Devore Printing

Devore Printing is a technique of chemically burning away the natural fibres of mixed fibre and cloth to create a relief effect. To prepare for the task, we collected a variety of materials to experiment with which were all suitable to use with the Devore paste. Also, for the process I collected my black layer screen which incorporated bee outline designs and flower bud outlines which I believe were most suitable and relatable for the process. Before printing onto fabrics, I made sure the area of work was clean and I taped the fabric onto the surface. Within the Devore Fabric, I used velvet fabric which changed the process and method as the fabric has different textures and surfaces compared to the smooth silk fabrics used for the technique. Throughout the task, I followed Health and Safety instructions in order to avoid the risk of injury within the textiles room. Firstly, gloves were worn to  avoid contact with Devore Paste as it is a strong chemical which burns fabrics. Also, an apron was worn to avoid the risk of the paste getting in contact with clothes and fabrics within them. Bags were placed away from the area to avoid the risk of falling and causing a hazard when handling chemicals. Finally, hair was tied back to avoid the risk of getting in contact with chemicals and paste used.

To complete the process, I placed the Devore paste onto the screen just above the image and used a squeegee to blend the paste into the surface of the design. Any excess paste was placed back into the Devore paste to reuse for further prints. Once the paste covered the design, I removed the screen to reveal the image and repeated the process a couple of times to complete my samples. For the velvet, I had to switch the fabric backwards to place the design onto the surface accurately. The screen allowed me to repeat the process a couple of times to experiment with different samples and surfaces. The fabric was left to dry to allow the materials to penetrate the fibres. Once the fabric was dry, I placed the samples into a heat press for 18 seconds at 180c. Next, the fabric was transferred quickly to the sink to remove loose, burnt fibres. Then the fabrics were left to dry naturally again which reveals the final outcome and technique. My samples are presented below.

The Velvet outcome was less effective because the design was unclear on the surface through
the fabric. Also, as the texture of the velvet is different it has effected the outcome and bold
outlines of the design.

This sample was less effective as the screen didn't work effectively to transfer the pattern accurately. Missing patterns and designs are missing within the sheet.

This design has the most effective outcome as the design was transferred successfully onto the material through the depth of lines and outlines of the bees. The materials demonstrates the original screen print design effectively.

Another successful design outline with the same choice of material used previously. However some of the outlines are missed from the transfer of the screen onto the material.



Devore Paste