Process manual from dry process to wash process in denim garments

Process manual from dry process to wash process in denim garments

In the past 5 years, the explosion of the premium market has tremendously increased the number of processes done on the garment. Laundries developed more and more options for the brand and are proposing today a wild range of effects and finishes. This manual has a unique objective: establish the base of a common language regarding the dry processes. So development, design, merchandising, buying, and the marketing team can finally understand each other perfectly. This manual aims to explain, define, and illustrate each step that you might want to use in your future development and request. We hope it will help you all in your daily activities and will improve your understanding of the finishing processes.

What is the dry process? : All process is done on an unwashed or dry garment. Since dry
processes are done manually, and variation can be observed.

How does this manual work? : For an easy and better understanding of the dry processes, we
organize them by families or areas: scraping, spraying, tacking, etc…This is actually how
your makers organize their production areas. Please refer to the index of the previous
page for full details.

How to use it? : Simply refer to the dry process’s family effect you are looking for and
identify the code of the process you need to create or replicate.

Wash code description

Wash code                  

FT                =       Wash created by the Fabric team
H                  =       Heavy

No Wash      =       Rigid Standard
R                  =       Rinse Wash

M                 =        Medium

G                 =        Garment wash

L                  =        Light

S                 =       Stonewash any wash with stone

E                 =       Enzyme wash

B                 =        Bleach Wash(C - Chlorine bleach, H - H2O2, P - PP Bleach)

RB              =        Rubber Ball wash

ES              =        Enzyme Stone Wash

ESB            =        Enzyme Stone Bleach

EB              =         Enzyme Bleach

SB              =        Stone Bleach wash

AE              =        Acid Enzyme wash

PD              =        Pigment Dye

RD              =        Reactive Dye
DD              =        Direct Dye

TD              =        Top Dye

DPD           =         Dip Dye
DPB           =         Dip Bleach
DST           =         Dust Dye
SD             =         Sulphur Dye
SOD          =         Soda Wash

MUD          =         Mud Wash

AC             =         Acid wash

Terminology
❖ Scraping

The process is done before washing the garment (The majority on Denim). Fabric is scraped with different tools in order to get a used effect. Please note that all scraping processes are done manually using the above mention different tools, so it is difficult to achieve consistent finishes every time.

a. Hand Sand: it is the process of abrading the fabric surface with sandpaper. The process is done by hand or with hand sand tools. The garments wear on the mannequin (horizontally or vertically) and start brushed with the help of Sand Paper until the required effect is achieved. The different grain sizes of Sand Paper are used e.g. 100,120,320,400 and 600. The selection of grain size depends upon the fabric weight.

b. Hand sand all Over: scrapping is done all over the garment.

c. Laser: laser machine is used to achieve the effect. This technology is expensive compared to hand sand but the intensity is constant. Graphic software can make a complicated design that can’t achieve by hand or any other manual operations.

Laser Whisker & Laser design

d. Center crease mark: it is the process of abrading the crease of the garment and mostly
doing this process by Hand Sand

e. Crimping: Fabric is crimped then ironed to create creases marks. If need more
intensity can hand sand in the ironed area.

f. Pocket/ Wallet mark: scraping is done to make the inside lining/Actual pocket be
visible or to give wallets make an appearance in the back pocket.

g. Side seam hand sand: hand sand is applied to the side seam of the garment.

❖ Application (Spray or Rub or Spots):

The action of spray, rub, or spots, usually do with a spray gun, different mechanism, or handmade
tools and chemical use such as,
• Potassium Permanganate (PP)
• Bleach
• Color
• Resin
• Glitter

PP application in progress, with spray guns

a. PP Application: Action of Potassium Permanganate spray or rub

Comments: Potassium Permanganate tends to oxidize the indigo faster than Sulphur. PP gives also a slightly grey cast. The biggest disadvantage of this agent is that level of the color cannot be seen before neutralization. So, after the application of PP by spraying or rubbing, an additional step is needed to see the final effect. 

b. Bleach Application: Action of Bleach spray or rub

c. PP Spray All over: PP is sprayed all over the garment.

d. Pigment Application: Action of Pigment spray, rub, or spots, usually done with a spray gun, different mechanism, or handmade tools Color pigment (RED) has been rubbed all some areas in this particular case. The process is giving the garment a unique look. Leather, skin, or even a wooden look can be obtained on denim using this technique. If the effect is great, please note that the price is particularly high and the effect varies from piece to piece.

