Unit 12 Computers in Art and Design Chloe Lacy
Research into Digital Printing and Laser Cutting
3D printing
3D printing has number of positive’s and negatives, however it provides designers with a wider range of experimentation.
Pro’s
3D printing allows a more accurate piece of clothing in terms of symmetry as the computer is able to measure the garment much more precisely and the designs that they create can be used as exact replications. It also allows the designer to be more creative as they are able to use a wider range of materials, with different property's to everyday fabrics.
Con’s
However 3D printing is expensive and the initial costs just for the machinery would be steep. Employee training would also need to be looked into for anyone needing to use the machine this would also cost money. These types of garments are also fairly uncomfortable to wear as there's not a lot of flexibility and are sometimes impractical. For example; the dress below was created using 3D printing and was designed by Iris Van Herpen and used in her voltage collection. Its said that ‘’Iris Van Herpen made head way towards wearability as he worked with Belgium based 3D printing to develop new textiles that are being billed as the first printable, material that is flexible and durable enough to be worn’’ http://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/05/3d-printing-fashion-print-shift/ 3D printing is used in the fashion industry to create more imaginative pieces that they would otherwise struggle to create. 3D printing is also useful for designers who want to create a line of clothing and need replications of their garments as accuracy would be important.
My thought on 3D Printing
I think 3D printing is good way to produce creative and imaginative pieces of clothing because it gives the designers a wider range of choices in terms of technique. It also gives the designer precision. However I do think it takes away the uniqueness of the garment as they are all made digitally. This takes away the craftsmen's ship.
The dress above was also designed using 3D printing and was created as part of Iris Van Herpens ‘trademark’ radial exoskeletons collection. She created a range of designs as part of an investigation into the wearability of garments made using 3D printing.
Laser cutting
Laser cutting is now being using in the fashion industry to create new imaginative pieces of clothing that are full of intricate designs.
Pro’s
Laser cutting is a versatile way of creating garments as it holds a vast potential. It is fast at creating what you want, once the design portion has been decided. It is also accurate, which allows the designer to be more creative with their designs. Laser cutting also provides a cleaner look when the fabric is cut. The laser can be set to engrave, adding another dimension for the designer.
Cons’
However it is an expensive piece of equipment and other methods can be used to create a similar effect however other methods may not be as time efficient. Laser cutting can also only be used on certain materials as some do burn. Heat discolouration may also be an issue for a designer who is working on a light coloured material – to eliminate this a secondary process is required. The machinery also requires large amounts of electricity. This may be an issue for a small business trying to create mass production using laser cutting techniques. There may also be issues with the machinery breaking down. These dress below created using laser cutting as part of Marchesa’s runway collection. Laser cutting allows the designer to create intricate patterns that make a garment that much more interesting to look at. It also allows the designer to create geometric and abstract patterns that are accurate in proportions, that would be otherwise difficult to create. Laser cutting is appropriate for designers that are creating a mass production of clothing as it is a technique that consumes less time. The designs will be unique to the designer however will not be unique in the way they would be, if they had been hand made. Laser cutting also gives the designer a wider range of potential in relation to their designs because a computer is able to manipulate the fabric into whatever the designer has imagined.
My Thoughts on Laser Cutting
I think laser cutting is a innovative way for creating fashion as it is traditionally used to manipulate other materials when creating furniture etc. I believe that it cuts the fabric much quicker than you could do by hand however can often leave unwanted stains behind. Laser cutting may also be used to achieve a neater looking edge on the fabric.
Customised Printing
Customised Printing is an expensive technique used to help anybody have full control over their wardrobe.
Pro’s
The garments that can be produced using customised printing will always be unique as they are designed by individual people looking for something that suits them best, because of this they will be dramatic and distinctive. It is also an accurate way of getting a print onto a garment such as, a pair of shoes. Customised printing also allow the customer to be their own designer.
Con’s
Due to having complete design control over your garment and the sizing and placement of the print, as well as the sizing of your body or feet for the piece to fit you, it is an expensive way to represent your style. It is also used more for individuality and not preferred for mass production, as this would defeat the purpose of creating something different. The production styles that are on offer are also limited, for example if you wanted to create a dress, they would offer a number of dress styles, an there may not be a style present that you want. For example there is a website called construvct were anyone is allowed to upload an image, create their own design and then enter their body measurements. The piece of clothing that they have designed can also be taken through to construction and made for the individual giving them complete design control over their garments. https://www.constrvct.com/ Customised printing also allows anyone complete design control over their wardrobes. Meaning they will no longer need to take there ideas to someone in order for them to me manufactured.
My thoughts on Customised Printing
I think customised printing is a god idea for creative people who do not have the time or skill set to create there own clothes. You also do not need to be a designer or know a particular set of people. As long as you have access to the internet you can be your own designer. Making this available for a wider audience.
CAD / Digital Printing CAD stands for computer aided design which is a design manipulated using a programme such as Photoshop, this would then be printed straight onto a piece of clothing, for example a top or leggings.
