As a print service provider, you may find that printing for the interior décor market, whether for residential or commercial projects, comes with different needs and requirements. You may even find that working in this market requires specialized knowledge, particularly if you plan on printing textiles such as upholstery, bedding, or carpeting.
If you’re hiring someone to address these needs, you should consider hiring someone with a textile design degree instead of a graphic designer. Why? Graphic designers and illustrators are highly skilled in many areas. However, a textile designer has a wide range of knowledge that extends beyond designing a pattern and includes the construction of physical materials.
How are Textile Designers Different?
Textile designers generally focus on three specializations: knits, wovens, and surface design. Knit and woven designers design the structural construction of the fabric, as well as the aesthetics of that fabric. Surface designers don’t build the structure of the cloth but instead design what is on the fabric’s surface through techniques such as printing, dyeing, or stitching.
Any of these concentrations require knowledge about how textiles are constructed and perform. This knowledge stems from four main categories.
Fiber
Designers are intimately aware of the different types of natural and synthetic fibers and their unique properties.
Yarn
Except for felted items, fibers are spun into yarn before being used in fabric construction. How a yarn is manufactured dictates how that yarn performs. For example, a yarn can be spun tightly or loosely, with more or fewer twists per inch, or with the twist going in an S or Z direction. What a yarn is made from and how will dictate how and for what it will be used.
Structure
With the appropriate yarn and fiber chosen, designers structurally arrange those yarns into fabric by weaving or knitting. Knitting involves using one system of yarn to build a structure with loops. This creates a fabric that is generally flexible and stretchy. Weaving uses two yarn systems interlacing at right angles. One system, the warp, is under tension on a loom. The second, the weft, is added perpendicularly to the warp by a weaver. Woven fabrics are generally more stable and less stretchy.
Finishing
Textile production doesn’t stop when it’s off the loom. Most materials go through some sort of finishing process. For example, they may simply be washed or have a coating added to make the fabric stain-resistant. The end use will determine what type of finishing is needed.
This combination of fiber, yarn, and structure has infinite variables. The decisions made by textile designers are purposeful and dictated by the purpose of the fabric. Does it need to be warm and cozy? Does it need to resist stains? Does it need to withstand hundreds of people standing up and sitting down? Each scenario requires a different combination of the above factors.
Additionally, when it comes to graphics, repeats are important. Software has made it easier to put motifs into repeat, but complicated patterns such as an allover texture require skill to avoid visible repeat marks.
What Does All This Have to do With Printing?
At times, probably not much. You order substrate from your supplier, you print, and you ship. Yet, the more you service this industry, the more likely you will get specific questions about your materials. Having someone on staff who understands the nuance of those questions and can answer them effectively will set you apart from your competition. In addition, having someone skilled in fixing problems such as tricky repeats will be a valuable asset.
