The History of Textile Printing
all information comes from: #digitalprintfashion / @phxart
BLOCK PRINTING
When
Traceable to 400 BC in India and China, block printing was adopted in Europe around 1300 AD and was commonly used until the early nineteenth century.
Method
The design is carved into a large wooden block. The raised surface are coated with ink, like a stamp, and pressed to the fabric. Each color in a muti-color design requires a separate block carved to print only that color element.
Advantage
Block printing allowed the creation of decorative fabrics that were more affordable and lighter weight than traditional decorative fabrics like velvet and embroidered textiles.
Disadvantage
Block prints are labor-intensive and time – consuming to produce.
COPPER PLATE PRINTING
When
Introduced in 1752 near Dublin, Ireland, copper plates printing was most popular in London from 1760-1790, and was used until the 1850’s
Method
Copper plate printing utilized an intaglio (engraving) method. Ink is trapped in recessed lines and released to the fabrics under the weight of an iron pressure roller. Multiple colors are difficult to produce; this method produces only monochrome designs.
Advantage
Copper plates allowed the printing of a large design at one time.
Disadvantage
It was impossible to exactly align the image produced by the plate for consecutive printing. As a result, only disconnected, or “island” patterns were produced.
ROLLER PRINTING
When
The first successful roller printer is credited to Thomas Bell in 1783 This method was used until the mid-twentieth century.
Method
An engraved metal cylinder prints a continuous pattern through a mechanical process.
Advantage
Thousands of yards can be printed quickly and economically.
Disadvantage
Machines require many skilled workers to operate and maintain. Cylinders take weeks or months to engrave.
SILK SCREEN PRINTING
When
Patented in 1907, silk screen printing was the primary technique of twentieth-century textile printing. It is still used to print the majority of textiles today, though in a mechanized form like roller printing that utilizes a cylindrical screen allowing high volume.
Method
A screen of fine fabric is treated to allow ink to penetrate only through the area of the pattern, like a stencil.
Advantage
Screens are simple and inexpensive to create, making it economical to produce small yardage of one design. A designer can create exclusive textiles for garments.
Disadvantage
Printing may require a large workspace or mechanized operation.
DIGITAL PRINTING
When
First used by carpet manufacturers in the 1970’s, initial experimentation with digital printing in fashion began in the 1990’s. Improvements in technology made the method more accessible and the quality more desirable for high fashion in the mid-2000s.
Method
Ink is delivered through a nozzle and deposited to create an image. Multiple colors are produced using a standard CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) color palette.
Advantage
Digital printing is cost effective for very small yardage. There is unlimited design potential for detail in pattern. Print on demand.
Disadvantage
Digital printing is emerging technology whose potential is not fully realized…
This is were we come in:
11th Loop is on the cutting edge in the digital printing technology. This is the newest look in fashion and home decor. The colors are bold and unique, and the patterns are one of a kind. Are design process starts with a digital collage and ends with a custom digital print. “The technology will soon provide the majority of the World’s printed textiles.”says the Phoenix Art Museum. There is a wide range of available colors and the speed at which you can multiply and manipulate images far succeeds then the common screen printing process.
Making Smart Art @ 11th Loop
Blue Lupine Mini Skirt by : 11th Loop – The Sonoran Desert Collection
