Navigating the Nuances of Textile Printing

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In fact, taking time to sit down with a designer is an aspect of textile printing that sets it apart from other forms of printed media. Typically, designers are more attached to their product because “they’re putting more of themselves into it,” Moreno points out. Therefore, they tend to want to be more involved in the process.

Sunderland also describes this as being a differentiating factor between designers and other print customers.

“They tend to be attached to their designs, so there’s certainly a psychological measure of working with designers,” he says. “But, if you have the wherewithal and the expertise to offer them viable options that don’t disrupt your supply chain as a printer, that’s a big hit with designers.”

Another difference when working with designers, either in fashion or for other apparel needs, is that the language that exists between printers and designers.

“It’s not really what the designer has to learn at this point,” he says, “it’s really what the printer has to understand about what the designer wants.”

However, Sunderland says it’s not only the difference in the spoken language between printers and designers that needs to be clarified, it’s an understanding of the overall process on both sides, including programs used to create the designs.

“There’s a challenge when a designer makes a print design in Photoshop or Illustrator and the printer needs to translate that image or design to a large-format digital print base,” he says. “They’re not manipulated for wide-format printing, so how do you work with a designer so there’s an understanding there?”

He explains the lines of communication need to be clear. In the instance of Photoshop or Illustrator, he says, the programs don’t necessarily work in parallel with printing software. Printers need to be prepared for this and have a solution to either manipulate the designs or ensure the programs interact properly with their existing print equipment.

More than anything though, Moreno says working with designers is all about patience.

“The biggest key with fashion designers is patience,” he says. “They can change their mind on a design from the morning to the afternoon.”