Textile design

Textile design is the process of creating designs and structures for knitted, woven, non-woven or embellishments of fabrics.

Textile designing involves producing patterns for cloth used in clothing, household textiles (such as towels) and decorative textiles such as carpets. The field encompasses the actual pattern making as well as supervising part or all of the production process.^[1] In other words, textile design is a process from the raw material into finished product. Fiber, yarn and finishes are the key elements to be considered during the textile design procedure.

Overview

Textile designing is a creative field that bridges fashion design, carpet manufacturing and any other cloth-related field.^[1] Textile design fulfills so many purposes in our lives.^[2] For example:

• People climb out from under sheets and blankets and step into slippers and a robe.
• People wash our faces with washcloths, dry them with towels, and put on clothing for the day.
• People sit on upholstered seats; the vehicle moves on tires reinforces with strong textile cord.^[2]

The above examples illustrate the importance of textile in our daily lives. Also, these examples give the idea to the textile designer to consider the contribution of the performance to the finished fabric, because the design from the designer gives a direct influence on the performance, durability and attractiveness of a final product. It embodies not only drawing skill but also business savvy of the global textile industry and consumer relations as well.

Textile designers marry a creative vision of what a finished textile will look like with a deep understanding of the technical aspects of production and the properties of fiber, yarn, and dyes.^[3]

Designs for both woven and printed textiles often begin with a drawing or watercolor sketch of the finished design. Traditionally, drawings of woven textile patterns were translated onto special forms of graph paper called point papers which were used by the weavers in setting up their looms.^[4]

In nowadays, designers might use software, hand paint, or grab a pencil and paper to record their design. Once a pattern is agreed upon, the design process shifts to choosing the proper fabrics and then to getting the design printed on or woven into the fabric.^[1] Designer might want to use the method of dyeing or printing to create their design. There are many printing method. For instance,

• Direct (Blotch) Printing
• Overprinting
• Discharge Printing
• Resist Printing
• Block Printing
• Roller Printing
• Screen Printing

Today, most professional textile designers use some form of computer-aided design software created expressly for this purpose.^[3]

Some of the latest advances in textile printing have been in the area of ink-jet printing. The process is similar to the computer controlled paper printers used for office applications.^[2] In addition, heat-transfer printing is another popular printing method to be used in the textile design.

Notes

References

• Billie J. Collier, Martin J. Bide, and Phyllis G., Understanding of Textiles, Pearson Publishers, 2009, ISBN 9780131187702, ISBN 0131187708
• Gale, Colin, Lajwanti Lahori, and Jasbir Kaur, The Textile Book, Berg Publishers, 2002, ISBN 1859735126
• Jackson, Lesley : Twentieth-Century Pattern Design, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 2002. ISBN 1568983336
• Jenkins, David, ed.: The Cambridge History of Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003, ISBN 0521341078
• Kadolph, Sara J., ed.: Textiles, 10th edition, Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2007, ISBN 0131187694
• Rothstein, Natalie: The Victoria and Albert Museum's Textile Collection: Woven Textile Design in Britain to 1750, Canopy Books, New York, London, and Paris, 1994. ISBN 1558598499
• Rothstein, Natalie: The Victoria and Albert Museum's Textile Collection: Woven Textile Design in Britain 1750 to 1850, Canopy Books, New York, London, and Paris, 1994. ISBN 1558598502
• Labillois, Tabitha M., ed.: "the meow institute", Mexico, 1756. ISBN 1558598510