Abstract
A method for live area printing for textiles includes bulk production of textile blanks having uncolored live areas incorporated thereupon. The live areas are disposed at exact positions upon the blank to correspond to a specific location upon each textile article manufactured from the blank. Manufactured textile articles are thence customizable by printing directly to the live area(s) upon demand. Color density is matched to ensure a seamless transition between the textile article color and the background color applied to the live area(s).
Claims
1. A method for live area printing for textiles comprising the steps of: manufacturing a textile blank with white or uncolored live areas disposed at intervals set to present the live area in a specific location upon a finished textile article manufactured from the said textile blank; assembling the textile article from the blank for distribution; and printing a design or image upon the live area in a subsequent, single print run without the addition of a previously applied overlay required to set-off the ink; wherein additional substances to bind, set, disburse and/or contrast the ink to the textile article are unnecessary and customizable imagery or designs having a background color matched to the textile blank may be reproduced upon the textile blank live area on demand.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: producing the live area upon the textile blank with a feathered border having a fade from a maximum color density, corresponding to the color density informing the textile blank, to a zero-color density applied over a prescribed distance; and printing the image to the live area with an inverse feathered border devised to superimpose upon the feathered border of the live area, wherein an inverse fade superimposes upon the feathered border of the textile article to ensure a constant color density is maintained across the transition between the live area and the textile article; whereby the background color of the live area is matched to the color of the textile article and the density of the color is equalized to create a seamless transition between the textile article and the live area.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein printing to the live area is performed by a digital printer in a single print run.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein printing to the live area is performed by sublimation printing wherein a mirror-image of the design is first printed to a sublimation transfer paper sized to superimpose upon the live area.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the maximum color density applied to the textile blank is equal to or lesser than the maximum color density achievable by sublimation printing.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the feathered border of the live area is matched with an inverse feathered border printed upon the sublimation transfer paper whereby the color density of a background of the live area is matched to the color density of the textile blank upon sublimation of the printed design or image.
7. A method for live area printing for textiles comprising the steps of: producing a colored textile blank with at least one white or uncolored live area, said live area configured to specific dimensions matched to a live area digital print module operating upon a digital ink jet printer or sized to a corresponding transfer paper for sublimation printing; producing the finished textile article from the blank such that the at least one live area is presented upon the textile article at a desired location for addition of a design or image printed to the at least one live area at a subsequent time; and printing a design or image directly onto the at least one live area in a single print run with a background color matched to the color surrounding the live area on the textile article without the need of additional substances applied to the textile to set the ink in contrast during the said print run; wherein additional substances to bind, set, disburse and/or contrast the ink to the textile blank are unnecessary whereby customizable imagery or designs having colors matched to the textile blank may be reproduced upon the textile blank live area upon demand.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of producing the live area upon the textile blank with a feathered border having a fade from a maximum color density, corresponding to the color density informing the textile blank, to a zero-color density applied over a prescribed distance.
9. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of printing a design or image to the live area with an inverse feathered border devised to superimpose upon the feathered border of the live area, wherein an inverse fade superimposes upon the feathered border of the textile article to ensure a constant color density is maintained across the transition between the live area and the textile article whereby the background color of the live area is matched to the color of the textile article and the density of the color is equalized to create a seamless transition between the textile article and the live area.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of printing a design or image to the live area further includes the septs of: printing the design or image in mirror-image to a sublimation transfer paper sized to superimpose over the at least one live area; positioning the sublimation transfer paper superimposed upon the live area wherein the inverse feathered border of the transfer paper superimposes upon the feathered border of the live area to maintain a constant color density across each of the complementary fades; and applying heat to sublimate the image or design from the transfer paper into a weave of the live area.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] Figures
[0027] FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a textile blank having example live areas produced thereupon in exact position to correspond to the addition of a subsequently printed element into the live area.
[0028] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the textile blank showing the outlines for the garments as will be produced from the blank.
[0029] FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the front and rear of a T-shirt produced from the blank shown in FIG. 2 with an example live area disposed upon the breast.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a detail view of the example live area disposed upon a T-shirt produced from the blank shown in FIG. 2 illustrating a fade from the colored garment into the live area, from a maximum color density to a minimum color density across a specific distance into the live area to ensure matched color and constant density across the printed live area when an image is subsequently printed thereto.
