A
Alginate A substance extracted from seaweed that is used as a thickening agent.
Avatar A virtual depiction of a human figure, usually animated.
B
Batik A resist-based dyeing technique where wax is applied to a fabric in order to delineate the design by creating a mask before dyeing. (See also Shibori.)
Bespoke A one-of-a-kind customized product; made to order.
Body Scanner A device that is used to capture measurements digitally in order to create a highly accurate three-dimensional model of an individual’s body.
C
CIE (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage) This international commission on illumination was established to create objective standards for defining and communicating color.
CMYK Subtractive color model consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). In digital printing, these four basic ink colors are combined in a matrice of dots to create all the other colors that will be printed.
Color Calibration The management and adjustment of color data within a closed workflow environment for both input and output devices.
Color Gamut A complete subset of colors that can be accurately represented for a given device, such as a monitor or printer. Different devices have different gamuts.
Color Management A software system that controls the conversion of color data for both input and output devices. The goal of a printedtextile color management system is to aid the color matching process as data is converted from emitted RGB into printable CMYK values.
Color Profile Data characterizing the color output of an individual device.
Color Separation (also known as color reduction) A process where the millions of colors found in a photographic or scanned image are systematically reduced down to a finite number of flat colors in order to prepare the design for printing or engraving, or to aid in the creation of colorways.
Color Space A three-dimensional graphic model illustrating a set of colors in which the perceptual difference between colors is represented by points within the color space.
Colorways Versions of the same design that are composed of different color palettes.
Continuous Flow Inkjet Technology (CIJ) One of the two types of inkjet printing technology; in this process a high-pressure pump directs liquid ink from a reservoir through a microscopic nozzle, thus creating a continuous stream of ink. (See also DOD.)
Coordinated Prints A group of print designs based on the same concept and color palette, for use in conjunction with each other.
Croquis The original artwork of a design unit intended for a printed textile, before it is put into repeat.
D
Découpage A technique of decorating the surface of objects such as furniture or boxes by gluing paper cut-outs and illustrations from magazines; this is then sealed with varnish for durability.
Delta e The unit used to quantify the difference between two colors within the CIE color space.
Devoré (also known as burn-out) A method of printing onto fabric with more than one fiber type. The areas of the design are printed with a chemical that burns out one of the fabric’s fiber types to leave a translucent area.
Digital Textile Printing A general term that includes all forms of digital printing, such as laser and inkjet technology.
Discharge Printing A method of printing using chlorine or other chemicals to remove areas of previously applied color and replace them with another color.
DOD (Drop on Demand) One of the two types of inkjet printing technology and the most commonly used in digital textile printing; the primary DOD method used to print on textiles is known as piezoelectric. (See also Continuous Flow Ink Technology.)
Dot Matrix In the case of inkjet printing, this is a two-dimensional pattern of CMYK dots that combine to generate the printed image.
dpi (dots per inch) Used to determine the resolution of a digital image, this is the number of dots per inch within a given image’s dot matrix.
Dye-sublimation Printing There are two forms of this kind of printing: indirect and direct. In the indirect method, an image is first printed onto paper using disperse dyes. By means of a heat press, the dye particles are then changed into gas, and so transferred onto polyester-based fabric. In the direct method, the image is printed onto the fabric substrate, then fixed using heat.
E
Eco Design A method of designing a product that takes into account its impact on the environment at all stages of its life cycle.
Electrostatic Printing Also known as laser printing. A process where liquid toner is adhered to a light-sensitive print drum; static electricity is then used to transfer the toner onto the printing medium, to which it is fused via heat and pressure. This is the technology used in most photocopiers.
Emulsion A mixture of two unblendable substances; light-sensitive emulsions are often used in the preparation of hand silk screens.
Engraver In the textile industry this refers to a company that prepares silk screens for printing.
Engraving In the textile industry this term refers to the process of preparing a silk screen.
Engineered Print (also known as a placement print) A print where the design is laid out to fit the pattern pieces and structure of a garment.
F
Fixation The process of permanently bonding a dye or pigment to a substrate.
Fixation Agent (also known as a mordant) The chemicals used to aid the process of permanently bonding a pigment or dye to a substrate.
Flat Bed Silk Screen A silk screen that is stretched over a rectangular frame.
Flock Printing A method where areas of the fabric are first printed with glue, and then have flock fibers or paper applied to them. Once dried, the excess flock is removed to leave a raised velvetlike surface.
G
Gravure Printing A printing process where the image to be printed is engraved into a metal plate.
H
Halftone In the context of digital printing, the shade of a color as it gradates from dark to light in an image such as a watercolor.
Heat Photogram A method of printing where dyes are painted onto transfer paper, an object is then impressed directly onto the paper to create a design, and heat is used to transfer the image onto fabric.
I
ICC (International Color Consortium) An organization that creates objective standards for defining and communicating color.
ICC Profile A set of data defined by the ICC that characterizes a color input or output device, or a color space.
Inkjet Printing A specific form of digital printing that works by propelling variably sized droplets of liquid, or molten ink, onto the substrate. The two main types of inkjet printing technology are DOD (drop on demand) and continuous flow. (See also Continuous Flow Inkjet Technology and DOD.)
