‘Digital denim’ is almost as good as the real thing

Overall, “digital” denim samples made using a computer and printer are a good match on average for denim made using traditional, more labor-intensive methods, according to a new study.

Drop by drop, researchers printed ink on cotton fabric to make the “digital” denim fabric resembling six different styles of jeans.

Certain styles of jeans were easier to replicate using inkjet printing than others, and certain features, like color, were more easily replicated, the researchers report. With further study, they say they expect digital printing will be a viable method for making new jean products in the future, with less waste.

Researchers asked a team of textile experts to compare traditional denim (right) to digital denim fabric. (Photo credit: Ming Wang/NC State

Here, Lisa Chapman, associate professor of textile and apparel technology and management at North Carolina State University, and former graduate student Ming Wang, lead author of the study in the Journal of Imaging, Science and Technology, explain the benefits of printed denim, what textile experts had to say about the denim’s quality, and what’s next:

The post ‘Digital denim’ is almost as good as the real thing appeared first on Futurity.

from Futurity https://ift.tt/3pGuavB