For the Business of Apparel Decorating
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/467566
20 1 5 M A RC H PRINTWEAR | 67 Left: This thick-stroked, bold mono- gram man- ages to hold up, despite the thick pile. Below: With natural mo- tifs, some variation in line quality isn't that dis- ruptive. technically a misnomer, this style of design creates negative spaces through which the looped pile erupts, using the height and texture of these revealed areas of the pile for the primary design elements. Often using light mesh fills, this technique consists of knocking down the background areas and allowing shapes made of the pile to stand up above the surface. This gives a wealth of light and shadow as well as textural contrast. The design elements need to be large and open for this to work well, but a thick-stroked monogram or simple shape standing tall in a flattened field of fill and surrounded by a satin border might make the textured pile the star of the show. Though tone-on-tone renditions are the most usual method, some contrast still works wonders. As long as you provide a nega- tive space large enough for the pile to stand out, your imagination is the only limit to embossing possibilities. No matter how you decorate terrycloth, the basics are simple to remember. Manage the surface, compensate for what you can't manage, and use contrasts in texture and sheen to your advantage. Terrycloth is like an old friend. Once you've learned to love it for its merits, smoothing over the rough patches seems easier and more worthwhile. Whether a daily-use towel or a fine robe, you'll find your customers are ready to make friends with finely decorat- ed terry cloth, too. | pw