Comment: in order to fix the pigment, the oven/curing process is needed. It has an impact on the cost and this effect is really difficult to be achieved with consistency

e. Resin Color Spray: A mixed solution of resin and pigment/color is sprayed onto the
garment. Used very often by premium denim labels because it provides a unique color and touch that dyeing cannot give.

f. Resin color dip: The garment is dipped into a resin solution mixed with color.

g. Resin Application: Action of Resin full body Spray or Dip

Comment: All the Resin related products must be put into an oven and cured at high temperature (time and temperature depending on the product that uses).

h. Glitter Application: Action of Glitter Spray, Rub or spots

❖ Whiskers

Also, known as “cat’s whiskers” or “mustaches”. Different methods are used to achieve this worn effect. Whisker's effects are mainly done on the front legs, front, and back knee. Many techniques have been used to produce this worn effect.

a. Whiskers. This is the most common process and this effect can be achieved by hand
sand or sandblasting. Because this whisker is done manually, variation can be observed.

b. PP Spray whiskers: The effect is achieved by spraying PP. Due to manual control of the
the shape of the whisker variation can be observed.

c. Pigment sprays whiskers: The effect is achieved by spraying pigment color. The shape can be done following a stencil too.

Comments: Sprayed whiskers required skilled workers are needed in order to fix permanently the pigment on the garment.

d. Resin Whiskers: Resin is added in order to make the effect permanent (i.e. up to
5/10 home washes or even more).

How to create 3D Resin whiskers: apply the resin to a garment by spraying the required area of the whisker with a spray gun. Then whiskers are designed by folding the garment. To get the permanent effect, the garment must be put into an oven and cured at a high temperature (time and temperature depending on the product that uses).

Whiskers creases: Fabric is folded according to the required area and pressed with the iron. Then scraped on the surface with sandpaper or scraping tools. Please note that resin is not used and therefore 3E effect is not permanent. A binder or Starch is applied to create the 3E whisker by using a steam press after washed garments.

4. Tinting:

Tinting is a process where a very little amount of Dyestuff is involved and mainly Direct dye is being used to do this process. This is being done to change of hue/cast/tone of the garment. Also, this will help give garments a used/ vintage look. The process takes 5 to 10 minutes and for better results followed by dye-fixing is advised.
Due to changes in fabric rolls and the sample qty in the wash, sometimes it's needed to change the proto tint color to match V-Code std effect.
Eg: Proto code PD-066736-LES-4Ylw, the tint is Yellow, if we change this to Brown during V-Code
std, then we will mark it as PD-066736(1)-LES-4Brw "(1)" & 4Brown is indicating a change of tint color only but not the base color of V-Code std.

5. Damages:

In order to achieve your favorite vintage look, many processes had been found.

a. Grinding: Mainly used on edges of the garment: front and back pocketing, back and

front yoke, and bottom hem.

b. Abrasion

c. Hole: A hole is done on the garment with a cutter or other tools.

d. Scratching: The garment is scratched with a sharp tool

e. Needle effect: tearing the thread out

Comments: The effect is done using different tools. The most common one is a needle. We are tearing out the fiber with the needle. We also can use a cheese grater.

6. Spots:

Bleach, PP, pigment, resin… many different options are used to add a special touch to a
garment. It is important to keep in mind that since the spot is done by hand, it is impossible
to replicate exactly the same spot from one pant to another one. Only the location of the effect is guaranteed.

a. Bleach Spot

b. PP Spot

Make a spot with PP or bleach solution

Comment: PP or Bleach is used depending on the fabric we are working on and its composition.
Comment: The oven is needed in order to fix permanently the pigment on the garment.

c. Silicon spot: make a spot with silicon.

Comment: Silicon can create a dirty or wet effect on the garment, mainly on non-denim fabric. In the picture above, we project different layers of silicon on polycotton.

8. Tacking

9. Tie
Way of Tie on before wash
Tie and bleach effect

10. Glue Patch
11. Functional Finish
12. Cracked Effect (Spider Web)
14. Wrapping/ Covering

Knee Hot Spot Standard placement (Full Jeans):

Knee Hot Spot Placement point – Folding of the leg up to the crotch as in the sketch above can mark the center point of the knee hot spot in the middle of the front panel. Hot spots can be in different shapes. But the point that marks above will need to match with those different Knee Hot Spots center points.

Note: if there is any unusual length or different silhouette (engineered) jeans need to be evaluated separately.

Back Knee Whisker Standard placement (Full Jeans):

a. Back Knee Whisker Placement point of adult Bottoms (Male/Female);

From the point of folding the leg up to the crotch as in the above sketch, 2 inches toward up is the center point of the back knee whisker.

b. Back Knee Whisker Placement point of Kid's Bottoms (Boys / Girls);
From the point of the folding leg up to the crotch as in the above sketch, 1 inch toward up is the center point of the back knee whisker. Back Knee Whisker can be in different lengths. But the middle points are still the same as above.

Note:
If there are any unusual lengths or different silhouettes (engineered) jeans need to be evaluated separately.

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