When I started out in the industry, I was not familiar with the term prints. Even in fashion design school when we choose fabrics for our collections, some were solid and some had patterns or textures. It was as simple as that. It wasn’t until my first job in the sleepwear industry as a graphic artist that I was introduced to the term. Designers would create concepts and themes to design into in house as well as purchase prints from studios that complimented our collections. I would get asked from friends and family all the time, what do you do exactly? What is a print?

A print is an original artwork created by hand or digitally by artists either for a company, studio or on commission which is then produced on fabric or product by a retailer, brand or manufacturer.

Artwork created or purchased for the apparel industry is more often than not, exclusive. This means that the rights to that design belong solely to the company who purchased or created it.

Purchased artwork is then sent off to factories, printed to fabric and then used to create other products.

In my experience, clothing, accessories, swimwear and even baby diapers!

Prints are produced for the largest segments of industry that utilize the skills of the surface pattern or print designer. Apparel and home being the largest. Categories range from paisleys, stripes and tie dye to ornate bohemian prints and watercolor florals. Once you develop a relationship with prints, you see them everywhere. They become a part of you. Of your identity. And you won’t ever stop thinking about new ways to create them.

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