Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes undertwo or more warp threads. Denim isunique in its singular connection with one colour. The warp yarn istraditionally dyed with the blue pigment obtained from indigo dye. Until theintroduction of synthetic dyes, at the end of the 19th century,indigo was the most significant natural dye known to mankind, linked withpractical fabrics and work clothing. The durability of indigo as a color andit's darkness of tone made it a good choice, when frequent washing was notpossible.


Garmentprocessing has grown to a great extent during the past few years. This growthcan be attributed mainly to the denim garments, which is the largest garmentsegment today. The factors to be considered while processing include the choiceof chemicals, production limitations and types of machinery used.


Differenttypes of effects demanded by customer are as follows:-


Sand Blast


Twomethods of sand blasting were commonly used by the denim Garment producers:

  • Mechanical
  • Manual


In the mechanical method,sand was mixed in a chamber with pressurized air and sprayed on the garment torub off the color of the fabric from the sprayed area. The function of chamberwas to prevent the sprayed sand from spreading and polluting the environment.


In the manual method, sand paper was used to create the effect. The sandpaper was attached to a wooden block, which was rubbed on the surface of thegarment. This process was labor intensive and two persons were required tocreate the effect on one garment. This department was usually on contract, tobe paid on pieces rate basis.


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The author is SeniorFaculty, CRM Dept. at FDDI (Footwear Design & Development Institute), Noida