Experience digital print on paper silk by Qing Shen

I have a better understanding of the textile environment design now that we should design for sustainable and better environment. I found design that explores clean and better technologies is close to my own practice. It is important to keep on developing appropriate technologies to improve the environmental problems. How can we use a wide range of technologies that are not only better for the environment, but also maintainable? The clean and better technologies such as laser cutting, water-jet cutting, sonic welding, 3D print, digital print, air dye, Bio-GM technology, are used to reduce waste, resources usage, chemical impact, and to simplify manufacturing processes.

Digital print will be adopted in my current practice to present my concept. As a designer, we should design for better environment, however, that’s not enough, the more important thing is to spread idea of environment protection. To achieve this, arousing people’s awareness is the most direct way. Therefore, I photographed some pictures of air pollution, I choose digital print to display these images. After printing, I will make garments to show my theme.

Digital print still requires a pre-treatment to hold the ink  and a post treatment such as steaming or heat setting the print, which requires water and chemicals. By searching the eco-friendly dyeing, I found that the air-dye is a revolutionary way to print without any water. I tried to contact the company, but unfortunately without any reply from them. So, at this step, digital print is my only choice. However, by using paper-silk, I can print on the fabric without pre-treating it. Thus, it reduce chemical impact. But it still needs to steam the print to achieve a better colour.

To be an echoligical designer, I will use the results of my research to explore the concept of sustainability to my costumer.

-Design to explore clean/better technologies to reduce the pollution.

-Design to reduce chemical impact.
 

Email: sherryshen333@hotmail.com