[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a transfer paper for creating an individualized design upon the live area of the garment. FIG. 5 shows the complementary fade disposed upon the transfer paper from a maximum color density interior to the transfer paper to a minimum color density at the edge of the transfer paper which fade is devised to overlie the fade upon the garment to maintain a consistent color density transition from the live area to the garment proper to match the color of the garment.
[0032] FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a T-shirt with the unique design applied to the live area.
[0033] FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a garment produced having an example of a plurality of live areas at key places on the design suitable for the addition of a unique or customized design.
[0034] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps of the method of mass producing garments having live areas to which customized or unique design elements may be added individually upon demand.
[0035] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a customer ordering a customized textile article online.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. 1 through 9 thereof, example of the instant method for live area printing for textiles employing the principles and concepts of the present method for live area printing for textiles and generally designated by the reference number 10 will be described.
[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 9 a preferred embodiment of the present method for live area printing for textiles 10 is illustrated.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 1, textile blanks 100 are produced with a live area 20 disposed at precise repeating intervals to correspond with a position upon each finished textile article 70. Printing of textile blanks 100 can be performed in any way known in the art, such as silk-screening for example, to mass produce the textile blank 100 of a desired color. Live areas 20 are created by preventing adherence of color to particular areas suited to the subsequent addition of a unique or customized design upon each finished textile article 70. Note that the textile blank 100 may be produced with any color profile, including multicolored designs representative of particular teams (for example) or with corresponding designs, as desired.
[0039] The live area 20 is produced with a feathered border 22 that includes a fade 24 (see FIG. 4) from a maximum color density, corresponding to the color density of the surrounding blank 100, to a zero-color density, interior to the live area 20. The feathered border 22 is applied as a continuous fade 24 across a constant distance, for example across a two-inch gradient into the lie area 20. However, additional distances are contemplated as part of this disclosure, matched to the particular article and color profile intended for each particular blank 100.
[0040] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, textile blanks 100 are then cut and the finished article 70 is produced with the live area(s) 20 dispose at specific location(s) and determined size(s) that correspond to a digital print module or to specific sublimation transfer paper 30 sizes. Finished articles 70 are then shippable in bulk to retail or wholesale outlets whereat customizable printing to the corresponding live areas 20 is enabled on demand via a single print run with low-tech and/or smaller scale printing equipment for each order received. In the case of the example illustrated in FIG. 2, T-shirts are assembled with live areas 20 upon the breast. The backs of the T-shirts are blank. The finished article 70 assembled from the blank 100 is shown in FIG. 3. In such an example embodiment, an image may thence be printed to the breast of each finished T-shirt upon demand, with the image background exactly matched to the color profile of the blank 100, even where the blank color profile is a dark color or even multicolored, such as where the T-shirt is produced with a particular multicolored design or when showcasing colors devised to represent a particular sporting team, say.
[0041] FIG. 4 is a detail view of an example embodiment of a feathered border 22 surrounding the live area 20. In this instance, the border 22 is feathered along a fade 24 from a maximum color density matched to the color density of the produced blank 100 down to a zero-color density within the live area 20 across a distance of at most two inches. As is shown in FIG. 5, an image or design element 50 printed to sublimation transfer paper 30 includes an inverse feathered border 32 devised to superimpose upon the feathered border 22 and produce a constant color density that perfectly blends the transition between the live area 20 and the surrounding textile article 70. In the example embodiment depicted, the maximum color density of the textile 70, produced upon the blank 100 is contemplated to be 85% black (“K”), which is approximately 2% less than the maximum achievable color density applicable to textiles using a sublimation process. In this example embodiment, this maximum color density is less than the maximum achievable color density to ensure a perfect match is rendered between the image applied to the live area 20 and the textile blank 100 during sublimation printing to the live area 20. Thus, the feathered border 22 produced upon the textile surrounding the live area(s) 20 continuously fades from an 85% K to a 0% K over a maximum of two in inches. Printing of a complementary feathered border 32 that superimposes an inversely disposed fade 34 (from 85% K to 0% K but in the opposite direction) therefore ensures a perfect color match consisting of, in this illustrative example, 85% K throughout to prevent an appearance of an outline surrounding the live area 20 after an image or design has been applied to the live area 20. Thus, the complementary fades 24 and 34 superimpose and create a continuous transition of color from the live area 20 to the garment proper to render a constant color profile with a perfect density match throughout.
