Digitally and block printed patterns on jute and linen, inspired by archive textiles of the Donald Brothers Ltd (a Dundee-based company, growing out of the jute industry producing soft-furnishing and interior textiles between the 1890s and the 1970s.)

There are 30 patterns, presented in 3 ways: the first swatch book contains 10 seamless, digitally printed patterns on rough, industrial jute (varying between densely and loosely woven). This has won a commendation at the 2017 Bradford Textile Awards in the P2 Category.

The second book contains linen samples, to reflect on the roots of Dundee’s jute industry, growing out of the linen production. It also ties in with sustainable production principles, which is further emphasised by using digital printing. The colour scheme, the tile arrangements and the visible digitalness of these designs aim to re-introduce these past designs into a contemporary context and make them fit into modern interiors again.

The third swatch book contains 10 block printed jute samples. They were also created from photographs of the archive materials. The photos were filtered with pixels, then vectorised, and were then cut out of plywood with a laser-cutter. This process is an attempt of fusing the most contemporary technology with the most ancient ways of printing, creating a form of modern craftsmanship, and also a reference to the Donald Brothers works, who used block printing up to the 1950s. Not all blocks were created from photographs, there are some that reference the “tile-designs” as seen in the previous books. This serves a consistency between all three swatch books, and also an opportunity for deconstructed, playful prints with multiple layers of mixed elements.

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING THE DESIGNS ENTIRELY BY DIGITAL MEANS AND THE PIXEL REFERENCES IN THE DESIGNS THEMSELVES ARE A REFLECTION ON DUNDEE’S PRESENT, WITH digital design PLAYING AN ENORMOUS ROLE IN THE CITY’S REGENERATION.