Art leather, sometimes known as synthetic leather, is a substance designed to replace leather in textiles, clothing, footwear, and other applications where a leather-like appearance is sought but the genuine substance is either too expensive, inappropriate, or unethical to use. Leatherette, imitation leather, and pleather are just a few of the several names for art leather.
One modern technique is to utilize cast paper, an imprinted release paper, as a form for the outer finish, which frequently imitates the feel of top-grain leather. The final texture is preserved in the reverse direction on this textured release paper. The releasing paper is covered with many layers of plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride or polyurethane, throughout the manufacturing process. These layers may include an opposite finish, a textile layer, a glue, a foam layer, a color layer, or an outer finish.
The resulting layers may be moist or partly healed at the time of unity, based on the individual procedure. The release paper is eliminated and sometimes reused once the art leather has been allowed to dry. Collagen, the primary component in art leather, may now be produced by fermenting.
Fabrics for apparel, furniture textiles, and automobile interiors frequently employ art leather. Art leather can be impervious and watertight or porous and ventilated, based on how it is made. Easy to wear, porous imitation leather with a non-woven micro lining is an increasingly common option for garments.
One of its key benefits is that it takes less care than leather and does not fade or crack as quickly, albeit the outer layer of some art leathers can scratch and peel off with time. This is particularly relevant in automobiles.
