Constant Work On New Designs
If you have ever looked at a room of Axminster carpet, you will probably have admired its colour and design, without being aware of the finer details of its jattem.
But if you have looked at a piece of Axminster carpet closely, you will have realised that there is a very intricate pattern in the tufts, which creates the attractive over-all effect. The makers of Riccarton 80/20 Axminster have several artists constantly working on new ideas for carpet designs. They first produce working
drawings. These designs have to be approved before any further work is done.
How will the pattern look when It's repeated innumerable times across an expanse of carpet? Are the colours in keeping with new home decorating trends? Is it the kind of pattern that will appeal to the majority of people? Will it be easy to use in a decorating scheme? These are some points that have to be considered; only five out of every 100 designs are approved for further development. The second step Is to transfer the working drawing on to design paper. This is very similar to graph paper, and is about 24 inches square and gives a very good idea of what a finished piece of carpet, the same size, will look like.
Each square on the paper represents a carpet tuft, and every square has to be painted a particular colour, which corresponds to the exact colour of the carpet tuft. It takes many days of painstaking work and, at the end, more are rejected. Samples are made of those designs which once again are approved. The design on the squared paper is reproduced on a peg board. Each tuft of carpet is set by hand, and a sample of the carpet is made. This sample then has to pass yet more rigorous selection tests for suitability of colour, texture and pattern. Those that survive go to the looms for weaving, and within a few months are on the floors of homes throughout New Zealand. It takes about nine months from the starting of the design to the production of the carpet.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31776, 5 September 1968, Page 12
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356Constant Work On New Designs Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31776, 5 September 1968, Page 12
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