Sampling

Over the last couple of weeks I have developed Photoshop designs from my initial drawings of collaged 'banners' to be digitally printed. However, the outcomes of these prints were not what I wanted; the colours were too dark and the fabric choices were not right for the effect I wanted to achieve. The sublimation printer can only print onto synthetic fabrics, but I thought I would be able to achieve a closer effect to paper using this technique with the selection of fabrics on offer to me. I was also advised by the embroidery technicians that I wouldn't be able to stitch onto paper using the multi-head embroidery machine as it would tear easily, so I began experimenting with Paper Nylon and Poly Taffeta - both thin fabrics with an appearance similar to paper.

Poly Taffeta

Paper Nylon The sublimation ink absorbed better into the Poly Taffeta than the Paper Nylon – it felt to have a covering on the surface. I do think both types of fabric were effective when it came to digitally embroidering onto them; however I prefer how the thread looks on the Nylon as it appears three-dimensional.

Sizing was restricted to A4 and A3. On reflection, I would have liked to produce a larger scale sample using the sublimation printing method, similar to the paper roll I experimented with in week one of the project, which is a development I could make in future.

When it came to designing the digital embroidery, I hadn't considered the size of the sash frame which meant rescaling the designs several times. It was also difficult to line my designs up exactly with the prints, and in future I will create a reference point on the fabric if I’m stitching directly over a particular shape. Furthermore, because the sash frame extends further than the machine front, it can get stuck on the sides, which causes the design to move over the fabric. Although this was unintentional on the mustard colour sample (above), I love how the stitching adds depth to my design, and reinforces the transparency I wanted to achieve from the beginning of the project on Photoshop.

Similarly, the embroidery design below, (stitched over an original drawing), reinforces the water marks on the fabric and adds depth and texture to the flat printed design. I intend to explore this further at a later stage in the project.

I will submit an A3 sample for the Bradford Brief as I feel a larger scale sample would be inappropriate to illustrate on the boards. I plan to continue creating samples for an interior context, alongside experimenting with scale in the live brief element of the project.