Digital Textile Design: Portfolio Skills (Portfolio Skills: Fashion & Textiles) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Thanks to the emergence of digital textile printing (DTP), we've all been granted access to world that was previously accessible to a few. Some people have opened the door and peeked in, but are too scared to jump in and explore. Some have jumped in, but failed to negotiate the new language and technology, and have left disappointed. Some are fully in, but are sticking to old-world customs and not exploring what the new world has to offer.

The book Digital Textile Design by Melanie Bowles and Ceri Isaac is your road map -- your Rick Steves<, perhaps?! -- to this world. For our timid first-timer, it offers basic tutorials for creating motifs, color palettes, and repeats in both Photoshop and Illustrator. Our disappointed experimenter might be encouraged to try again after reading about the more technical aspects of the process (like color management), which are presented in a manner accessible to the layperson. And our enthusastic adopter (along with everyone else) will be inspired by the multitude of images from fashion and interior designers who are fully embracing the endless color and scale possibilities that digital printing has to offer.

In fact, anyone interested in textiles, whether or not they plan on ever using DTP themselves, will find this book valuable. Most of the 23 tutorials (listed in detail after the jump) are applicable to pattern design in general, not matter your end use. Experienced textile designers may find the tutorials too basic, but there is still plenty to learn from the artist profiles and overview of the state of the art and technology of DTP. There is even a section about how artists and crafters are combining DTP with traditional surface design methods (handpainting, screenprinting, resist dyeing, burnout, flocking, embellishment) to bring hand-rendered touches to this mechanical process. The only thing I was hoping for that I didn't find was specifics on how to ensure your fabrics turn out with the colors you're expecting, but that makes sense since each printing service has different methods and requirements. Also, this book was written mostly for students who typically have access to a university-owned printer; lower-cost DTP services like Spoonflower, Karma Kraft, Eye Candey, and Fabric on Demand were just emerging as this book was published.

You can preview several sample pages on the Laurence King website, and even more on co-author Melanie Bowles' site. While you're there, check out her beautiful digital shibori work -- she also recently launched a blog, Make It Digital.

List of Tutorials

Photoshop:
Using Filters (tastefully)
Engineered Prints (filling sewing pattern pieces with designs)
Sequin Effects
Photomontage
Building a Brush Palette
Textured Effects (mending seams in an allover photographic print with good balance)
Creating a Colour Palette
Basic Block Repeat
Basic Block Repeat with Offset Filter
Simple Half-Drop Repeat
Allover Half-Drop Repeat
Gingham
Stripes
Texture-Mapping (how to map patterns onto photos of 3-D shapes)
Texture-Map and Line Drawing (mapping patterns into fashion line drawings)
Creating Graphic Silhouettes (mapping patterns onto a photograph of a model)

Illustrator:
Creating Complex Colour Blends
Building Floral Motifs
Cross-Stitch Effects
Basic Pattern Swatch (and creating a cheater print)
Diamonds/Argyles
Plaid
Simple Half-Drop Repeat

This book contains a plethora of wonderful information ranging from current and future textile industry printing techniques and technical knowledge, to a range of Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials with a focus on creating textile patterns.

It a must read for anyone interested in the textile industry, printing techniques and wants to learn how to put patterns into repeat in Photoshop and Illustrator. I would recommend though that you have a standard knowledge of Illustrator and Photoshop in order to follow along with the tutorials. For more experienced Textile Designers who currently work in these programs and in the industry, the tutorials will likely be things you already know. There is however so much wonderful industry information, that I found it quite engaging, and learned quite a bit, even with being in the industry for over 10 years.

Below is more in-depth information regarding what's inside in order to help you decide if it is the book for you.

CHAPTER 1: Textile Design and Print in the Digital Age
This chapter introduces and explains digital printing in the fashion industry.

CHAPTER 2: Digital Design Tutorials

* Tutorial 1: Using Filters in Photoshop
* Tutorial 2: Creating Complex Color Blends (Illustrator)
* Tutorial 3: Building Floral Motifs ( (Illustrator)
* Tutorial 4: Cross-stitch Effects (Illustrator)
* Tutorial 5: Engineered Prints (Photoshop)
* Tutorial 6: Sequin Effects (Photoshop)
* Tutorial 7: Photomontage (Photoshop)
* Tutorial 8: Building a Brush Palette (Photoshop)
* Tutorial 9: Textured Effects (Photoshop)
* Tutorial 10: Creating a Color Palette (Photoshop)

CHAPTER 3: Patterns and Repeats

* Tutorial 11: Photoshop Basic Block Repeat
* Tutorial 12: Photoshop Block Repeat with Offset Filter
* Tutorial 13: Photoshop Simple Half-Drop Motif
* Tutorial 14: Photoshop Half-Drop Repeat
* Tutorial 15: Photoshop Gingham
* Tutorial 16: Photoshop Creating Stripes
* Tutorial 17: Illustrator Basic Pattern Swatch
* Tutorial 18: Illustrator Diamond Pattern
* Tutorial 19: Illustrator Plaid Patterns
* Tutorial 20: Illustrator Half-Drop

CHAPTER 4: Introduction to Illustration

* Tutorial 21: Texture-Mapping with the Pen Tool
* Tutorial 22: Texture-Map and Line Drawing
* Tutorial 23: Creating Graphic Silhouettes

CHAPTER 5: Digital Craft
This chapter includes information on combining digital techniques with traditional artistic methods. For example, hand painting & digital print, screen printing & digital print, foiling & flocking with digital print, digital print onto vintage fabrics, and many more. There are also Designer Profiles on Patricia Belford, Helen Amy Murray and Rebecca Earley.

CHAPTER 6: Technology for Digital Textile Printing
This chapter covers textile printing methods and technology for both traditional and digital printing. There is also a little bit of information regarding CAD software options, and how to work with color with regards to color management.

This book contains very well-rounded information for the Textile Designer and regarding the fashion industry. I highly recommend this book!

If you don't know photoshop or illustrator: this will help you out tremendously, but you have to have access to photoshop & illustrator to make it worth your while.

If you already know about PS & AI, go to the library and get it (even if you have to order it from another cross country library), it's worth a look at & testing some of the tricks they do.

The books is very dated and everything looks like it came out of your Gma's closet. Not fun. But still worth a look.