Textile printing

Textile printing applies dyes, pigments, or other coloring materials to fabric in patterns or designs. It differs from dyeing, which typically colors fabric more uniformly.

Block printing: A printing method that stamps fabric with carved blocks coated in color. Carved blocks transfer repeated motifs directly onto fabric.
Dye: A colorant that binds to a material through chemical or physical interactions. Dyes color fibers directly and are common in printing methods for cellulosic and protein fabrics.
Woodblock printing: A relief-printing technique that transfers ink or dye from carved wooden blocks. Textile block printing shares this method of transferring carved designs by pressure.
Fashion design: The practice of designing clothing and accessories for aesthetic and functional purposes. Printed fabrics let designers build motifs, imagery, and color into garments.
Calico Acts: English laws restricting the import and use of printed cotton textiles in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. These restrictions show how imported printed cottons threatened established textile interests.
Screen printing: A printing method that pushes ink through selected areas of a mesh screen. Screens apply color through stencils, often one color at a time.
Pigment: An insoluble colored substance that produces color without dissolving in its medium. Pigments sit on fabric surfaces and generally require a binder to adhere.
Chintz: A printed or painted cotton fabric historically associated with South Asia. South Asian chintz became a major export and helped spread patterned cottons worldwide.
Wallpaper: A decorative wall covering printed with patterns, images, or textures. Wallpaper shares repeat-pattern design and printing methods with textiles.
Industrial Revolution: A period of major economic and technological transformation beginning in Britain in the eighteenth century. Mechanized printing helped expand textile manufacturing during industrialization.

Linked from 7 pages