An Exploration of Digital Technology over a Number of Manipulated Textile Surfaces

Ink jet printing for textiles has brought many benefits to the textile print industry. It has an ability to print on demand, using thousands of colours, and at reduced costs compared with rotary screenprinting for small scale production, ink jet technology has already established itself as a reliable method of printing for the textile industry.

This research investigates a new approach to ink jet technology. Numerous new surfaces are fed
through a textile ink jet printer in the generation of bespoke printed textiles. This is an experimental approach to textile ink jet printing, recording practical solutions, and uncovering innovative processes for a new direction for digital technology for textiles.

Various surfaces have been enhanced using screen print techniques and embroidery, or manipulated
by hand and digitally printed in the production of an array of unique digital resist techniques. This research combines the use of textile hand craftsmanship with digital technology, crossing the boundaries and discovering ways of combining these disciplines.

This research will highlights some of the possibilities with applying a hand crafted approach to ink jet technology for textiles, it demonstrate the control of colour, resist effects and the sensitivity of design which can be achieve using these new processes.

In addition to this, the research will demonstrate the added value of this crafted approach to digital design, as well discussing the potential for reproducing these complex textile craft techniques and digital resist effects using CAD and ink jet technology.