VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

The International Journal of

Visual Design

__________________________________________________________________________

Digital Imaging and Design Experimentation in

Textile Printing Education
NAHED BABA

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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF VISUAL DESIGN
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 Digital Imaging and Design Experimentation in
Textile Printing Education
Nahed Baba, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Abstract: Digital imagery plays a central role in the printing process for textile and fashion design. Teaching textile
printing at undergraduate levels requires the presentation of various forms of experimentation and techniques like digital
printing, intended to generate print designs for textile and fashion. Can the use of digital imagery of different forms
and concepts to create reflection, illusion, and transparency as an experimental strategy for textile design enhance
student skills and creativity in textile printing? This paper attempts to answer this question. A group of students from
the fashion with textile design program of the College of Fine Arts and Design in the University of Sharjah at UAE
was asked to look at the different use of light and its reflections on the surfaces. This was used as a case of study to
create a dialogue between the artistic imagery, repeat patterns, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and textile design
concepts. The result of this project was a print series of contemporary designs that reflects the balanced integration
of the previously mentioned parameters. This author concludes that the method of both experimentation and
expression with digital imagery enables undergraduate textile and fashion designers to expand their individual
creative skills and to gain a concrete knowledge in textile design.

Keywords: Digital Imagery, Textile Printing, CAD

Introduction

F ashion and textile designers have always sought inspiration from unexpected sources to
create a new visual language for fabrics. In the contemporary fashion industry, designers
have become adept at exploiting computer software and digital photography to open
endless possibilities for innovation and creativity in the design of printed fabrics. The use of
digital technologies has increased to such a degree during the past decade that it has become a
fundamental aspect of our daily lives, and has radically changing our culture (Press & Cusworth
1998: 16). This is true of the fashion industry as well. These technologies are widely used in the
designs of runway collections where, for example, in the use of large prints, the artwork is fitted
for the structure of the garment. These digital tools are not only integrated into the artist’s and
fashion designer’s studios, but have a dominant role in the curricula of undergraduate courses to
assist the creative processes and prepare the young textile/fashion designers with the skills
needed for the workplace.
This paper is an examination of an experimental instructional strategy using digital
technology for the undergraduate students of the Fashion with Textile program at the College of
Fine Arts and Design in the University of Sharjah (UOS). This instructional strategy was
implemented with the aim of increasing student skills and creativity in textile printing. The
objective was to develop a four-stage practical process of enhancing creative thinking skills of
students of textile and fashion design who work with digital media tools. The conclusions are
based on the observation of related student activities during the 10-week long study program, and
extensive discussions and comments students made in relation to their design thinking processes
and practices.

Digital Imagery and Creative Process

Recent developments in graphic software such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), inkjet printing
and transfer printing technology open endless possibilities for innovation and create new
challenges for designers to work with different material. Technological advances allow rapid
translation of designs onto fabrics, the ability to print complicated details with unlimited colors,

The International Journal of Visual Design

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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF VISUAL DESIGN

