Influence of Pattern Design and Fabric Type on the Hand Characteristics of Pigment Prints

Two cotton fabrics printed with two pigment types in six designs have been analyzed by a trained descriptive panel to evaluate the effects of pattern design, color, and fabric type on seventeen hand characteristics. The six designs include a 3.2 mm wide stripe, a paisley, a 6.4 mm diameter dotted design, a 25.4 mm wide stripe, a modern swirl, and a check with 6.4 mm crossed stripes, and are printed on a 100% cotton shirting and an interlock knit with two print paste formulations that differ in pigment type (C.I. Pigment White 6 and C.I. Pigment Blue 15:3) and concentration. Results show that fabric and pigment type have a greater influence on hand characteristics than does the design of the print. However, the pattern design has a significant influence on eight of the seventeen components, but the effects are often confounded by the fabric-print paste combination. For many of the mechanical attributes, the dotted design has the highest intensity values, whereas the 25.4 mm stripe has the lowest. Thus, fabric type, print paste formulation, and pattern design need to be considered when evaluating the hand properties of pigment prints.