim jackets, trench coats, coats, bags |
Important: the 54 and 61 systems cannot be combined with each other. The socket and stud are always ordered as a set from one system, regardless of the cap.
Which fabric is suitable for a covered cap
Not every fabric behaves the same around the small metal base of the cap. When choosing, consider the following:
Thickness
Very thick fabrics – dense wool, bouclé, thick felt – are hard to wrap around the edge of a small cap and leave wrinkles. With them, a larger diameter gives a cleaner result. Very thin fabrics, on the other hand, can let the shine of the metal show through.
Transparency and colour
With light, thin fabrics – chiffon, fine cotton, satin – the metal may show through the weave. The solution is a backing or testing two variants at the sample stage.
Structure and fraying
Loose weaves and knits fray more easily at the edge of the cap. Fabrics with a stable structure – poplin, gabardine, denim, tightly woven linen – give the most predictable result.
Pattern
At a small diameter only a small part of the design is visible. If the pattern position matters, state it in your inquiry – otherwise the caps will show different parts of the design.
Covered or metal cap – a comparison
| Criterion | Cap covered in your fabric | Metal cap |
|---|---|---|
| Look | blends into the product, no metallic shine | metal accent in a finish of your choice |
| Logo | through the fabric pattern | relief logo on the cap |
| Colour | exactly like the fabric | from the finish card |
| Production | on inquiry, after a fabric sample | catalogue styles and sizes |
| Washing and ironing | depends on the fabric – checked on the sample | according to the finish |
If you want the logo on the button itself, a metal cap with a relief logo or a pearl or marble cap with a laser logo is more suitable. The techniques are described on the branding page.
Setting, washing and care
A covered cap is set like the standard one – with a special die on a hand press, a lever press or on motorised and automatic machines, using the corresponding die for each system and size. The setting area must have an even thickness, and on knitwear it is reinforced with interfacing or tape.
Behaviour in washing and ironing depends mainly on the fabric on the cap. So the sample is washed and ironed in the same way the end user will care for it before you approve the production run. The metal parts are nickel free on all styles and finishes, which matters for childrenswear and the EU market.
Alternatives
If the fastening does not have to be a snap, see the sew-on fabric-covered buttons – made in your own fabric, leather or velvet. For a concealed closure without a visible cap there are styles with a hidden cap in the 54 system, and for delicate fabrics without a press – sew-on snap fasteners.
Inquiry for fabric-covered snap caps
Polkom is a manufacturer of accessories for fashion, furniture, footwear and bags with over 30 years of experience. Send us a description of the product via the contact form and post us a fabric sample – we will suggest a system and size, make a sample and prepare a quote. All systems are in the snap buttons category.
