Presently, digital sketching environments have come to be used as a complement to the traditional manufacturing techniques for textiles; the research presented here looks into the area of time-based patterns and their relation to digital tools and textile structural techniques. Thus, the aim of this work is to expand on the existing methods used by designers, and to explore ways for capturing and expressing the complexity and temporality of pattern changes in textiles. Furthermore, our result sketches a method for using dynamic colors to design complex surface patterns for textiles by utilizing methods that facilitate the hiding and/or revealing of multiple colors and shapes on the printed surface of the textile; this method is discussed in connection to the different expressions that can be achieved by using knitting as media for print.
When used within textile printing, smart colours have expanded the design possibilities for textile patterns as relates to both motifs and, more importantly, uses. Smart colours suggest new functionalities and provide specific perceptions, reactions, and activities in terms of usage. At the same time, the need for peripheral information sources that are less intrusive than many of the everyday devices of the present has continuously been addressed to improve wellbeing, e.g. by making life more manageable and meaningful through the use of technology in everyday life. We aim to increase knowledge of the design qualities of smart colours, which is of use in relation to creating non- or less intrusive ways of displaying peripheral information. This paper focuses on the character of colour transition and discusses different colour-changing possibilities with regard to surface patterns; that is, from the perspectives of different levels of change and complexity and in relation to levels of intrusiveness and information comprehensibility.
Artistic research in design is relatively new compared to experimental research in the natural sciences but it has matured a great deal over the last decade. Its extensive development has brought new challenges to professional practice, and also raised questions regarding how knowledge should be imparted in academia. By examining the field of textile design, which has traditionally been taught in close synergy with professional practice, we can discern the emergence of doctoral theses that have brought not only new perspectives to textile practice but also a new role to the design educator as a researcher within the academia. One of the challenges that design education program are facing, however, relates to creating a better connection between research and education in order to continually enrich curricula with new developments in the field, so that basic knowledge and novelty can interact. By looking closely at the development of the research environment at The Swedish School of Textiles and the interaction with undergraduate and postgraduate education, this chapter describes how research has informed the development of textile design education.
Even though color is frequently used in the design of textiles and spaces, research into the use of color in more innovative ways has been uncommon in relation to textile practice. This may be due to a lack of exploration of nontextile materials such as dichroic filters and their design possibilities, which not only produce colors in novel and environmentally friendly ways but also influence space by creating physical and emotional experiences. Dichroic filters are an interesting design material regarding their ability to create surfaces that change color when activated by light and when viewed from different angles and can also influence surrounding space by coloring it. This research project aims to explore the design potential of combining dichroic filters and textile weaving techniques to create textile installations that influence space and create sensuous experiences. The research project resulted in a series of textile installations wherein dichroic filters changed the expression of textile surfaces and/or influenced the installation space. The installations visually reveal a poetic relationship between the craftsmanship of textiles and light, colors, the viewer, space, and our senses. They also highlight the performative property of textiles that influence space and have the power to create sensuous experiences.
With the technological progress of materials science, the palette of colours with which to print on textiles has expanded beyond those with previously known properties and expressions to a new generation, with more advanced functionality and expressive properties. This new range of colours is characterised by their ability when printed on textiles to change colour in relation to external factors and internal programmes; for example, leuco dye-based thermochromic inks generally change colour in response to temperature fluctuations. This research explores the design properties and potentials of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks printed on textiles, with regard to creating a wider range of colour-changing effects for textile applications. The significance of this for textile design is related to the development of a methodology for designing dynamic surface patterns. The research was conducted by creating a series of design experiments using leuco dye-based thermochromic inks, which resulted in different recipes and methods, along with a pedagogical tool. The results highlighted the diverse colour-changing properties of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks, which have the potential to create more complex patterns on textiles. The outcome of this research proposes a foundation for textile designers with which to approach new ways of thinking and designing.
This art piece installation intents to provoke people to think about life and death through the fallen wings of butterflies. The different sizes of butterfly wings symbolizes the variety of people living in our society. And just like human beings, the butterfly wings gain energy when touched by people. The energy is transformed into a brief flutter and a change of color into brighter warmer tones. The wings will not live forever. They will eventually fall to the ground, but as they decay new life begins and for each wing a flower will begin to sprout. The research aim of this project is to explore possible expressions of smart textile principles. The technology used in this project is thermochromatic ink and motors.
Although there are a lot of interest concerning the use of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks in Textile and Fashion Design, there is still a lack of teaching approach to help students arrive at a better understanding of the color transitions of leuco dye thermochromic inks. This paper aims to share a systematic approach for teaching the behavior of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks to students in Textile and Fashion Design. Printed color-swatches and exercises were used as the central part of the approach. Through the approach it was described what printed color-swatches were and how to use them effectively to make color transitions understandable. The approach has been applied in several workshops at both Bachelor and Master level. The samples made by the students in the exercises clearly revealed that the approach created opportunities for students to craft an understanding of using leuco dye thermochromic inks through experimentation and individual exploration. Ultimately, this approach plays a fundamental role in the design process, the creation and the development of dynamic patterns.
