Odisha CHSE +2 Vocational Textile Designing key terms

One of the basic visual building blocks - line, shape, form, colour, texture, space and value - used alone or together to build a textile composition. Designers choose and combine them deliberately to control how a fabric looks and feels.

A guiding rule for arranging design elements well, such as balance, rhythm, proportion, emphasis, harmony and unity. Principles are not separate parts of a design; they describe how the parts work together to please the eye.

A circular chart that arranges hues by their mixing relationships, showing primary, secondary and tertiary colours. Designers use it to pick harmonious combinations, contrast schemes and accent colours for fabric prints and embroidery.

The name of a colour family, such as red, blue or yellow, independent of how light or dark or how dull or bright it is. Hue is the quality that lets a viewer tell one colour apart from another.

The lightness or darkness of a colour, ranging from near-white tints to near-black shades. Value contrast makes motifs read clearly from a distance and is often more important than hue in a successful textile pattern.

The purity or intensity of a colour - how vivid or how greyed it appears. Mixing in grey, black, white or a complement lowers saturation, giving muted tones useful for subtle, sophisticated fabric palettes.

A pleasing relationship among the colours used in a design, produced by schemes such as analogous, complementary, split-complementary or triadic. Harmony helps a pattern look intentional rather than accidental.

A fibre obtained from plants, animals or minerals without chemical synthesis, for example cotton, jute, silk and wool. Each has characteristic length, strength, absorbency and care needs that shape how it is spun, dyed and finished.

A manufactured fibre made by dissolving a natural polymer and extruding it into filaments, as with viscose rayon from wood pulp. It behaves partly like a natural fibre and partly like a synthetic one.

A fibre built from polymers made by chemical processes, such as polyester, nylon and acrylic. Synthetics are strong and quick-drying but usually have low moisture absorbency and can pill or build static.

A fibre of short, measurable length, such as cotton or wool, which must be twisted together to form a yarn. Staple length strongly affects yarn smoothness, strength and the amount of fibre that sheds.

A fibre of long or indefinite length, either extruded as one continuous strand or formed by silk worms. Filament yarns are smooth and strong and are often textured or cut into staple for a softer handle.

A number expressing yarn thickness, either as mass per fixed length or as length per fixed mass depending on the system. Correct count selection controls fabric weight, drape and cost.

The spiral turning of fibres around the yarn axis during spinning, described by direction (S or Z) and amount per unit length. More twist gives a stronger, leaner yarn; too little leaves a weak, hairy yarn.

The set of parallel lengthwise yarns held under tension on the loom, through which the weft is interlaced. Warp yarns must be strong enough to withstand weaving tension and abrasion.

The yarn laid crosswise across the warp during weaving, also called the filling or pick. Changing weft colour or thickness is the simplest way to create stripes, checks and textured effects.

The firmly woven edge running along both sides of a fabric, where the weft turns back into the warp. It prevents fraying and is normally excluded from garment cutting because it is tighter and sometimes curled.

The simplest interlacing, in which each weft yarn passes alternately over and under each warp yarn. It is strong and firm, gives a flat surface, and is the base for many printed and dyed fabrics.

A weave producing diagonal lines by passing the weft over two or more warp yarns and advancing one yarn each pick. Twills are denser and more drapeable than plain weave and hide soil well, as in denim.

A weave with long floats that carry the yarn across several others before interlacing, giving a smooth, lustrous face and a dull back. Long floats make it prone to snagging and abrasion.

A process in which selected areas of cloth are blocked from taking dye, using ties, wax, paste or clamps, so a pattern remains after dyeing. Bandhani, batik and ikat are well-known resist traditions.

A substance applied to fibre before dyeing that forms a chemical bond between dye and fibre, improving fastness and sometimes changing the shade. Common mordants include alum, tannic acid and iron salts.

A hand process in which carved wooden blocks are inked and stamped onto fabric in register to build a repeating design. Each colour needs its own block, so registration accuracy decides the quality of the print.

