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Fabrics usually need to be washed, bleached and dyed, before they are suitable for making into textile products. Often they need to be printed as well, using either block-printing or screen-printing techniques. Garments are assembled using various joining techniques including sewing, fusing and heat-sealing. Finishing is a process which improves the appearance, handle and performance of fabrics; while pressing is used to shape and stabilise fabrics.
Dyeing
Dyed cloth in a souk in Marrakesh
Before dyeing and printing the fabric is prepared by washing, bleaching and mercerising [mercerising: treating cotton yarn with an alkali to improve its strength, lustre and receptivity to dye. ].
In industrial production fabric is dyed by continuous or batch dyeing:
- In continuous dyeing, the fabric passes through a dye bath. The fabric is then squeezed between rollers to spread the dye evenly and remove excess dye. Continuous dyeing is used for colours that do not need to change too quickly with fashion.
- In batch dyeing, fabrics are produced without dye. They are then dyed to order in large batches according to the colours required. Batch dyeing is used for colours that need to change frequently with fashion.
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