Pro’s
In order to create our digital print we first had to find inspiration. They are then often created on a software such as Photoshop or illustrator and used to make patterns. This is a quick process however can become tedious if the design does not work as a print. CAD printing also allows the designs to be more detailed which will allow the designer to see if the collection works well together. They are able to see the colours, fabrics and textures of the garments before they are made. Minor adjustments can be easily made if the designer is not happy.
Con’s
However the software Photoshop is very expensive and often difficult to use. It may also cost the workplace or education centre more money than necessary as they will need to employ people who are able to use the programme or invest in on going training courses.
This would be a useful tool to use for company's looking to mass produce, because once the final design has been decided it can be put into CAD and programmed onto a number of different garments. The garments on the left were created by Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane using CAD printing. He will have created multiple designs using Photoshop, were he will have begun manipulating the patterns in order to get a more intricate and visually intriguing pattern. This will then have been printed onto his choice of fabric. There are a number of programmes that allow fashion designers to digitally manipulate and develop prints, for example illustrator and Photoshop.
My Thought on CAD Printing
CAD can also be used just to initially print a material, that the designers can then make there own garment out of the material. This will also give the designers the uniqueness that they may want even though they have used CAD to print the material.
I think using CAD printing in fashion is a good idea as it gives the designer the technology to programme their own designs into Photoshop or illustrator and duplicate them or change them to create a more interesting's and intricate pattern. This can then be printed or pressed on a piece of clothing. I have included images of garments that have been created using CAD.
3D Body Scanning
3D Body Scanning is a new technology that allows the body to be measured using scanning technology. This allows a person to get specific measurements of there body in order to find clothes that fit them better. This can be used in fashion to measure the breast size of a women, or take the measurements of their entire body, it can change hairstyles virtually in order to see how they look and also apply virtual makeup. 3D body printing is also popular in other industries such as film, it was used in the film Benjamin Button and cost 160 million.
Pro’s
This machinery can be used to scan the full body, half body, chest, back, face, feet, legs, arms, hands, skin and other body parts. It can be used to show how a person may look in 10 years time, this could be used for TV programmes that help people with there weight. For example it may show a person how they will look if they continue to eat what they eat and lose an estimated amount of weight. It can also be used in plastic surgery to show possible outcomes. It is also quick to use, 100 measurements can be taken of one body within seconds, It is also available to both men and women.
Con’s
This piece of machinery is difficult to use and expensive . The company who is looking to invest in a 3D body scanner will have to employ people who are trained to use it. However they also train the employees that are already working there. A website that is using this technology already is http://www.nanowerk.com/. This website will eventually allow people to have this type of technology at home.
My thoughts on 3D body scanning
3D body scanning is a great way for people to find out exactly the sizes they should be shopping for and where they may be best shopping at. This technology is time effective as it only times a few seconds to calculate the measurements of an entire body. However is it an expensive piece of equipment which may prevent people from being able to have the option of using it.
Repeat patterns in Photoshop
Hand drawn designs-Feather
Hand drawn designs-Leaf
Hand drawn designs-mushroom
Hand drawn designs-flower
Hand drawn designsscale pattern
Hand drawn design-flower
Hand drawn design-flower
Hand drawn design-mushroom
Hand drawn design-shells
Laser Cut Design Carnation Flower: This design didn’t work, the continuous line around the perimeter caused the pattern to fall straight through. This was my first attempt.
Laser Cut Design Leaf
Laser Cut Design Rose
Evaluation Laser Cut: After creating my laser cut design I have found that there are a number of strengths and weaknesses, however there may be steps I can take to prevent these happening when creating future laser designs. I have noticed that there are also a number of threats that could possibly cause altercations with my laser designs, some of which I have no control over. In order to create our designs, we first had to learn how to use the illustrator software. The First laser cut design I created was in the shape of a carnation flower however it did not end up working because this particular software works on pathways and the first path I create I drew around the perimeter which meant the whole flower cut out. My second laser cut design was in the shape of a rose, which is visually and technically effective. Creating the initial design was a fairly quick and accurate process as my design isn’t very large however if I had of chosen a larger design this process would have taken much longer. It is also unique and individual to me, in order to create a much more intricate design I have combined a laser cut and a digital print and incorporated them into CAD garments so show how they would appear on a piece of clothing. These are in my second Photoshop board. I have also combined my digital and laser cut designs in some other collections. Some of the laser designs were distorted and appeared to be squashed, which is likely to have been caused by the person who transferred the file over to the laser cut machine. The products that are produced are also not always bespoke. Which means they carry less value due to mass production. However a company can ask for exclusivity which means the company will produce 500800 and tell the brand to sell them at a certain price. It is also an expensive piece of machinery, however quite quickly pays for itself due to its high demand. In the industry it would become a problem if the technician was away sick. This is because it takes a specialist to be able to use and control the machine. My laser cut design had some minor singe marks which suggests that it is not suitable for certain types of fabrics. It also suggests that lighter weight and sheer fabrics may also burn under the laser. Illustrator is a restricted software which works on paths meaning the designs that are created must be drawn on a continuous path in order to transfer them to the laser cutter. To summarise I found the laser design easy to create. And appear more interesting on a piece of clothing rather than a flat print. It is also cost effective.
