Jacquard Fabric
Half N Half Jacquard Saree
Jacquard is a type of fabric with an intricately woven pattern. The pattern is not embroidered but woven directly into the fabric. Available in many styles and colors, Jacquard has varying finesse as per the quality of fabric used. Jacquard is woven on a special loom, which also produces other fabrics like brocade and damask. Jacquard is mainly used in making Jacquard sarees, Lehengas and as upholstery fabrics.
Origin and Making
Before 1800s, a process named draw-loom was used to weave Jacquard but it was very slow and could only weave simple designs. This scenario changed with the invention of Jacquard loom, named after its inventor, Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801. This early version was a mechanical loom controlled by punch-cards which was used to create different patterns and designs. This loom could control only a few warp ends independently. Therefore, to create the final fabric, the entire punching process was repeated several times. Larger capacity machines were introduced later which required less repetition of process.
This loom could control only a few warp ends independently. Therefore, to create the final fabric, the entire punching process was repeated several times. Larger capacity machines were introduced later which required less repetition of process.
This loom could control only a few warp ends independently. Therefore, to create the final fabric, the entire punching process was repeated several times. Larger capacity machines were introduced later which required less repetition of process.
With the introduction of electronic jacquard looms around the 1980s there was a surge in Jacquard production. The loom could handle many number of thread warps at a single time. It eliminated the repetitive need to weave the fabric again and again to finish the fabric. There was a significant amount of improvement in the production time and quality. However, it made the fabric less economical than before as the loom could produce only small batches of fabric and was not viable for a mass scale factory setting.
Present Scenario
With the increasing pace of technological advancements, the Jacquard fabric is now woven using a computerized process. The modern computer controlled jacquard looms don’t have any punched cards, and can have thousands of hooks. The threading of yarns in the Jacquard loom is a labor intensive process where thousands of hooks are threaded with numerous yarns, but the computerized process automates the whole designing process making it less time consuming and more quality intensive which creates complex designs with ease.
The threading of yarns in the Jacquard loom is a labor intensive process where thousands of hooks are threaded with numerous yarns, but the computerized process automates the whole designing process making it less time consuming and more quality intensive which creates complex designs with ease.
Types of Jacquard Fabrics
Apart from the main Jacquard fabric woven with the help of jacquard loom, this fabric can be further sub-divided into the following 3 commonly found fabrics:
Brocade fabric : It is an elaborately patterned raised fabric woven with multi-coloured threads producing rich designs. Popularly used in fashion clothing and upholstery, it is usually heavier than most fabrics.
Damask fabric : A more fine and sheer version of Brocade, the Damask is also a patterned fabric which is woven mostly with single color. It is generally used in fiber blends or synthetic fiber production.
Matelassé fabric : Manufactured using cotton, silk or rayon, this fabric has a quilted effect and a stretchy surface.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMl6UeOKfWc[/youtube]
References
Categories: Textiles