Understand
Fabric Finishes
Apparel and Textile
Production II
Types of Fabric Finishes
 Appearance
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How it looks
 Texture
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How it feels
 Performance

How it behaves
Appearance
Finishes
Creating Fabrics That
Appeal To Consumers’
Fashion Sense
Color Finishes
 Dyeing
= giving color to fiber, yarn, fabric,
or garment
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Fiber dyeing = imparts color to fibers before
spun into yarn
Yarn dyeing = places spools of yarn into the
dye
Piece dyeing = raw (greige) goods are
placed in dye bath before being sewn into
garments
Garment dyeing = whole garment is dyed
after construction
Color Finishes
 Printing
= adds color, pattern, design to
surface of fabrics
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Roller Printing = applied as fabric passes
through rollers
Screen Printing = similar to stenciling, large
screens used to allow dye to various areas
on fabric
Color and Patterns
Acid Washed
 No
acid is actually used in the process.
 washed with pumice stones and chlorine
until it is bleached almost white
Stone Washed
 Process
used to give a newly
manufactured cloth garment a worn-in
(or worn-out) appearance. Stone-washing
also helps to increase the softness and
flexibility of otherwise stiff and rigid fabrics
such as canvas and denim.
Calendaring
a
finishing process used on cloth, paper,
or plastic film
 The fabric is then run through rollers that
polish the surface and make the fabric
smoother and more lustrous. High
temperatures and pressure are used as
well.
 Fabrics that go through the calendering
process feel thin, glossy and papery.
 The calendering finish is easily destroyed,
and does not last well. Washing in water
destroys it, as does wear with time.
Calendaring Effects
Brushing
 Fabric
passed through wire rollers which
brush the fabric to leave it soft and fluffy.
Embossing
 Giving
fabrics a raised design on the
surface with rollers engraved with the
design
Napping
 Using
rotating wire brushes to raise the
short fiber ends to create a soft fuzzy
surface
Sizing
 Adding
starches or resins to the fabric for
extra body or crispness
 Temporary finish
Weighting
 The
application of metallic salts to silk to
add weight and body
 improve its drape.
Performance
Finishes
Creating Fabrics That Meet
The Needs of Consumers
Antimicrobial/Antibiotic
 Antimicrobial
Finish is a long-lasting
formula that inhibits the growth of
microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses,
fungi, algae, mold, and mildew.
AntiStatic
 Antistatic
finish are used for the
removal in synthetic fibers of the
unwanted effects of electrostatic
charge produced during
production and wear of fabrics and
knits.
Flame Resistant
 treated
with and/or holds natural
properties to self-extinguish when exposed
to an ignition source.
Flame Retardant
A chemical application designed to
increase a fabric's resistance to flame
spread; less likely to flame up and/or burn
Mercerization
 typically
for cotton threads
 strengthens them and gives them a
lustrous appearance.
Mildew Resistant
 This
provides a mildew inhibitor and
fungicide for fabrics exposed to damp
climates.
Moth Resistant
 Insecticides
used on fabric
 This aids in deterring moths from attacking
and damaging fabric.
Permanent Press/Durable Press
 processed
with resins similar to those in
wash-and-wear products.
Sanforized
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will not shrink out of fit
The aim of the process is a cloth which does not
shrink significantly during clothes production by
cutting, ironing, sewing or, especially, by wearing
and washing the finished clothes.
Sanforization is a process of treatment used
for cotton fabrics mainly and most textiles made
from natural or chemical fibres, patented
by Sanford Lockwood Cluett (1874–1968) in 1930. It
is a method of stretching, shrinking and fixing the
woven cloth in both length and width before
cutting and producing, to reduce the shrinkage
which would otherwise occur after washing.
Water Repellent
 applied
to such items as raincoats and
umbrellas, closing the pores of the fabric
by application of such substances as
insoluble metallic compounds, paraffin,
bituminous materials, and drying oils
 Water-repellent finishes are surface
finishes imparting some degree of
resistance to water but are more
comfortable to wear because the fabric
pores remain open. Such finishes include
wax and resin...
Waterproof
 are
fabrics that are inherently, or have
been treated to become, resistant to
penetration by water and wetting.
Wrinkle Resistant
A
chemical finish designed to keep
fabrics free of creases and wrinkling
 Formaldehyde used, danger?
Fabric Finishes
of the 21st
Century
Technology in the Apparel
Industry
Microfiber
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used for athletic wear
wicks moisture (sweat) away from the body, keeping
the wearer cool and dry
very elastic, making it suitable for undergarments.
used to make tough, very soft-to-the-touch materials
for general clothing use, often used in skirts and
jackets.
can be made into Ultrasuede, an animal-productfree imitation
used to make many accessories: wallets, handbags,
backpacks, shoes, cell phone cases, and coin purses
lightweight, durable, and somewhat water repellent,
so it makes a good substitute.
More about Microfibers
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used to make many accessories: wallets,
handbags, backpacks, shoes, cell phone
cases, and coin purses
lightweight, durable, and somewhat water
repellent, so it makes a good substitute
can be coated with various finishes or can be
treated with anti-bacterial chemicals.
can also be printed with various designs,
embroidered with colored thread, or heatembossed to create interesting textures
Nanotechnology
 Making
composite fabric with nano-sized
particles or fibers allows improvement of
fabric properties without a significant
increase in weight, thickness, or stiffness as
might have been the case with
previously-used techniques. For example
incorporating nano-whiskers into fabric
used to make pants produces a
lightweight water and stain repellent
material.
 http://www.nano-tex.com/
Smart Fabrics
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E-textiles, also known as electronic textiles,
smart textiles, or smart fabrics, are fabrics that
enable digital components (including small
computers), and electronics to be
embedded in them.
Many intelligent clothing, smart clothing,
wearable technology, and wearable
computing projects involve the use of etextiles.
E-textiles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Green Fabric Finishes
 reduce
the health and environmental
impact of fabric performance finishes by
dramatically lowering the amount of
chemicals and other harmful substances
used in the finishes
Microencapsulation
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involves encapsulating liquid or solid
substances in tiny thin-walled natural or
synthetic bubbles within the fabric.
has allowed moisturizers, therapeutic oils, and
insecticides to be incorporated into fabrics
includes the delivery of drug treatments
through clothing to patients
also offers a way of maintaining body heat
http://technology.tki.org.nz/