Digital Print This print is from my final collection
Evaluation Digital Print: After creating my digital design I have found that there are many strengths and weaknesses. I have found that there are a number of threats that may cause problems with the outcome of my design and after realising this I was able to avoid them. There were limitations in relation to the fabric we used as there was with laser cutting however this caused no problems. To start I had to create my design. First I had to think of a natural form to inspire me, I chose the inside of a mushroom, which is very appealing and interesting to the eye. Once I had my design drawn out, I scanned it into Photoshop in order to make a pattern. I used colour and various filters to make it appear more interesting and once I was happy with the outcome I defined it as a pattern and placed it onto an A4 sheet to print out. I found this process tedious because I had to play around for a while in order to get the pattern I was happy with, overall I think the process was easy. Creating the initial designs were fairly quick as they were mostly small sketches and line drawings however a larger more intricate design may have taken much longer. My design is individual and unique to me and in order to make my designs more appealing I have combined five of the same pattern onto each page however changed the colour, size, filter and textured look of the image. I have combined one of my laser cut and digital print on my second Photoshop board which I found to be quite easy. However Once I heat pressed my design onto a piece of calico it was left with stretch marks across the centre from where I had pulled it away from the white transfer paper. This is not a problem as it is not obvious however it is noticeable. I feel that these techniques give my work a range of traditional and digital techniques that give each sample a varied look. Two of the digital prints that were created did not work. One of which the colour failed to transfer as vibrantly once it was put under the heat press. Although this will not affect the students mark it may well be an issue if this were the technique that was being used in the industry because the colours on the garments may end up being dull and unappealing. It is an expensive way to process clothing because the programme Photoshop is needed to create your initial design and then the heat press is a lot needed. However it may pay for itself overtime if the clothing sells well. I chose my second board as my final collection because that pattern is the once that came out the most intricate and interesting. This is the board I also added my laser cut designs into.
Photoshop & Inspiration Boards
Board One
Board one inspiration
Board Two Final Collection
Board two inspiration-final collection
Board Three
Board three inspiration
Final Evaluation To evaluate researching into digital printing and laser cutting has helped inform me of how the fashion industry produces their garments and which techniques and equipment are used for mass production and which are not. I researched and found five different techniques the fashion industry uses to make its garments. Each have there own advantages and disadvantages and are each also used to create different effects. 3D printing, I have found is the most intricate and mainly used to create unusual pieces. Laser cutting, is the most time and cost effective, it is also able to create intricate pieces of clothing. Customised printing, is the most versatile because anybody can access it. There are a number of website and brands that allow complete versatility giving there customer complete design control. CAD/digital printing is often mostly used for mass production as it However designers have also be known to use this technique. Finally 3D body scanning is a new system that is used to take complete measurements of a persons body in order to help them find there correct size, It can also be used to help women with there breast size. It is also used in film, for example it was used recently in the film Benjamin button. The digital designs I created we first hand drawn and scanned into Photoshop I then created a pattern. I found that even though my drawing were simple, once I had created a pattern with them they looked a lot more intricate and imaginative. I used different colours and various filters in order to change the look of the drawing completely, for example one of my first designs is of feathers. I used Photoshop to add purple and blue and also changed the size of the pattern to create others and I also inversed the coloured to create a much darker looking pattern. Even though its obvious that the pattern is still the same it still gives it a completely different look. When creating my laser cut designs I used a software called illustrator which works on continuous paths, and in order to see if out design was going to work we printed it out on paper and used a scalpel to cut out the shapes. My first design did not work because I created a continuous pathway around the perimeter of the carnation which meant the whole flower would have fallen through. However once we were able to play around and learn how it worked I was able to create two more designs successfully, one of a rose and one of a leaf. Once I was aware of how the laser cutter and illustrator worked I found this a lot easier. When creating my digital design I had already created the pattern using Photoshop and used these to created a fashion collection so I chose the one I was most happy with, placed it onto an A4 sheet of transfer paper and placed it on a piece of calico under a heat press. This was an easy and quick process that gave me a nice result as the colours I used where still nice and vibrant. Using both traditional and digital techniques in my work has made it easier and a much quicker process. This is because I have incorporated drawings which are simple and I have also used Photoshop to create more appealing designs just by creating a pattern with them. I chose my final collection to be my second board because I feel like the clothes are the most wearable and creative. I feel that they also work well together and represent a cool laidback sporty style. I enjoyed making this board the most and am also happy with the inspiration board that also goes along with it. I also am happy with the way I have incorporated my laser cut designs in with them. I feel that this board has the most garments and colour. Overall I have learnt that the fashion industry uses a wide range of techniques to make their garments and this can often affect the price that the garment is sold for. For example a one of a kind laser cut garment may be sold for considerably more than a digital print garment which is mass produced and vice versa.