an inexhaustible images palette, and the possibility of producing very large-scale images using
inkjet technology (Bowles & Issac 2012,12). All this can be done without considering color
separation or repeat pattern techniques as these are applied in traditional textile processes. Any
form of artistic media can be transferred into the digital media either through digitization or
through the use of computers in a specific aspect of processing or production (Paul 2008, 27).
This ‘high tech’ application is expanding the visual language of textile design and creating
aesthetics and motifs that have considerably increased the design repertoire (Treadaway 2004, 2;
Clarke 2011, 64).
The use of photographic imagery, the digital layering of images and the complexities of
color and tone require both knowledge and practical expertise with the requisite software.
However, digital tools such as CAD have their own aesthetics and vocabularies which are forcing
us to re-examine the creative design process. As Treadaway (2004,3) explains, “any creative
enquiry or task demands fluency in the use of knowledge in the domain in which the action takes
place”.
The use of various graphic software and digital imagery to enhance the creative process has
become a fundamental aspect of most college and university fashion and textile programs. This
technolgy requires a learning process which demands ‘a learning curve’ (Watkins 1995, xxix) to
learn how to control the meduim with a high “degree of aesthetic sensibility and technical textile
or surface pattern 'know-how'” (Treadaway 2004,3). Despite the ease of using these tools,
expertise is required to control them for the purposes of stimulating creativity. As Black (1994,
24) notes, the most innovative work results from an open-minded and experimental approach that
can lead to possible unexpected results. At the same time, Paul (2008, 27) argues, there is a type
of digital design that presents the “distinctive features of the digital medium and reflects on its
language and aesthetics”. Another type of digital design shows how the use of this medium is
“so subtle that it is hard to determine whether the art has been created by means of digital or
analogue processes”.
Throughout the process of teaching textile design or any related art medium the normal aim
is to “build and value creative beliefs, attitudes and actions” and to “promote the growth of
perceptual awareness, observation” and “personal confidence” (Tudor 2008). The processes of
creativity requires “…a dynamic activity that involves conscious and subconscious mental
processing” (Lumsdaine & Lumsdaine 1995, 14). Creativity also depends on elements “such as
the environment, one's culture, and individual abilities” (Smith et al. 2013,1). The program at
UOS was designed to encourage and expand the students’ creative explorations, research skills,
thinking, and other skills, in order to promote idea synthesis and constructive judgment using
creative problem solving skills that are essential to adapt “different thinking skills and thinking
tools” required to “use the whole brain” (Lumsdaine & Lumsdaine 1995, 3). The students, before
being influenced by the medium, should know the main technical details and decide what they
need to achieve with their design. According Vallender believes they need to accept the
peculiarities of this medium and states in particular about the learner (1994, 116):

[The learner] should possess a general overview of functions and limitations. When the
learner knows what the functions are and is familiar with what can be achieved with a
system, he or she is likely to be more efficient and be effective when learning its use.
…In other words, I am suggesting that successful learning is fostered if the learner
approaches the task with a realistic conception of what can be done with a system and
what to expect of it.

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 BABA: DIGITAL IMAGING AND DESIGN EXPERIMENTATION IN TEXTILE PRINTING EDUCATION

Teaching Strategy
The group of eight students involved in this project are in their third year of study. Within the
group there is a range of abilities in terms of design and computer skills. Students still need to
practice and develop their knowledge of digital imaging and design processes. They were
encouraged to be more artistic, more creative and more expressive, particularly as few of them
seemed willing to scan images or to capture photos for experimentation.
Introduction to Digital Printing is a 10-week long course that is taught for 6 hours per week.
It is a part of the unit for year three of the Fashion Design with Textiles program at UOS. There
are eight students, all from Gulf countries. The aim of this part of the unit is to create a dialogue
between the artistic imagery, repeat/non-repeat patterns, CAD and textile design concepts. It also
focuses on production of new aesthetic designs suitable for textile and fashion production
without directly reflecting the characteristic features of the digital medium.
The students were asked to look at the work processes of fashion designers and study how
they choose their patterns. After gaining understanding of the complete process, they were asked
to select their own patterns and create a new aesthetic for different types of garments using
digital imaging. They were also required to look at the quality of the printed digital design using
direct printing or by-transfer printing and become aware of how this medium can open options in
designing without being controlled by traditional textile printing techniques such as color
separation, as was the case in their previous experience with silkscreen and repeat patterns using
CAD. Although students have some skills with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator for
repeating patterns, refreshing and expanding their skills is still necessary.
During the 2002-2003 academic year, and for this unit, students were asked to research and
define the following theme: ‘reflection, illusion and transparency as an experimental strategy
which can be related to the different use of light and its reflections on surfaces to produce digital
designs’. Instead of focusing on collecting different images of nature, objects, or buildings, etc.
to create different designs (as was done previously), this time students focused on the
aforementioned parameters to foster their creative thinking through research and to expand their
creative problem-solving abilities, which involve “all three types of thinking: analytical, creative,
and critical” (Lumsdaine & Lumsdaine 1995, 15).

