Discover the sustainable advantages of digital textures and sampling
Journal
Digital textures and insitu photography | Satori Stonewash by Mokum
My Portfolio | Digital mood board incorporating digital textures and insitu photography
Innovative yarns | Digital sampling
Dealing in textiles is to fall in love with the beauty and tactility of the sheer breadth and variety of constructions, finishes, colours, and designs. In an industry focused on the dilemma of choice it is often the look, feel, or drape that compels us to furnish our homes with a particular textile, yet the reality of the environmental impact of these products – from production to end-of-life – is hard to ignore.
We understand that sourcing a textile with an exact colour and texture is essential for designers to express their concepts and realise their designs. Consequently, many physical samples are viewed and touched whilst in search of the textile that is ‘just right,’ and as a company we intend to minimize these environmental effects while continuing to offer the most extensive range of textiles in the Southern Hemisphere.
Quality control of physical fabrics against digital replica
Sample books, hangers, and memos are an often-overlooked source of fabric waste. At James Dunlop we’ve identified this as an area in which we can reduce our impact and help to bridge the gap between what is and what could be, by offering high-resolution digital textures in their place.
Our digital textures are digital replicas (or twins) of our physical fabrics. These photorealistic digital representations can enhance and simplify the prototyping phase of a project by capturing a designer’s look or scheme before the need to sample an actual fabric.
Additionally, by moving beyond a standard flat shot to incorporate digital textures as well as generic furniture and curtain renders into digital mood boards, customers will better visualise a design concept and specifications can easily be edited.
Digital sampling also drives sustainability by reducing the carbon footprint and environmental waste associated with sample production and shipping. Digital textures and sampling have far greater customer reach and longevity than physical hangers or memos can achieve. Each virtual textile loan arrives in pristine condition – they cannot be lost or damaged and will never be sent to landfill.
A rendered room scene
Our library contains digital twins of over 30,000 of our premium fabrics which can be applied to furniture, curtains, and walls through digital rendering. Customers can therefore visualize their completed room scene and make decisions more easily as unique characteristics from colour, pattern, and texture to the way a textile drapes are presented on screen, allowing much of the colour and texture decision-making process to be completed online.
Learn more about our suite of digital tools and how they can enhance your design business in our article Closing the imagination gap, or reach out to our team at [email protected] to find out more.
Held each spring on the picturesque Lake Como, Proposte is a key trade fair in our designer’s calendar. An event where mills from Italy and around the world gather to showcase their latest textile constructions, colour palettes, designs, and technological innovations. Read on to discover which tr...
