Calendering is a finishing process used on cloth where fabric is folded in half and passed under rollers at high temperatures and pressures. Calendering is used on fabrics such as moire to produce its watered effect and also on cambric and some types of sateens.
Calendering is a finishing process used on cloth where fabric is folded in half and passed under rollers at high temperatures and pressures. Calendering is used on fabrics such as moire to produce its watered effect and also on cambric and some types of sateens.
In preparation for calendering, the fabric is folded lengthwise with the front side, or face, inside, and stitched together along the edges.[1][2] The fabric can be folded together at full width, however this is not done as often as it is more difficult.[2] The fabric is then run through rollers that polish the surface and make the fabric smoother and more lustrous.[3] High temperatures and pressure are used as well.[2][4] Fabrics that go through the calendering process feel thin, glossy and papery.[2]
The calendering finish is easily destroyed, and does not last well. Washing in water destroys it, as does wear with time.[5]
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Variations [edit]
Several different finishes can be achieved through the calendering process by varying different parts. The main different types of finishes are beetling, watered, embossing and Scheiner.[5]
Beetled [edit]
Beetling is a finish given to cotton and linen cloth, and makes it look like satin. In the beetling process the fabric goes over wooden rollers and is beaten with wooden hammers.[5]
Watered [edit]
The watered finish, also known as moire, is produced by using ribbed rollers. These rollers compress the cloth and the ribs produce the characteristic watermark effect by moving aside threads as well as compressing them.[2][3] This leaves some of the threads round while others get compressed and become flat.[5]
Embossed [edit]
In the embossing process the rollers have engraved patterns on them, and the patterns become stamped onto the fabric.[5] The end result is a raised or sunken pattern, depending on the roller.[6] This works best with soft fabrics.[5]
Scheiner [edit]
Similar to the watered process, in the Scheiner process the rollers are ribbed, only in the Scheiner process the ribs are very fine, with as many as six hundred ribs per inch under extremely high pressure. The threads are pressed flat with little lines in them, which causes the fabric to reflect the light better than a flat surface would. Cloth finished with the Scheiner method has a very high luster, which is made more lasting by heating the rollers.[5]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Harmuth, Louis (1915). Dictionary of Textiles. Fairchild publishing company. p. 106. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Textile World Record. Lord & Nagle Co. 1907. p. 118. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
- ^ a b Cresswell, Lesley; Barbara Lawler, Helen Wilson, Susanna Watkins (2002). Textiles Technology. Heinemann. p. 36. ISBN 0-435-41786-X. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
- ^ Paine, Melanie (1999). Fabric Magic. Frances Lincoln ltd. p. 24. ISBN 0-7112-0995-2. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g Nystrom, Paul Henry (1916). Textiles. D. Appleton. pp. 274–275. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
- ^ Home Economics in Action. Heinemann. 2002. p. 129. ISBN 0-435-98048-3. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
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