Art and Design A comprehensive guide for creative artists - Aaltodoc

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Types of repeat patterns
During printing, a motif is repeated on a fabric in different
approaches. For example, it can be done by using a square
network, full drop, regular and half drop, alternate as well as
inverses repeat patterns. All these and more can assist the
creative artist to decorate fabrics in the most favourable
ways.
Here is a review of the various ways a repeat pattern can get
repeated to decorate fabrics:
a) A square network pattern shows regular shapes of
designs with equal straight sides and right angles.
If a mistake concerning its general shape happens
and not earlier on realised by a designer. Then, the
repeat pattern is likely to fail during printing. The
prints will not flow in a straight line. It is therefore
important for the design of a motif created to be fitted
with registration marks on each side in the course of
planning a square network pattern.
b) An inverse repeat pattern shows the repeats of a
motif in a mirror-like reflection, one after another.
“Inverting or reversing ... the design is turned a quarter
turn, either clockwise or counter clock wise for each
C D
A: Half drop pattern
B: Alternate pattern (up and down)
C: Regular repeat patten
D: Full drop pattern
B
successive imprint position.” (Kafka 1973, 27)
During printing, the original motif periodically repeats
by showing one section in a normal range of exact
arrangements. And the next pattern is printed in a
reverse—in an opposite direction.
c) Alternate repeat patterns display patterns, which
occur in turns—by rotation side down or up in turns.
That is to say, a motif can be made to alternate by
rotating around at a single point in a regular recurring
order; facing up and then down moving uniformly in
one direction.
d) Full drop patterns run in a straight grid of horizontal
and vertical lines during printing. Kafka (1973, 26)
argues, “A full drop repeat ... is sometimes known as the
diaper repeat, because of the triangular pattern which
it creates to the eye as one views it.” The obtained
patterns appear in rhythmic right angles and rows.
e) Half-drop (step repeat) patterns display part of a
design or a motif down, or up. On half drop, the motif
is purposely made to appear staggered by a half in two
equal or corresponding parts—by rows or columns.
Kafka (1973, 26) explains that half drop “... shows each
horizontal row of imprints dropped one-half of an
imaginary box.” That is to say, the second row of a motif
can be made to appear precisely dropped and then
another one may repeat down at exactly half of the
area.
In a thorough manner, it is important to add or include
registration marks on every type of motif or design created
before setting it to function as a repeat pattern. Necessary
registration marks must be put on a design during the
last stage of planning a motif and they are extremely
unavoidable for designs with more than two colours.
Decorating fabrics with more than two colours
In general multi-colour prints display more than one
colour on a surface of a fabric. The process and technique
is determined by methods and approaches chosen by a
fabric decorator. Let us say; if the obtained motif shows
three colours. Then, the process of executing a design will
demand for three different silk screens or mesh(s) for each
colour in a separate way.
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