Warp printing is roller printing applied to the warp yarns before they are woven in to fabric.
Printing the warp yarns prior to fabric formation creates warp prints.
Fabric is woven with a solid colour filling usually white or neutral coloured filling yarns.
The design effect is often described as soft and shadowed
The motif or print pattern can be simple but is often complex.
Method:
Warp prints are direct prints
All colorant is found on the warp yarns but not on filling yarns
The coloured areas along the length of a warp yarn are usually limited to the top surface of the yarn.
Each warp yarn must remain aligned with adjacent yarns during weaving or a flow will appear in the motif.
Warp prints are not to be confused with Ikat or fabrics containing space-dyed yarns. Both warp prints and ikats are characterized as having hazy edged motifs. Ikat motifs are usually simpler than those of warp printing and tend to be true to the traditional designs of the art form.
Warp prints usually contain more colours than ikat fabrics although warp printing is also used to stimulate traditional ikat motif and patterns.
A variation of warp printing is vi-goureux printing or melange. This is the technique which utilises a variation of roller printing. Horizontal or cross-striped designs are printed on the rope like wool tops and snubbing. When the tops are spun in to yarn, the stripes are attenuated and pulled apart so that they appear as scattered flecks of colour in the woven cloth.
Warp printing is used for expensive upholstery fabrics.
Producing warp prints require careful and meticulous labour. These prints are therefore found almost exclusively on high quality and costly fabrics.
Warp printing is usually done on taffeta, satin ribbons or cotton fabric and the upholstery fabrics.
Identification:
Warp prints have a hazy edge to the design motif and many have a white or half white background.
Warp prints usually contain contain more colour than ikat fabrics.
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