The Stages

Students went through four stages of experimental instructional strategy and they gradually
became more curious about the potential of CAD , digital printing and its relation with fashion
trends. They also interacted more with each other by discussing and sharing images and ideas. At
the beginning of the unit there was a discussion about the definition of the selected theme and
how students could apply it. The students were encouraged to consider two different aspects. The
first was to look at the effect of various types of light on different surfaces to examine the
reflections and shades that could be suitable for textile design. This inspired the majority of
students and challenged them to find something new. The second direction, more suited to those
not interested in capturing photos, was to collect photos of different types of objects, surfaces or
textures from books, the internet or from their personal experiences and collections.
For their final design most students used different types of repeat patterns, and played with
colour, textures and layers. As an example of achieving reflection, the majority focused on using
the mirror-repeat after manipulating photos using filters, or changing the color and the density to
achieve reflections, to present the reflective surfaces or objects, and to capture images.

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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF VISUAL DESIGN

Figure 1: Different Interpretations of Light

In stage 1 the students defined the context and meaning of the requested theme that related to
light such as: reflection, illusion and transparency by research and planning. At the same time,
they started exploring the potential of Adobe Photoshop to develop methods and to synthesize
their tactile language for producing designs without being captivated by the power of graphic
software. Despite the fact most of these students used CAD software for repeat pattern courses in
the previous year, refreshing their skills and memories was required. Adobe Photoshop basics
and features to edit and manipulate or change the colour and textures of the images were
introduced.
For stage 2, the students after searching for and defining the meaning of each theme, started
collecting images and took photos of different surfaces with the intent to capture the different
reactions of light. In this part, students looked at light sources such as fire, candles, or light bulbs
and their reaction for creating a direct reflection and transparency/ translucency. Some of them
studied direct reflections of light on mirror, metals, water, and glass, while some explored
different tools in the graphic program for idea generation. Even though this stage was more about
experimentation in capturing photos and finding directions for their ideas, the students continued
in their class to explore the potential of software by focusing with specific tools (for example,
‘stamp’, ‘burn’, ‘cut’, etc.), and using different layers for duplicate and to rotate the images.
Overusing the filters was not desirable and therefore was discouraged. During this stage a few of
the student became more enthusiastic about experimentation with reflections of light on different
surfaces. They became more focused on capturing photos to create expressive images rather than
manipulating the software for effect, even though manipulating the photos through the software
was considered a ‘progressive’ method to stimulate and create design. At the end of this process,
most of the students began classifying and creating visual keys of repeat-patterns and non-repeat
patterns by resizing the digital imaging and using the free transforming option with layers to
present their theme.

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 BABA: DIGITAL IMAGING AND DESIGN EXPERIMENTATION IN TEXTILE PRINTING EDUCATION

Examples of Student Outcomes

Figure 2: Generating Design Ideas

Stage 3 required the students to employ flexible, critical, and creative thinking skills to cope
with design problems and find solutions (Lumsdaine & Lumsdaine 1995, 4). As a result, students
became more focused on generalizing final designs using Adobe Photoshop and exploring the
complexity of the layers and manipulating them with different tools related to the editing of
colour, textures and filters (Figure 2 above). In this stage, they became more assertive with their
techniques and color, and also more daring with their designs (they were asked to develop more
than thirty (30) final designs for scarves by the end of week 10). In this stage, they considered
alternative ideas, analysis and judgments. The various designs for scarves they came up with are
illustrated below.
Stage 4 involved confirmation, or evaluating outcomes and choosing the final design for
printing. In this stage students were asked to choose one design to print for a scarf, as well as
another design for a jacket lining by using digital printing (transfer printing) on chiffon (Figure 3
below). Also, in this stage students faced the challenge of choosing their final design for printing
using transfer printing, which can be very different from screen printing. They valued their
printed fabrics so highly that some of them expressed their intent to use them in another project
which also required the use of the printed fabrics. Below are examples of the final products as
well as some photos of the presentation of the scarves at the end of the unit (Figure 4 below).

