Technical Specs
Solar Screen vs Light Filtering vs Blackout - Which Roller Shade Fabric
October 31, 2026 · By Rolli Shades
5 min read
5 min read
How solar screen, light-filtering and blackout roller shade fabrics differ in view, glare, privacy, heat and sleep, with the Texstyle fabrics Rolli uses for each and a room-by-room rule.
Guide · Choosing an opacity
Solar, light filtering or blackout? Pick by what the room does.
Every roller shade fabric Rolli sells is one of three opacities. Solar screen keeps the view and cuts glare. Light filtering glows and gives daytime privacy. Blackout stops light and gives privacy at night. The room decides; the color then tunes it.
1–47%Visible light through, LF by color
1–21%Through solar screen, by color
0%Through blackout
3Opacities
1Bracket for two (dual roller)
Comparison
Three opacities, side by side
| Solar screen | Light filtering | Blackout | |
|---|---|---|---|
| View out, daytime | Yes, best in dark colors | No, a soft glow | No |
| Glare control | High at 1%, moderate at 5% | Moderate | Total |
| Daytime privacy | Partial (dark colors less) | Yes | Yes |
| Night privacy | No | Silhouettes with lights on | Yes |
| Heat control | Best: reflects before the glass | Good | Good; white-back fabrics best |
| Sleep | No | Light sleepers wake | Yes |
| Visible light through | 1–21% by color (Kleenscreen) | 6–47% by color (Balmoral) | 0% |
| Rolli fabrics | Kleenscreen 1%, 3%, 5% | Balmoral, Jersey, Mesa, Sanctuary, Tusk | Balmoral, Jersey, Mesa, Sanctuary, Tusk, Vista |
Room by room
Rolli’s rule
Bedroom: blackout. Add a light-filtering layer on a dual bracket if you want a soft daytime option.
Living room with a view: solar screen, 3% or 5%, in a dark color.
Living room facing the street: light filtering for daytime privacy; blackout or drapery for night.
Kitchen, bath: solar screen or Tusk light filtering, both wipe clean.
Office with monitors: solar screen 1% in Graphite or Black.
Nursery: blackout, PVC-free, GREENGUARD: Balmoral, Sanctuary or Mesa.
Color does half the work
Inside one opacity, color moves light transmission more than most people expect. Balmoral light filtering passes 47% of visible light in White and 6% in Jet. Kleenscreen 1% passes 16% in Pure White and 1% in Black. A dark light-filter can out-perform a light solar screen for glare.
Test with samples at the window at 3 pm, the hour the problem shows.
Questions
Opacity, answered
Can I have two opacities on one window?
Yes. A dual roller puts a solar screen or light filter in front and a blackout behind on one bracket; each rolls separately, by hand or motor.
Which is best for heat?
Solar screen in a light color reflects the most solar energy before it becomes heat (Kleenscreen Pure White Rs 65%). Blackout with a white back is next. Dark light-filtering fabrics absorb heat and re-radiate it into the room.
Does light filtering give privacy?
By day, yes. At night with lights on, the fabric shows silhouettes. For a street-facing bedroom use blackout or a dual roller.
Is blackout fully dark?
The fabric passes 0% light. Light still enters around the edges; Rolli reduces it with an outside mount, a cassette or side channels. Ask at the consultation if full darkness matters.
Sources
- Texstyle Kleenscreen cut sheet (US) — solar screen Tv and Rs by color
- Texstyle Balmoral specification 2025 (AU) — light-filtering Tv by color
Specifications restated from the manufacturer's published documents. Kleenscreen®, Texstyle® and Sanitized® are marks of their owners. Rolli is an independent fabricator and installer.
Measured, made and installed by Rolli
See the fabric in your light.
Free samples ship from Austin. A designer confirms opacity, color and motor at the free consultation. Shades ship in 3 to 10 days.
