So in actual fact, textile designers are a form of surface designer! Surface designer, print designer, textile graphic designer, pattern designer, print repeat designer - the many different names for a Textile Designer — the list could go on. You not only create the artwork for the design, either by hand or digitally, but you also need to be able to marry the creative vision of what the finished design will look like with a good understanding of fabrics, fibers and dyes and the technical considerations and aspects of the fabric print production process.
Like all businesses you need to have a thorough understanding of the customer for whom the product is intended or your target market. Without knowing who the end customer will be for your design, it will be hard to get the design right to achieve sales. As well as knowing who your customer is you also need to consider the end use of the design and if the print will suit not only the final product but also appeal to your target market.
For example, if your target market is toddlers than the products would need to appeal to the parents and be toddler appropriate. The style of artworks you design for toddlers would be very different then for a mature lady. A winning print design can be developed by hand using your favourite art mediums or created digitally using graphic software, but ultimately your designs will need to be finished on the computer to prepare it for print production.
I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to art and my own prints are artworks created by hand using many different art mediums and then scanned into the computer and prepared for printing. Digitally designed prints can be created using almost any graphic design software Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator being the most popular choices and exported ready for print.
Original artworks such as hand drawn illustrations or photos can also be scanned and digitally manipulated to make a repeating print which can also create really amazing fabrics. Check out our Essential Guide to Creating Winning Print Designs blog post for more tips in designing fabric prints that stand out from the crowd and get sales. I am always learning but have been fortunate enough over my career to have been able to hire graphic designers who have the knowledge to be able to create a textile repeat from my artwork.
You will find that not all graphic designers will have an understanding of how to create textile repeats so be aware of this when hiring someone. Not all graphic designers have an understanding of how to create textile design repeats. A graphic designer that specialises in creating textile repeats will not only know how to turn your artwork into a repeating print, but will also have knowledge of how the repeat will end up working out once it is repeated over the width and length of the fabric and will be able to tell you if you will need to tweak your design slightly to create the perfect repeat.
They should also know how to correctly prepare the artwork file for sending to the textile printers. Below are some of my hand painted artworks, which have been scanned and turned into repeat prints for fabric using Adobe Photoshop. At their feet lies the world of color, patterns, treatments, formation, and perspective. Truly, the textile designer is privileged in possessing unlimited tools with which to actualize the inner-workings of their artistic imagination.
Just take a look around, and you will see someone wearing or using textiles created by a designer — clothing, bed linens, kitchen towels, carpets, and blankets, or non-fabric materials like wallpaper and wrapping paper.
Textiles are anything that is made up of yarns, fabrics, or fibers. To be useful, they must have flexibility, abrasion resistance, strength, and moisture control properties. Sometimes textiles are used in materials meant to be protective, such as bulletproof vests, helmets worn by soldiers, and cut resistant gloves used by butchers.
The carpeting on the floor of a school, the gowns worn by nurses and doctors, and the sound absorption wall coverings in a theater are all examples of textiles. Textile design is a highly creative field that involves the process of creating the designs that are printed on these woven, knitted, or other types of fabrics. In other words, a designer will incorporate both their initial creative vision of the finished textile with the technical aspects of production, while keeping in mind the characteristics of certain dyes, fibers, finishes, and yarns.
Today, nearly all professional textile designers use CAD computer-aided software to create designs on fabrics or other surfaces. Heat-transfer printing is also a popular printing process used in textile design. There are numerous types of repeated patterns; the most common, half drop and straight. Sometimes, the same design is produced in a number of different colors, which are called colorways. Once a pattern or design is complete, the process shifts to picking the fabric s on which to print or weave the pattern.
Textile designers are highly-creative people who can draw, have a superior eye for color, pattern, and texture, and an appreciation for the fine points of textiles and fashion. They recognize the fluctuations in trends and fashion, understand textile techniques, are good communicators, possess problem-solving skills, and enjoy a challenge, all while staying on budget and deadline.
If you want to become a textile designer , you should understand that you will work a regular work week. However, they may work overtime to meet a deadline, for travel, or if presenting at a trade show. Most of the time they work in an office or studio and will spend some time on the floor of a factory overseeing the production process. They will work in a variety of positions, including colorist, fabric engineer, designer, and stylists, and are employed as in-house designers by apparel manufacturers, product developers, interior designers , in the automotive industry, and home furnishing companies, as well as in many other textile-related industries.
Designers will meet with and discuss the needs of customers and employers to understand what is required in any design, how the textile will be used, and what properties, such as weight, performance, flammability, and strength are needed. Once they have selected the textile, they will produce design ideas and samples for presentation to the customer.
View all creative arts and design vacancies. Add to favourites. A good eye for colour, texture, fabrics and pattern is not all that's needed to succeed as a textile designer - you'll also need to make industry contacts and build up a portfolio of work Textile designers create two-dimensional designs that can be used, often as a repeat design, in the production of knit, weave and printed fabrics or textile products.
The two major areas of textiles are: interiors, such as upholstery, soft furnishings, and carpets fabrics for fashion or specialist areas like fireproof materials.
Some textile designers are self-employed, while others work as part of a design team. Income figures are intended as a guide only. Working hours Working hours typically include extra hours to meet deadlines. What to expect Work settings differ and may include factories, backrooms or smart design studios. Freelance artists, craftspeople and designers may work from home or in workshops. Long-term self-employment is an option, although setting up your own business in addition to maintaining design work is demanding and can take time.
A good resource for young designers wanting to set up their own business is The Design Trust. Jobs are available throughout the UK. There's a concentration of design studios in London and job availability is greater in the traditional centres of the textile industry, such as Scotland, the North West and the Midlands. It's possible for new graduates to obtain their first jobs, particularly in fashion design, in Italy, France or America, where valuable experience can be gained working with well-known designers before starting work in the UK.
Organisations such as Global Experiences offer fashion design internships abroad. Working alone and to short deadlines can be stressful and there's constant pressure to produce new ideas and make new contacts by visiting trade fairs and other events. Using your creative abilities within a commercial environment requires the ability to cope with criticism if a particular piece of work is not well received by a client.
Occasional travel within a working day and overnight absence from home may be required and overseas work or travel is possible.
Qualifications A degree in one of the following areas may help your work as a textile designer, whether employed or self-employed: art and design fashion knitwear surface design textiles. Most fashion degree courses offer a general background in all aspects of fashion design, but it's possible to specialise in: clothing technology contour design costume accessory design knitwear production management.
Funding for textile-related courses is available from: The Textile Institute The Textile Society Worshipful Company of Weavers Search postgraduate courses in fashion and textile design. Skills You'll need to show: creative flair and artistic ability a good eye for colour, texture, fabrics and patterns excellent attention to detail an interest in fashion and textiles, and an understanding of trends and materials understanding and experience of using different textile processes and techniques design skills and the ability to use computer-aided design CAD packages good communication and teamworking skills ability to work to deadlines and a budget marketing, administrative and business skills - especially if you're self-employed.
Work experience Relevant work experience, through either holiday work or course placements, is almost essential for getting into this industry. Employers Typical employers include: manufacturing and processing companies that produce clothing, soft furnishings and other textile-based products large fashion and clothing retailers design studios and consultancies small specialist design companies interior design and decoration services.
Professional development Training is often gained on the job - if you're starting out in a commercial design studio, for instance, you'll probably need training in practical processes. Career prospects A common route within the textile design industry is to move from junior designer to designer, then progress to senior designer.
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