Dreaming vase is an object exemplifying my practice-based research project aiming to explore the creative design potential of mixing photoluminescent pigment with conventional textile pigment pastes in textile printing. The object is a two layer glass vase, inlaid with a printed surface-pattern that creates a two phase pattern; a pattern that can demonstrate an identical form at daylight as well as at darkness but with two different expressions. The Dreaming vase displays the development of dynamic surface-patterns, and the use of photoluminescent pigment in printing surface-patterns as it adds an extra quality to the object by emitting light without using any electricity.
The central feature of the art piece is the artist’s picture printed on wool fabric covered with moth’s eggs. The eggs have been allowed to develop into larvae, which have fed on the wool fabric, making holes in it. A second layer made of silk-organza fabric and printed in a Persian carpet pattern, can be seen through the holes. The two layers of fabric are isolated in a glass display case. The installation engages the audience in dialogue and discussion.
Although there has been some research on the use of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks in textile and fashion design, there is still a lack of research on how these inks can be used on textiles to create complex and dynamic patterns through textile printing. This paper provides information on the properties of leuco dye-pased thermochromic inks to facilitate the understanding and designing of dynamic surface-patterns, and demonstrates the color transitions of thermochromic inks at different temperatures. A practice-based design method was chosen to investigate two different reversible and water-based blue inks with activation temperatures of 27°C and 15°C. The result showed scales comprising the recipes that were used as a guide for designing textile surfaces. This paper contributes by making the color-changing process understandable and demonstrating the actual effects of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks at different temperatures for textile and fashion design. This facilitates designers to achieve more advanced textile surface patterns.
This collection of masks is designed give an aesthetic warning if the wearer is running a fever or the concentration of allergens in the air exceeds a certain threshold. The pattern printed with thermochromic ink changes color when the exhale exceeds 40°C. The collection comprise a series of different prints and three different shapes of masks: the traditional surgical style, a wrap-around-scarf, and a full-face sinus mask. The latter also senses temperature increases of the forehead as well as around the mouth. The idea is to create a stylish early-warning system at least for other people if not for the wearer.
This thesis describes an exploration of the principles of applying leuco dye-based inks to textile design practice. The main motivation has been to explore the design properties and potentials of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks when printed on textiles in order to obtain an understanding and facilitate the design of dynamic surface patterns. The significance of this is related to the development of a methodology to assist designers in seeing possibilities, making informed decisions, and predicting colour transitions at different temperatures when designing a dynamic surface pattern.
The research was conducted by undertaking a series of design experiments using leuco dye-based thermochromic inks, which resulted in various working methods and two pedagogical tools. This process offered the insight and depth of understanding required to design dynamic surface patterns, in that it highlighted the different colour-changing properties of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks, which have the potential to create a more complex and dynamic range of patterns on textiles than those that exist today. There is much to explore beyond the current design possibilities offered by thermochromic inks, and it is hoped that designers and researchers can apply the knowledge that has been obtained during the work of this thesis to their practical explorations so as to move towards new ways of thinking and designing, and further innovation in textile design.
Clothing is commonly regarded as means of cultural communication, self-expression and the social construction of identity. This research project explores different possibilities to develop clothing as interactive tools through ways of using dynamic print in the design and construction of garments. The significance of this for fashion is therefore to expand and develop clothing as a vocabulary for social expression and identity construction. The research project was conducted by experimenting with a series of random and controlled interactive garments produced by lecuo dye-based thermochromic inks with activation temperature 31°C. The result of this research project opens up new design possibilities for fashion designers considering expressive interactive relationships between wearer and garments. In conclusion the series of experiments with the construction of thermochromic printed garments demonstrates new possibilities in garment design for a performative relationship between body, dress and the social space through the increased awareness of one’s own body and its dynamic expression in social situations.
In textile design, the characteristics of a textured surface are the result of the properties of the materials, the textile techniques used, and the colour mixtures associated with each technique. The perception of colour on textured textiles is dependent on the angles of viewing and incidence of light on the surface. Accordingly, when analyzing the perception of the colour of pile textiles such as velvet, we observe that the orientation of the piles on the surface affects the perception of colour. The perception of colour and its transformation depends on whether the light is reflected off the side or the end of the yarn. By bringing do it yourself (DIY) materials into the textile design field, this research questions how biomaterials such as bioplastic can be further developed using textile surface design methods, and how the relationship between texture and colours can be advanced in the design of complex textured surfaces. The method develops a hybrid strategy for designing a new material category combining DIY and digital tools, which offers a more sustainable alternative to conventional textile materials. Moreover, the method proposed builds on two major aspects: explorations of bioplastic materials and their impacts on colour design and selection, and an analysis of changes in the visual perception of coloured surfaces with regard to differences in texture, the positioning of a light source, and angle of viewing. The results are methods of creating complex colour combinations and textural surfaces using near-adjacent and complementary colours and the intrinsic transparency property of bioplastics.
