Textured Fabric Printing System And Method

Abstract

A patterned fabric with a number of threadings therein which cause surface variations in the fabric. A selvedge of the fabric includes reference markers therein, preferably also identified by threadings in the fabric (e.g. bindings or stitches). The reference markers include some matching portions that allow for computer imaging identification of the markers at the threading level and a coded portion which varies to identify where along the fabric the marker is located and thus allow a printing and imaging apparatus to identify threadings within a pattern area between the selvedges which pattern area will be printed or is printed with a printed design.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fabric which includes a pattern and is configured with markings on the selvedge thereof to be machine read for printing on the pattern according to distortion of the fabric as it is fed through a imaging and printing machine, the fabric comprising:
 a first exterior portion and a second exterior portion;   a middle portion between the first and second exterior portions which adds loft;   stitching arranged in a pattern which compresses the middle portion between the first and second exterior portions in order to create a three dimensional pattern on the first exterior portion wherein the loft is greater in areas without stitching as compared to areas at or adjacent to stitching such that an exterior side of the fabric has undulations within an area of the knit fabric and the first exterior portion is substantially un-printed within the area;   a selvedge positioned adjacent to the area;   the fabric configured to be arranged on a roll such that when un-rolled the knit fabric is longer than it is wide along a longitudinal direction, the selvedge also extending along the longitudinal direction, wherein the pattern is a repeating pattern which repeats at a defined interval along the longitudinal direction;   a plurality of markers positioned on the selvedge which are configured to be read by the imaging and printing machine, the markers spaced at distances along the longitudinal direction within the defined interval such that the markers indicate a position along the longitudinal direction relative to the repeating pattern.   
     
     
         2 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein the selvedge has a width that is at least twice a width of a widest of the plurality of markers. 
     
     
         3 . The fabric of  claim 2  wherein the width of the selvedge is less than 6 times the width of the widest of the plurality of markers. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of markers each comprise a plurality of stitches in the selvedge. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of markers include a border and an interior portion with the border substantially enclosing the interior portion. 
     
     
         6 . The fabric of  claim 5  wherein the border is the same for each of the plurality of markers and the interior portion varies for the plurality of markers. 
     
     
         7 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of markers within the defined interval are different than others of the plurality of markers within the defined interval. 
     
     
         8 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of markers within the defined interval is different than others of the plurality of markers within the defined interval. 
     
     
         9 . The fabric of  claim 4  wherein at least one of the plurality of markers within the defined interval is different than others of the plurality of markers within the defined interval. 
     
     
         10 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein spacing between two or more of the plurality of markers is between two and ten times a length of a longest of the plurality of markers. 
     
     
         11 . The fabric of  claim 1  wherein the knit fabric is a double jersey jacquard fabric. 
     
     
         12 . A patterned fabric comprising:
 threading arranged in the fabric to create surface variations which define a pattern within an area and the fabric is substantially printed within the area;   a selvedge positioned adjacent to the area;   the fabric is longer than it is wide along a longitudinal direction, the selvedge also extending along the longitudinal direction, wherein the pattern is a repeating pattern which repeats at a defined interval along the longitudinal direction;   a plurality of markers positioned on the selvedge, the markers spaced at distances along the longitudinal direction within the defined interval such that the markers indicate a position along the longitudinal direction relative to the repeating pattern;   wherein a print within the area is arranged such that a portion of the fabric adjacent to a change in surface texture is printed in a first color and a different portion of the fabric also adjacent to the change in surface texture is printed in a second color.   
     
     
         13 . The fabric of  claim 12  wherein the plurality of markers are each created by threading variations in the selvedge which are a plurality of stitches, variations in binding or combinations thereof; and
 at least two of the plurality of markers have different threading variations relative to each other. 
 
     
     
         14 . The knit fabric of  claim 12  wherein the threading is stitching arranged in a pattern which compresses a middle portion of the fabric between first and second exterior portions of the fabric in order to create a three dimensional pattern on the first exterior portion wherein loft is greater in areas without stitching as compared to areas at or adjacent to stitching such that an exterior side of the fabric has undulations within an area of the knit fabric. 
     
     
         15 . A fabric comprising:
 a design area;   a selvedge area;   the design area including a pattern defined by threading variations which threading variations are created by stitches, binding variations or combinations thereof;   the fabric is longer than it is wide along a longitudinal direction, the selvedge also extending along the longitudinal direction, wherein the pattern is a repeating pattern which repeats at a defined interval along the longitudinal direction;   a plurality of markers positioned on the selvedge, the markers spaced at distances along the longitudinal direction within the defined interval such that the markers indicate a position along the longitudinal direction relative to the repeating pattern.   
     
     
         16 . The fabric of  claim 15  wherein at least some of the plurality of markers within the defined interval are different from others of the plurality of markers within the defined interval. 
     
     
         17 . The fabric of  claim 15  wherein the selvedge area substantially excludes the pattern of the knit area. 
     
     
         18 . The fabric of  claim 15  wherein the markers are defined by a plurality of stitches or binding variations in the selvedge area in a pattern and the knit area is printed at least in part including on or adjacent to the threading variations. 
     
     
         19 . A method of printing a three dimensional fabric comprising:
 providing a fabric with: a design area and a selvedge area, the design area including a pattern defined by threading variations which threading variations are created by stitches, binding variations or combinations thereof; the fabric is longer than it is wide along a longitudinal direction, the selvedge also extending along the longitudinal direction, wherein the pattern is a repeating pattern which repeats at a defined interval along the longitudinal direction, a plurality of markers are positioned on the selvedge, the markers spaced at distances along the longitudinal direction within the defined interval such that the markers indicate a position along the longitudinal direction relative to the repeating pattern;   printing the design area with a print design such that different portions of the pattern are printed with different colors and at least some of the threading variations within the design area separate at least two different colors in the print design.