Fashion, Indian textile, printed fabrics, woven fabrics

Merchandisers Guide to All over Print (AOP) Fabrics

all over printed fabrics guide for merchandisers featured image

All over print designs are repeated across the entire fabric surface.

There is always growing demand for these types of fabrics and garments around the world.

The possibilities of designs are endless here.

But there are certain things a merchandiser should know beforehand.

Let’s dive into it.

 

History of All over print fabrics

Even though fabric printing existed many centuries ago.

A proper system for printing fabrics was invented only in the 1900s.

The sublimation printing process was invented in 1957.

In this process, a graphic is printed onto a sheet of high-release paper.

It is then transferred onto fabric or garment using high heat or pressure.

The applied heat transfers the print from the paper to the fabric.

But with time, there have been drastic advancements in the printing processes.

To read more about printed fabrics

 

Things to understand about all over print fabrics

It is important to have the design ready before the printing process starts.

The design is regarded as the heart of printing.

The artists who develop the designs should also have a better understanding of the step-by-step processes involved in the printing process.

  1. A clear idea on the feasibility of printing

Retail shopping for printed fabrics

The qualities and characteristics of fabric are dependent on the fiber it is made up of.

So is the result from printing.

Imagine the difference between printing on cotton fabric and lycra fabric.

In order to print efficiently, we need to understand the basic difference in these fabrics and subsequently use the most efficient method of printing.

2. Print measurements and calculations in various printing methods

fabric screen printer

In rotary printing, the designs are etched on a piece of fabric using a rotor.

The limitation here is the diameter of the rotor.

It is important for the designers to understand this in order to create an optimized print.

The same goes for other types of printing.

Like flatbed screen printing.

It also comes with limitations in the size of the design it can print.

3. Understanding of repeats and colors

print repeat preview

A repeat is a complete block of design that is used throughout the fabric.

It is crucial to set repeats properly to achieve the desired results.

4. Knowing the difference between chest print and all over print

Chest print is something that we often see on a t-shirt.

As the name indicates, the chest print design is placed over the region that comes over the chest.

It is basically a single design with more letters.

But overall prints are smaller and generic in nature.

Like dots, spirals, flowers, etc.

5. Creativity

A creative designer is flexible and understands how printing works.

He can easily tweak and make incremental changes not only to improve the design but also to increase the printing efficiency.

For example, a printing design that consists of ten or more colors may be costlier to produce.

A creative designer understands this and tries to reduce the colors from ten to six.

This cut the cost of production substantially.

6. Steps involved in the design development process

Developing a print design can be a complex process.

There are several things to consider.

Like the end consumer, price, cost of production, and so on.

A designer that has knowledge of these will be able to produce better designs.

7. Consumer behavior

Consumers are a group of people with various beliefs and perceptions.

They act differently to the same input.

Imagine what type of prints a college teen would purchase when compared with an adult that goes to work.

8. Knowledge of various seasons and trends

There are four major seasons in fashion.

Consumers expect certain prints to be available in certain seasons.

During the spring seasonal collection, floral prints are to be included as it represents the season.

9. Understanding cultures

difference in dress for various cultures

In a society, people are formally influenced by their culture.

Religion is a great example of cultural influence over people when it comes to selecting their dresses.

Some religious culture allows wearing garments with prints of animals and people while some do not.

It is important to have an understanding of this subject to develop the appropriate prints.

10. Well versed with color matching

Print designs are always about color matching.

Prints are nothing but changes in color on certain locations of the fabric.

 

What is the top trending all over print fabrics?

  • Cotton print fabrics

all over print cotton fabric

Cotton is still the widely popular fabric loved by the masses. All over print cotton fabrics are at the top when it comes to demand. It is used for the production of men, women, and kid’s garments.

  • Block print fabrics

Block printing is an ancient method of printing designs onto a piece of fabric. All over printing can also be done using block printing methods. It is used mostly for womenswear.

  • Digital print fabrics

all over digital print fabric

Digital printing is a 10X equivalent of color printing a normal paper. A computer-generated design is printed all over onto a piece of fabric using a printer. The fabric fed into the machine in a roll form. This is a comparatively cheaper form of printing. Due to heavy mechanization, it is also the most cost-efficient. Large designs can be printed using this method because the limitation of a roller does not exist in this case.

  • Floral print fabrics

all over floral print fabric

Floral print fabrics can be sold throughout the year. It is cyclic. The demand for all over floral print fabric increases during the spring and summer seasons.

  • Rayon print fabrics

rayon all over print fabric

All over print on rayon fabrics are a lustrous type of printed fabric due to the fiber quality.

  • Kalamkari print fabrics

all over kalamkari print fabric

Kalamkari print fabrics are also an ancient form of printing method. It is basically done by a group of people called the kalamkars (artists). You can read more about kalamkari fabrics here: {link}

  • Symmetrical pattern print fabrics

Symmetrical print fabric

Small symmetrical patterns printed all over the fabric are another year-round favorite. This type of print design are always welcomed by the masses

  • Stripe print fabrics

stripe print fabric

All over print fabrics comes on stripes, zigzag, curl, and waves. It can come in a myriad of colors also. One amazing thing about stripes is that they can be used for male and female clothing. As well as casual or formal.

  • Camouflage print fabrics

camouflage print fabric

Inspired from military uniforms, camouflage print fabrics represent variations of the military uniform that blends more than two or three colors.

 


 

Key Takeaways

All over printed fabrics are an ideal option to include in any garment collection.

Since a majority of the population welcomes all over printed fabric throughout the year, there is no question about demand.

With today’s technology, it is possible to manufacture printed fabrics at the least production cost.

What are your thoughts on this view?

Do you think all over print fabrics can be sold throughout the year?

 

If you want us to manufacture all over printed fabrics for you, please contact us.

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