The laser technology, when it emerged in the late 90s, was rapidly adopted by major denim brands as it provided both sustainable and creative benefits. Today, it has become even more clear that lasers are going to play a vital part in the future of fabric processing. But challenges still exist. What is the next step?
Sustainable and creative benefits of lasers
Sustainable and efficient, the laser treatment guarantees significant water, energy and chemical savings and also eliminates manual and processes harmful to workers’ health. Furthermore, it can eliminate possible human errors and manipulation, creating safer and more design-oriented roles for employees.
Indeed, laser technology gives designers endless possibilities for experimenting and being creative. It can be used to create worn-out effects like whiskers, abrasions and rips or to create patterns and customized designs. It can also provide exact reproducibility of the applied effects. These benefits, combined with all the other finishing techniques we have today at our disposal, give room for even greater possibilities in the future.
One challenge remains: producing authentic and natural effects
The benefits of laser technology are real for the environment, for worker health, and for creative possibilities, but also in terms of cost reduction.
However, one challenge remains. Producing natural effects is still difficult and often requires some manual manipulation after the fading to give the product a natural look.
Designers and customers are still fully obsessed with the heritage and authenticity of denim and a digitally produced pattern replicated thousands of times over by a machine might seem somehow distant from the appeal of a broken-in fabric.
What is the solution?
One solution is of course to work with faster, more sensitive and more powerful laser options. As laser and digital imaging software technologies get better, designers start to see and manipulate wear patterns and distressing on photo-quality representations.
But like with everything, the real solution lies on the fabric itself. Needless to say, even if you have the best laser technology in the world, if you use it on a non-friendly fabric, you will finish with nothing but a lot of fume.
The key solution thus lies in a new range of denim fabrics that are designed to empower the use of lasers.
BEAM DENIM: Authenticity, brought to you by fabric technology
To offer a solution for the next step in laser technology, Naveena Denim Mills developed a fabric specifically designed for laser applications, Beam Denim.
Beam Denim fabrics offer easy chip-off, meaning they are made with a special treatment of the yarn at the time of dyeing. Beam Denim is much more sensitive to laser and is focused on achieving higher contrasts than with the traditional dyeing process. The result is richly colored dyes, with visible wear patterns, natural shade effects and very precise engravings. The fabrics become the perfect canvas for the lasers to create crisp or vintage images, which can be scaled and reproduced forever.
Blending the past and the present is now really possible
The use of laser technology has brought about some major changes in the industry.
When people see how laser works on denim, they are truly mind blown, as it reduces the use of water and chemicals, but also creates endless design possibilities they never thought we could achieve.
With the latest development in laser application software and fabric technologies, today, blending the past and the present is really possible. The next step is already here.
Learn more on the Naveena Denim Mills website.
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