ALCANTARA® FAQ

There are two versions of Alcantara that are suitable for a headliner. The first is Alcantara Pannel (unbacked). Pannel will offer the most stretch where there are complex curves. If you have a simple, flat headliner without complex curves or a sunroof, Alcantara Soft (foam backed) is suitable. Alcantara Soft will have less stretch than Alcantara Pannel. 

For seating areas, Alcantara Cover is preferred. Cover has a canvas backing which increases durability and prevents the material from stretching when sat on. If the color you want is not offered in the Cover version, a qualified installer can apply a backing to the Pannel version.

Alcantara Pannel (unbacked) would be required to wrap a dash or door panels due to its increased stretch ability characteristics. 

Alcantara Cover is utilized for seating purposes. It features a canvas-like backing that effectively prevents the material from experiencing unwanted stretching. Alcantara Soft, with its foam backing, is ideal for simplistic headliners without complex curvature due to its limited stretch. 

To calculate how many yards of Alcantara needed for a headliner, simply measure the length of the headliner in inches, divide by 36, and round up to the nearest whole number. For example, if your headliner is 68 inches long, 68÷36  = 1.889. Round up to 2. You need 2 yards. On our website, that means you would enter a QTY (quantity) of 2.

Yes. We have remnants of Alcantara that can be purchased. If we don’t have a remnant of the color you need, we can sell you one linear foot. (12”x56”). For this special request, please send an email to josh@relicate.com with the desired color, size, your name, and shipping/billing address. We will reply with a payment link.

Yes. Due to the limited colors available in Alcantara Cover, customers often ask if they can use Pannel on their seats. The answer is yes, as long as the installer adds a backing to the Pannel material.

No. Alcantara Soft (foam backed) is only available in 9040 Black and 9002 Anthracite.

No. Alcantara is not peel & stick nor do we supply adhesives. 

Based on what we have seen recommended by professionals, this is used in an aerosol can and this is common when using a pneumatic gun. Using an aerosol product is not recommended when installing a full headliner.

No. Glue does not bleed through Alcantara if applied correctly. When using a pneumatic gun, use approximately 90 psi and spray at a distance of about 10”. The glue should come out of the gun as a fine mist. You do not want to see globs of glue. Experiment with your gun’s flow settings as well as lacquer thinner to achieve the perfect mist of glue. Move slowly and apply two coats to both the material and the surface you are applying it to. 

Yes. We occasionally have Black and Anthracite Alcantara wider than the standard 57 inches. Look for “Extra Wide” under our OEM Auto Color section on our website. 

Yes. The only Alcantara that offers significant stretching characteristics is Alcantara Pannel (unbacked)

We carry cleaner for Alcantara available for on our website. You can also read about Alcantara cleaning and maintenance tips on their website.

Alcantara does not require any additional treatments. It is manufactured using a precise process that gives it its unique performance and characteristics. Please note that any treatment or modification carried out on Alcantara after delivery is not approved, endorsed, or supported by the manufacturer, and would be entirely at your own discretion.

Not necessarily. Because the Alcantara Pannel and Cover inevitably come from different dye lots, they are almost never an exact match. The good news is because the headliner and seats do not come in contact with each other and because lighting affects the headliner and seats differently, it’s rarely an issue with most of our customers.