This project focuses on the digitisation of the product development process incorporating 3D body scanning, automatic pattern generation, visualisation, digital printing and embroidery. This is the third progress report of an ongoing digital fashion product development research programme. Project partners for this stage were London College of Fashion, Glasgow School of Art, Lycee de la Mode and Philadelphia University. An initial project that aimed to introduce custom print and embroidery to the existing Bodymetrics Digital Couture jeans offer in a London retail store was successfully realised using a range of digital tools for each individual process but failed to provide a continuous integrated workflow. This paper takes up some of the issues needed to provide a seamless digital throughput for product development: fabric stability, print, post processing and single-ply cutting and registration. A range of pigment printing processes was tested for comparison against an established dye-printing process for fabric stability, colour fastness and reduction of pre- and post-processing stages. Single ply cutting systems were reviewed and two employing visual recognition cameras were tested for viability in cutting engineered lay plans. The paper addresses further issues and offers conclusions with considerations for future work.
