Requirements of Marker Planning
Noor Ahmed Raaz
Faculty Member, Dept. of Textile Engineering,
Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technology
Email: raju.uttara105@gmail.com
Marker Planning:
Marker planning is a conceptualizing, initiative, open and creative process, in contrast to making up a jig-saw puzzle, which is an analytical, step by step and closed process. There is no final planning solution to a marker. There are numerous solutions with tightly packed patterns. The efficiency and quality of the marker also vary with the length of the marker. Hence marker planner should be able to visualize the whole patterns accommodated on the marker.
The planner proceeds by first positioning the larger pattern pieces in a relationship which looks promising and then fitting the smaller pieces into the gaps. Since most of the pieces are irregular and often tend to be cavort shaped, one skill lies in discovering those edges which fit together most neatly and placing side by side across the marker those pieces which fill the width most nearly. The planner will then try a number of pattern placements, selecting the one which gives the shortest marker. The work of the marker planner is subjected to a number of constraints one of them is related to the nature of the fabric and the desired result in the finished garment.
Requirements of Marker Planning
A. Nature of the fabric and the desired result in the finished garment
1. Pattern alignment in relation to the grain line of the fabric:
Pattern pieces normally carry a grain line when pattern pieces are paid down the piece of cloth, as is commonest with large pattern pieces, the grain line should be paralleled to the line of the warp in a woven fabric or the wales in a knitted fabric, where the pattern pieces are laid across the piece, the grain line should lie paralleled to the weft or course direction.
In bias cutting, which is often used in large pattern pieces as a part of garment styles in ladies dresses and lingerie, as well as in small pieces such as pocket facing and under-collar in men’s wear as a requirement of satisfactory garment assembly, the grain lines will normally be at 450 to the warp. The designer or a pattern cutter may define a tolerance which allows the marker planner to swing the grain line a small amount from parallel.
If the marker planner lays down a pattern outside the stated rules for grain lines, then the finished garment will not hang and drape correctly when worn. This requirement to follow grain lines restricts the freedom the marker planner has in choosing how to lay the patterns in the marker.
2. Symmetry and asymmetry:
Many fabrics can be turned round (through 1800) and retain the sane appearance and these are designated “EITHER WAY” or “SYMMETRICAL”. They require no special action on the part of the marker.
In this case, if a fabric is turned round (through 1800) it does not retain the same appearance, especially when the two opposite ways are sewn together. However, as long as the pattern pieces of an individual garments all lie in same direction, which direction they lie does not matter. Example of such fabrics are those with a nap or pile which is brushed in one direction and this presents surfaces which show different reflection of light, knitted fabrics where the loops of the wales always point in the same direction and the fabrics with a surface design which does not run the same way when turned round but where either direction is acceptable.
3. The design characteristics of the finished garment:
For example, if a vertical stripe does not show a complete mirror image repeat, the right and left sides of garment may be designed to be mirror image of each other. In this case, a marker is planned which uses a half set of patterns and the required effect is created in the spreading of the fabric which places pairs of plies face to face.
II. The requirements of quality in cutting
- For the majority of cutting situations where a knife blade is used, the placements of the pattern pieces in the marker must provide a freedom of knife movement. A blade, which has width, can not be turned to a perfect right angle in the middle of the pattern piece and hence space must be kept which will allow a knife to turn to such corners. The amount of space depends on the actual cutting method employed.
- Pattern count check to ensure that the complete menu of patterns has been included.
- Correct labeling of the patterns is essential to identify the cut components for all sizes. It is the responsibility of the marker planner to code every pattern pieces with its size as the marker is planned.
III. The requirements of production planning
When an order is placed for quantity of garments, it normally specifies a quantity of each size and color. If the sewing room requires the cut components urgently, the marker planner has to make two types of marker:
Short marker: It is also made for urgent purposes of sewing room. This requires comparatively less time but less efficient. There is also a chance of resulting in variation in shade.
Long marker: Long marker is made according to the calculated proportion of different sizes which is more efficient but shade variation may result. In a long marker, more sizes of garments (the garments may have smaller components) can be included which ultimately reduce fabric wastages.
You may also like:
- Methods of Drawing and Duplicating a Marker
- Quality Control and Inspection in Marker Making
- Important Factors of Marker Efficiency
- Constraints of Marker Making in Apparel Production
- Techniques or Methods of Marker Making
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. He is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