J
Jpeg (Joint Photographic Expert Group) A popular file format for compressing and saving digitized photographs and images.
L
Laminating A process of using heat or pressure to bond two or more materials, such as plastic and fabric, often used to make waterproof fabric.
Large-Format Printer Term used to describe all printers that are wider than desktop printers, and that are usually designed to accommodate rolls of material and print longer lengths.
Lay Plan A grouping of pattern pieces as they are laid out on a piece of cloth before cutting.
Light Box A specialist piece of equipment used in the color-matching process to view colors under a set of standardized light sources, such as simulated daylight or UV light.
M
Mass Customization A term used to describe the semi-customization of products where the customer is able to personalize an item by choosing from a preset number of features.
Micro-encapsulation A process in which tiny particles or droplets are surrounded by a coating.
Moiré Pattern A pattern where the design or texture of a fabric creates a wave-like effect.
Monochrome An image whose range of colors is made of shades of a single hue, usually black.
Muslin In the context of this book the term refers to a trial version or prototype of a garment.
P
Photochemical Process A process that involves the chemical action of light. Within the context of this book it refers to a technique where a light-sensitive substance is used to transfer an image or photograph onto a substrate.
Photomontage A technique of producing a composite image by combining a series of photographs.
Piezoelectricity (or electric polarity, produced by the piezoelectric effect) An electric potential generated by some materials, such as crystals and certain ceramics, in response to applied mechanical stress. As opposed to thermal DOD, this is the primary technology used to create the ink drops in piezoelectric DOD inkjet printing.
Pigment A substance that imparts color to other materials. Unlike dyes, pigments are not designed to permeate the fabric of the substrate, and bond only to its surface.
Pixel The smallest and most basic unit of visual information for a digitized image.
Polymer A large synthetic molecule composed of repeating structural units, usually of high molecular weight. An example of a polymer-based fabric is polyester.
Primary Colors Basic colors from which all other colors can be made. In the context of this book, the primary colors are those associated with the CMYK and RGB systems. (See also CMYK and RGB.)
Print Head The part of a printer that contains the print nozzles that are responsible for firing the ink droplets at the substrate during printing.
Prototype The original or model on which a product design is based or formed.
R
Raster A raster graphics image or bitmap is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, as opposed to a vector-based image that is based on geometry.
Rasterize To convert an image into a matrix of pixels. (See also RIP.)
RGB An additive color model comprised of three basic colors—red, green, and blue—emitted as light and combined to create a broad array of colors. Digital cameras, computer monitors, and televisions all use the RGB system, as opposed to the CMYK system used in digital printing, in which the pigments are not emitted as light, but as ink to be absorbed by the substrate. (See also CMYK.)
Ready-to-wear (also known as prêt a porter) The garments in a fashion designer’s collection that are produced in large enough quantities so that they may be marketed widely, as opposed to limited editions, couture, and show pieces.
Repeat A method of laying out/repeating an image unit to create a continuous pattern.
Reprographic The reproduction of text and images through mechanical or electrical means, such as photography and offset printing.
Resolution Term used to measure the level of detail in a digital image. Resolution is determined by the dpi (dots per inch) within a given digital image’s dot matrix. (See also dpi.)
RIP (Raster Image Processor) Software used in printing that converts an RGB image into the pixel-based CMYK data needed to drive the printer.
Rotary Screen Printing A form of mechanized silk-screen printing where the screen is a cylinder.
Scan The process of capturing the two- or three-dimensional data of an image or object such as a fabric, photograph, or drawing into a digital image. (See also Body Scanner).
Shibori Collective term for the different resist-based techniques of tie-dye, stitch-dye, fold-dye, and pole-wrap-dye. (See also batik.)
Silk Screen A method of printing where a fabric with fine, porous mesh (often silk) is stretched over a frame. The design is then delineated by masking out the areas of the design that will not be printed, leaving areas open for each color, through which the ink is pushed using a squeegee.
Spectrophotometer A device for measuring light intensity as it relates to the color of the light.
Spot Color In printing, a term for any ink other than one of the four CMYK colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).
Steamer In the context of this book, a device that generates steam at high temperatures and is used to fix dyes after printing.
Stencil A technique for printing where holes defining the shape to be printed are cut into a thin material, such as a metal sheet or waxed paper, through which the colorant is then pushed.
Substrate In the context of this book, any material which forms the printing surface.
Sublimation The transference of a substance from a solid to a gaseous state without passing through a liquid stage.
Strike-off An industry term used to describe a test sample meant to indicate what a design will look like once put into production.
T
Thermochromic A substance that changes color in relation to temperature.
Tiff (Tagged Image File Format) A popular format for saving digitized photographs and images.
U
Upcycling The practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value.
V
Vector Graphic A digitized drawing that is based on lines and geometry rather than the individual pixels in raster-based programs, thus allowing it to be manipulated and scaled without affecting its image resolution.
W
Woodblock A carved block used to transfer a design onto fabric.