Textile design
Designs fabrics and their surfaces, such as weaves, knits and prints, choosing yarns, structure, color and finish for how the fabric will be used and made.
What problem it addresses
A fabric has to look good and also withstand use, washing and mass production. What works in a small swatch can fail across meters of cloth.
Principles
Structure first
How the yarns cross decides the fabric’s feel, drape and strength.
Material and use
The yarn is chosen for where and how the fabric will be used.
From swatch to series
The design has to repeat and be made the same way in large quantities.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Test the fabric on the real garment or object, not just on a flat swatch.
Avoid
Choosing a print without checking how it repeats and how it looks once the pieces are cut.
Don’t fall for it
Think from the start about how the fabric is washed, repaired and recycled.
Connections
Authors and works
- 1965
Anni Albers
Wrote about weaving from its visual and structural side, for those who design fabrics and those who solve textile problems in other fields.
Sources
Original sources
- Albers, A. (1965). On weaving. Wesleyan University Press. View source: Albers, A. (1965)
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