The use of coated textiles for protective clothing, shelters, covers, liquid containers, etc., dates back to antiquity. Historically, the earliest recorded use of a coated textile was by the natives of Central and South America, who applied latex to a fabric to render it waterproof.

Other materials such as tar, rosin, and wax emulsions have been used over the years to prepare water-resistant fabrics. Due to their vastly superior properties, rubber and other polymeric materials have become the preferred coatings.

Today, coated fabrics are essentially polymer-coated textiles. Advances in polymer and textile technologies have led to phenomenal growth in the application of coated fabrics for many diverse end uses. Coated fabrics find an important place among technical textiles and are one of the most important technological processes in modern industry.