PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN AND APPLICATION

Lesson 8: Geometry Involved In Textile Design Development

Symmetry

Symmetry is made of two words syn means together and metron means measure. In textile designs mainly three types of symmetry can be observed:

1. Reflection symmetry: The simplest symmetry is the reflection symmetry and it is also called line symmetry or mirror symmetry. It is easy to identify, because one half is the reflection of the other half (Fig9.8).The white line in the center is the Line of Symmetry. The Line of Symmetry does not have to be up-down or left-right, it can be in any direction.
   
   

   
   

   
   
2. Rotational symmetry: In rotational symmetry, the image is rotated around a central point so that it appears two or more times. The term order is used, the number of times it appears. For example:
   
   

   
   

   
   
3. Point symmetry: In point symmetry, every part has a matching part that has the same distance from the origin but in the opposite direction. This is the same as "rotational symmetry of order 2" as mentioned above.