Printing and Dyeing

Color Inspiration at a Design-Driven Brand According to Yun Chen, choosing colors is like exploring a “lonely, uncharted wilderness.” [5] It is up to a designer’s talent and vision to select a collection of colors to represent the aesthetic of a design concept. Some designers see new colors clearly in their mind’s eye and need a way to document them. Others go exploring in stores, galleries. This textile series will share technical insights and wisdom of AATCC members. The "Second C" series will focus on color. If you wish to contribute your own technical insights on topics of interest to AATCC members, contact Communications Director, Maria Thiry; Technical Insight or anyplace likely to spark their imagination. They don’t know what they want, but they’ll “know it when they see it.” [6] In either case, color designers must rely on “found objects” to represent the colors that they want. This is no mean feat, since it is estimated that there are between 1.5 and 2 million distinguishable colors that can be represented on textiles. [7] Found objects fall into two classes: 1) color reference sets and 2) colors artifacts (also known as cuttings, swatches, etc.). [8] Color reference sets are large collections…

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) is an industry advocacy group focusing on the effective application of color and functional finishes on textiles.  Textiles are used in many sectors including transportation, military/government, industrial, medical/ healthcare, sports/fitness, and fashion, thus the business and end-use requirements vary widely. As we see rapid changes in global business, AATCC “continues to evolve to meet the needs of those in  the ever-changing textile, apparel, and materials industries.” [1] The textile, apparel, and materials industries are huge. The global apparel retail market drives about US$1.8 trillion in revenue. [2] Textile mills and apparel factories create another US$1.9 trillion in global revenue. [3] And these numbers grow every year. The “Second C” in AATCC is for Colorists. This series of articles will deal with color in the apparel industry, focusing primarily on apparel brands, since that is where color specifications start. Additionally, we will see how practices emanating from brand color offices impact mills and garment factories. The Purpose of the Second C The Second C is a practical guide to assist colorists. The intention is not to present novel academic research or use big words. Rather, over the coming year, I will discuss…