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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF VISUAL DESIGN

Figure 3: Final designs on chiffon using digital printing

Figure 4: Final presentation

By the end of the experimentation students considered digital printing and use of CAD
software as highly effective tools that allowed them to explore endless possiblities for textile and
fashion design without needing to fall back on the printing room and use tradtional textile
printing techniques. Also, some of the students became eager to use digital printing to develop
their design and participate in a competition organized by Philips Lighting Middle East and
Turkey. Below (figure 5) are two examples of outfits made by two students. One is a jumpsuit

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 BABA: DIGITAL IMAGING AND DESIGN EXPERIMENTATION IN TEXTILE PRINTING EDUCATION

designed and printed with transfer printing, which shows the reflection of sunlight on water. The
second design is part of an outfit and shows the use of mirror-repeat to express reflections.

Figure 5: Two examples of digital outfits

Conclusion
Digital tools are being incorporated into several textile/fashion undergraduate courses to assist
student creative processes and to develop the skills required for their profession. This paper
presented an experimental study focused on the process of expanding student creative
exploration, research skills, critical thinking, and other course-related skills. With the
collaboration of digital media students from the University of Sharjah, the study demonstrated
the process of developing creative thinking skills to create a new textile visual language.
Knowledge of digital imaging and a specific level of skills and knowledge of creating complex
multi layered images were required. To a large extent, this creative skill depends upon “…the
degree to which an individual is motivated to learn to use it [the digital medium]” (Treadaway
2004, 3). The process of student reflection adopted through the teaching strategy described
above, resulted in designs produced by means of digital media that reflect the innovative skills
and ability of students to create new aesthetics while gaining a greater understanding of technical
textile design. Some of the designed work is subtle and presents artistic and expressive values.
It also shows how effectively students can build their technical skills and creative confidence to
develop designs through the use of digital tools.

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REFERENCES
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and New Technology. London: Craft Council.
Bowles, M. and Issac C., Digital Textile Design. United Kingdom: Laurence King, 2012.
Cope, B and Kalantzis, M., “Design in Principle and Practice: A Reconsideration of the Terms of
Design Engagement.” The Design Journal, 14 (2011): 45-63.
Clarke, S, Textile Design. London: Laurence King, 2011.
Lumsdaine, E. and Lumsdaine M.. Creative Problem Solving Thinking Skills for A Changing
World. Michigan: McGraw-Hill, 1995.
Paul, C.. Digital Art. London: Thames & Hudson, 2008.
Press, M. and Cusworth, A.. “A New Vision in the Making: Exploring the Value of Craft
Education in the Information Age.” The Design Journal. Volume 1, July 1997: 12-29.
Smith, Steven M., Thomas B. Ward, and Ronald A. Finke. "Cognitive processes in creative
contexts." The creative cognition approach (1995): 1-7. Accessed December 1, 2013.
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/stevesmith/SmithCreativity/SmithIntro.pdf
Treadaway, C., “Digital Creativity: The Impact of Digital Imaging Technology on the Creative
Practice of Printed Textile and Surface Pattern Design”. Journal of Textile and Apparel,
Technology and Management. vol.4. Issue 1( 2004): 1-5.
Tudor, R.. “The Pedagogy of Creativity: Understanding higher order capability development in
design and arts education”. Proceedings of the 4th International Barcelona Conference
on Higher Education, Vol. 4. Higher education, arts and creativity. Barcelona: GUNI.
Accessed August 10, 2013. http://www.guni-rmies.net.
Vallender, J. H.. Training and Education’ in CAD in Clothing and Textiles, a Collection of
Expert Views. Aldrich, W. (ed.). London: Blackwell Science, 1995.
Watkins, P., “Computing the Value of CAD”. World Review of Textiles, Part II (1995): xxvii-
xxxii.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Nahed Baba: Assistant Professor, College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Sharjah,
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Ain Shams University, Egypt

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The International Journal of Visual Design is one of
six thematically focused journals in the collection of
journals that support the Design Principles and
Practices knowledge community—its journals, book
series, conference and online community.

The journal explores processes and practices of

representation and communication using the medium
of the image. Areas of interest include communications
design, visual arts, illustration, photography, film and
video, graphic design, typography, interface design,
internet design, animation and computer simulations.

As well as papers of a traditional scholarly type, this

journal invites presentations of practice—including
documentation of visual designs accompanied by
exegeses analyzing visual design purposes, processes
and effects.

The International Journal of Visual Design is a peer-

reviewed scholarly journal.

ISSN 2325-1581