[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates a sublimation transfer paper 30 with a mirror-image of a design element 50 printed thereupon for sublimation to the live area 20 upon the textile article 70. The inverse feathered border 32 bounding the mirror image 50 is printed to superimpose upon the feathered border 22 bounding the live area 20 to ensure a consistent color density is maintained across the transition between the textile 70 color profile and the color profile of the live area 20. Corner A of the transfer paper is aligned exactly to corner A′ of the live area, corner B of the transfer paper is aligned exactly to corner B′, corner C of the transfer paper is aligned exactly with corner C′ of the live area, and corner D of the transfer paper is aligned exactly with corner D′ of the live area. Superimposition of the transfer paper 30 upon the live area 20 ensures the complementary feathered borders 22, 23 superimpose to maintain the constant color density across the complementary fades 24, 34.
[0043] As discussed above, in this example embodiment herein illustrated, the maximum color density is contemplated to be 85% K, which is feathered to 0% K into the live area 20 upon the textile 70 along a continuous two inch fade 24, and the inverse feathered border 32 runs in the opposite direction along the same continuum to ensure a constant 85% K density throughout. It should be noted by persons of skill in the art that additional color densities are contemplated across a spectrum of color profiles and color combinations and multi-colored designs; the essential concept being the match of the complementary feathered border 32 of the transfer paper that superimposes upon the feathered border 22 of the live area 20 to ensure a consistent color density is applied whereby the transition between the design on the live area 20 and the surrounding textile color profile is seamlessly matched.
[0044] In this example embodiment, wherein the live area 20 is printed via sublimation, maximum color densities are controlled by the maximum achievable color density enabled by sublimation. Where digital printing is used to print to the live area 20 directly, the inverse feathered border 32 may be applied directly to the textile 70 during printing of the live area 20 whereby color densities are matched between the color density produced upon the textile blank 100 and the printed live area 20 at the time of actually printing the image or design directly to the live area 20. A seamless transition, therefore, between the color profile of the textile blank 100 and the live area 20 is ensured and visible outlines, borders, or discontinuities between the live area 20 and the textile 70 are avoided while a unique or customized design is applied to the live area 20 rendering a unique textile product or garment that is producible upon demand.
[0045] FIG. 6 illustrates the textile article 70 (in this example. a T Shirt) with a customized image printed to the live area 20. A seamless transition between the live area 20 and the textile 70 is created by the superimposition of the complementary fades 22, 24 comprising the feathered borders 24, 34 during the printing upon demand.
[0046] FIG. 7 illustrates an example embodiment of a textile 70 produced from a blank 100 for creating T-shirts and having additional live areas 40 of known dimensions disposed upon, in this example, the sleeves of the textile 70 for the receipt of additional customizable design elements, as may be desired when producing unique and customized textiles upon demand. In this example, using sublimation process, transfer papers 30 sized appropriate to these additional live areas 40 are used to print thereto in like manner as previously described. It should be understood that the scope of the method herein contemplated readily covers production of textile articles with live areas 20 disposed wherever customary or desirable for additional design elements to be added to the finished textile article, including, for example, to towels, beach towels, hats, cushions, pillows, throws, as well as other clothing articles, garments, and textiles.
[0047] FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram outlining the steps of the present method 10 whereby textile blanks 100 are producible in bulk to render finished articles with live areas 20 appropriate for the addition of customized or unique designs upon demand and at appreciable cost savings.
[0048] FIG. 9 illustrates an example method of ordering a customized textile article online in use of the present method. A customer is enabled to load an image to a live area 20 disposed upon a textile article 70, as desired. The article 70 is thence customized by printing to the live area 20 in the manner described herein. Because the live area 20 is a known size, images can be manipulated electronically to perfectly fit the live area 20 and also incorporated into other articles (including, as shown here, the packaging 72 with which the article 70 will be shipped). Transition between the background of the image applied and the surrounding textile article 70 are maintained at matched color densities by means of the method herein described. Thus a customized, unique, or individual textile article 70 is producible upon demand at minimal expense. The textile articles 70 are producible in bulk. The image printed to the live area 20 can be sublimated thereto by printing to the correspondingly sized transfer paper without the need of expensive printers capable of printing to larger items or directly to textile articles. Application of the requisite heat to the paper in position superimposed upon the live area 20 transfers the image to the live area 20, binding the color into the textile weave, penetration the fiber as a sublimated gas, for a longer-lasting color profile.