A printing method in which ink is pushed through open areas of a mesh screen onto fabric, one screen per colour. It gives bold, even coverage and suits both hand-table and automatic production.

A technique in which a paste containing a discharging agent removes dye from previously dyed fabric to create a light pattern on a dark ground. It is valued for its soft handle compared with printing light ink on dark cloth.

A single named unit of hand or machine needlework, such as running, chain, satin or stem stitch, used to build decorative and functional surface patterns. Stitch choice controls line quality, texture and durability.

A surface decoration made by cutting shapes of fabric and stitching them onto a ground fabric. Neat edges and matching thread tension are critical, and the technique is common in Odishan temple and festival textiles.

A single identifiable design unit, such as a flower, bird, paisley or geometric shape, that can be repeated, mirrored or scaled. Motifs are the vocabulary from which a full pattern is composed.

The unit of a design that, when duplicated in one or more directions, tiles without gaps or overlaps to cover the fabric. Repeat size and type determine how a print is laid out and cut for garments.

A layout in which each vertical column of motifs is shifted down by half the repeat height relative to its neighbour. It breaks up visible rows and gives a softer, more natural-looking all-over pattern.

One specific colour version of a design, presented alongside other versions of the same artwork. Offering several colourways lets one motif serve different markets and seasons without redrawing it.

A traditional Odishan and wider Indian resist-dyeing craft in which tiny points of cloth are tied with thread before dyeing, leaving dotted patterns. The Bundi and Bomkai style sarees of western Odisha are well known for it.

A resist-dyeing technique in which yarns are bound and dyed in patterns before weaving, so the design appears slightly feathered at the edges. Odisha's Sambalpuri bandha textiles are a celebrated example.

Handwoven textiles of the Sambalpur region of western Odisha, known for tie-dyed ikat motifs, thick cotton or silk grounds and traditional designs such as conch, wheel and floral forms. They carry a recognised geographical indication.

Weaving on a loom operated by hand or foot power rather than a motorised drive, allowing the weaver to control picks and patterns closely. Handloom clusters are a major livelihood and identity of Odishan textile craft.

Computer-aided design: software used to draw, colour, repeat and simulate textile designs before production. It speeds up sampling, allows instant colourway changes and reduces the cost of trial prints.

Direct inkjet printing of designs onto fabric from a digital file, with no screens or blocks per colour. It suits short runs, fine detail and many colours, but needs pre-treated fabric and careful colour management.

The resistance of a dyed or printed fabric to colour loss or transfer during washing, rubbing, light exposure, perspiration or pressing. It is graded against grey scales and is a core quality requirement in buyers' specifications.

Standardised laboratory measurement of fabric properties such as strength, shrinkage, abrasion, pilling and colour fastness. Results are compared with agreed tolerances to decide whether a lot is acceptable.

Grams per square metre, the standard measure of fabric mass per unit area. GSM indicates weight and largely predicts warmth, opacity and drape, so it is specified in most fabric purchase orders.

A statement that lists material, labour, overhead and other costs of producing one item and builds up to a selling price. It lets a designer or unit see the margin and quote prices with confidence.

The sales volume at which total revenue equals total cost, so the business makes neither profit nor loss. Knowing it helps a small textile unit set realistic output and pricing targets.

The money spent on making and shipping design samples before a buyer places a bulk order, including materials, labour and courier. It is often recovered within the bulk price or written off if the order fails.

Items worn to protect a worker from workplace hazards, such as aprons, gloves, masks, goggles and ear protection. In dyeing and printing units it guards against chemical splashes, fumes and burns.

A document supplied with a chemical that lists its hazards, safe handling, first-aid and disposal requirements. Workers must be able to consult it before using any dye, mordant or solvent.

The process of cleaning waste water from dyeing, printing and washing so it can be safely reused or discharged. It typically combines screening, pH correction, biological treatment and sludge removal.

A curated collection of a designer's work showing research, sketches, developed repeats, colourways, final products and reflection. It should demonstrate process and skill, not just finished pictures.