The work describes background and methods involved in the development of Butterfly Lace, a conductive multi-color sensor-actuator structure that lies in the intersection of traditional craft and smart materials. Traditional craft is introduced as inspiration for developing smart textiles in lace structure. Both, the process of dyeing conductive threads with multi-color thermochromic pigment mixes and the technical set up for the sensor-actuator system are described.
The possibilities and challenges for the multi-color sensor-actuator combination in a lace structure are discussed based on the experience gained from working with the material. Potential applications are glanced for inspiration and future directions.
Light and lighting in fashion and textile design generally relate to the viewing and production of a fashion or textile collection in daylight, or integrating LEDs, electro-luminescent wires, and optical fibres in the structures of fabrics to create a light-emitting fashion or textile collection. This ignores the potential that coloured light as material for design can bring into these disciplines. This paper aims to investigate coloured light as a material for design in relation both to physical environments and immersive virtual reality, and to develop design methods for fashion and textile design that could lead to a re-learning of coloured light as a material for design for developing novel artistic expressions. The first series of experiments focused on addressing the following questions in both physical and virtual reality: How do coloured surfaces and coloured light interact? How do interactions between coloured surfaces and coloured light influence the process of designing surface patterns? To critically examine the results of this research, textile and fashion design undergraduate students participated in a five-day workshop during which they experimented with, and reflected upon different types of interaction between coloured surfaces and coloured light in both physical and virtual reality. The students’ designs showed that the design method provided them with an understanding of the use of coloured light in their design processes through experimentation and individual exploration, demonstrating that this approach can make a fundamental contribution to the development of coloured light usage in various design disciplines.
Printable smart materials offer textile designers a range of changeable colours, with the potential to redefine the expressive properties of static textiles. However, this comes with the challenge of understanding how the printing process may need to be adapted for these novel materials. This research explores and exemplifies the properties and potential of electroluminescent inks as printable smart colours for textiles, in order to facilitate an understanding of designing complex surface patterns with electroluminescent inks. Three conventional textile print methods – colour mixing, halftone rasterization, and overlapping – have been investigated through experimental design research to expand the design potential of electroluminescent inks. The result presents a set of methods to create various color mixtures and design complex patterns. It offers recipes for print formulation and documents the outcomes, offering a new design resource for textile surface pattern designers to promote creativity in design, and provides fundamental knowledge for the creation of patterns on textiles using electroluminescent inks.
What are thermochromic inks? They are colouring agents characterised by their ability to when printed on textiles, change colour in response to temperature fluctuations. Below their activation temperature they are coloured, and above their activation temperature they are clear or have a light hue. They are usually blended with static pigments, allowing them to change from one colour to another.
Do the thermochromic inks offer other design possibilities rather than only change from one colour to another? What if thermochromic inks are mixed with static pigments in different proportions? What is the behaviour of prints produced using these mixtures when they are heated or cooled? What if multiple colours could be concealed or revealed at once? What if thermochromic colour mixtures are printed in layers on top of each other?What if thermochromic inks have different activation temperatures? And what if the states of thermochromic colour transitions between non-heated, heated, and cooled are properly visualised?
Marjan Kooroshnia is a textile designer and lecturer at the Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås. Much of Marjan’s time as a Master’s student in Textile Design was spent at the printing lab, learning about thermochromic ink sbehavior when printed on textiles and designing dynamic surface patterns. In her PhD research, she has explored the design properties and potentials of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks when printed on textiles in order to obtain an understanding and facilitate the design of dynamic surface patterns.
In this exhibition, she presents her Ph.D. thesis, in which she has investigated different methods to create diverse colour changing effects on textiles. The prints displayed in this exhibition show a wide range of aesthetic possibilities offered by thermochromic inks on textiles.
What are thermochromic inks? They are colouring agents characterised by their ability to, when printed on textiles, change colour in response to temperature fluctuations. Below their activation temperature they are coloured, and above their activation temperature they are clear or have a light hue. They are usually blended with static pigments, allowing them to change from one colour to another.
Marjan Kooroshnia is a textile designer and lecturer at the Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås. Much of Marjan’s time as a Master’s student in Textile Design was spent at the printing lab, learning about thermochromic inksbehavior when printed on textiles and designing dynamic surface patterns. In her PhD research she has explored the design properties and potentials of leuco dye-based thermochromic inks when printed on textiles in order to obtain an understanding and facilitate the design of dynamic surface patterns.