Marker

Marker making for garment

A marker is a diagram of a precise arrangement of pattern pieces for a specific style and the sizes to be cut from a single spread. On another word, Marker making is the process of determining the most efficient layout of pattern pieces for a specified style, fabric and distribution of sizes.

A marker is a mixing of many pattern sizes drawn on to a thin paper prior to cutting. Having a marker made it means that the design you will have the best utilization of fabrics saving money.

Points to be considered before marker making:

·         Fabric width must be higher than marker width (1/2 inch)

·         Fabric length must be higher than marker length

·         Length of the cutting table

·         Production planning

·         When pattern pieces are laid down on the piece of cloth, the grain line should be parallel to the line of the warp in the woven fabric and wale in the knitted fabric

Marker Efficiency:

    Marker efficiency is determined by the fabric utilization, the percentage of the total fabric that is actually used in garment parts. The area not used in garment parts is waste. Marker efficiency depends on how tightly the pattern pieces fit together within the marker.

                                 Area of pattern in the marker     

Marker efficiency =                                                                                      X 100%

                                     Total area of the marker plan

                                                     

Factors influencing Marker efficiency:

      Marker planner: The efficiency of marker mainly depends on the competency, experience, honesty and technical knowledge of the marker planner.

      Size of the garments: Smaller and larger sizes lead to less marker efficiency, medium garment sizes gives higher marker efficiency. 

      Numbers of sizes in a style: fewer and higher numbers of sizes in a style leads to less marker efficiency and higher marker efficiency may achieve from medium numbers of sizes in a style.

      Marker length: For higher marker length, higher marker efficiency and production of cutting room can be increased.

      Pattern Engineering: Marker efficiency can be increased by changing pattern design of particular parts of the garments.

      Fabric characteristics: Usually symmetrical fabric provides higher marker efficiency and asymmetric fabric leads lower marker efficiency.

      Marker making method: In computerized method efficiency is more than manual method.

      Marker width: The more marker width, the easier to marker plan and ensures higher marker efficiency.

      Style of the garments: The more large patterns and less small patterns reduce marker efficiency.

Methods: 

Methods of marker making are as follows:

·         Manual method.

·         Computerized method.

Manual method:

      In this process, marker can be made in two ways,

a. By using full size pattern: markers may be created by arranging full size pattern pieces on marker paper or directly on the top ply of the fabric in a spread. And then full size pattern pieces on marker paper. Full size pieces must be manipulated, adjusted and readjusted on normal fabric widths.

b. By using miniaturized pattern:  In this method, full size pattern pieces are reduced to 1/5  of its original size by using pantograph. These miniaturized pattern pieces are usually made by plastic sheet or thick board paper. Marker planning is done by using those miniaturized patterns. The marker is reproduced full size using the mini-marker as a reference. 

The area of the covered pattern can be determined by using planimeter to get the marker efficiency. In this way, it is possible to get higher marker efficiency as control over the marker is better than the full size pattern. This method is rapidly being replaced by computerized method.

Features of manual marker making:

      Manual methods of marker making are time consuming and require a great deal of space.

      Manually made markers are also subject to errors and inconsistencies that may occur in grain variation, poor line definition, placement and alignment of pieces and slip of the pieces.

       Accuracy of a manually made marker depends on the skill of the individual who laid out the marker and traced it.

 Computerized method:

      Computerized marker making is very accurate and provides the greatest opportunity for pattern manipulation, marker efficiency and shortest response time.

      Production patterns may be developed on the computer or digitized or scanned in to the computer.

      In addition, parameters for markers are entered in to the computer from cutting orders.

      These might include style numbers, size distribution and fabric width. Technicians manipulate pattern images on the computer screens and experiment on various configurations to deter mined the best material utilization for the marker.

       Protective devices are built in to the programs to ensure the grain alignment and prevent overlapping of pieces.

      Once markers have been planned and stored, they can be printed or recalled and modified for new cutting orders.

      With newer marker making software, markers can be automatically created.

       A computer can automatically develop up to seven different markers according to the criteria set by a technician.

      Automatic marker making may be used to determine yardage requirements and fabric costs for designs prior to line adoption.

    With automatic marker making, a 50-pieces marker can be generated on the computer screen in less than a minute.

Advantages of computerized method:

• Benefits are said to include

• Increases in material efficiency with subsequent decreases in material waste,

• Time and labour savings in making markers;

• Improvements in overall marker quality;

• Tighter markers;

• Avoidance of backlogs during peak periods; and

• Fast, precise cost proposals for clients.

Disadvantages of computerized method:

• Initial investment is high.

• Skill operator is required.    

Differences:   

     

Manual method	Computer method
Suitable for small amount of production.	Suitable for large scale of production.
Marker efficiency is lower.	Marker efficiency is higher.
Initial investment is not high.	High.
Marker can not be prepared quickly.	Very quickly.
High production cost.	Low.
Highest wastage of fabric.	Low wastage of fabric.

          

Types of the marker:

           The form of the fabric and whether it is symmetrical or directional determines the appropriate type of the marker for a style. Markers may be open or closed depending on the form in which the fabric is presented for cutting. Rolled fabrics are open or flat when spread. Markers for these types of spread require full pattern pieces for each part to be cut. Markers made with full pattern pieces are called Open markers. Markers made with half pattern pieces for laying along the folds of the tube are called Closed markers.

Constraints of Marker making:

Efficient marker can only be produced when marker man can see the full length and width of the marker. Marker man usually set the larger pattern pieces on the marker and then tries to set the smaller pattern pieces on the marker so that marker efficiency may be optimized. Factor that constraint to make an efficient marker are discussed below:

a. Grain Line: Grain line is indicated in every piece of the pattern. Patterns are supposed to be parallel to the wrap in woven fabric and wale in the knitted fabric. Hang and drape of the garment is depending on the matching of grain line. To maintain grain line is one of the biggest constraints to achieve higher marker efficiency. 

            

b. Characteristics of the fabric:  Special attention required to set pattern pieces on the asymmetrical fabric, such as pile fabric, special print etc.

c. Design of the garments: Garments from check or stripe fabric requires mirror image (matching check or stripe in adjacent two parts of the garment). Special attention is required to achieve the mirror image in the garments.

d. Cutting Quality: Patterns are cut by knife blade from the lay. Natural width of cutting blade is a barrier to move 90° angel in the cutting lay. Marker should be made carefully so that cutting blade can move easily in the lay; otherwise there would be a possibility to get defective pattern pieces after cutting.

e. Production Planning:  Production planning is a constraint of marker making as numbers of pieces of different sizes are not exactly proportionate. And urgency of the cut some time forced to make short marker.

Fabric wastage outside marker or minimization the wastage of fabric:

          

      Ends of ply losses:

       Some allowance is needed in the end of the each pieces of fabric during fabric spreading because of the limitation of utilized machine is usually 2” in each end and on each ply 4” fabric wastage. The wastage varies with the durability of the fabric. The wastage can be reduced by observing and controlling carefully of how much allowance is need for the fabric. Moreover, this wastage is removed for large marker length and increased for small marker length.

      Selvedge losses:

Each fabric has two selvedges along wide. The amount of cut out is considered 3% (approximately) along wide. The amount of fabric wide to be depends on the quality of the selvedge, width and alignment of the selvedge. The more fabric width, the less will be fabric wastage.

                      

      Loss of fabric ends:

Moreover seen that fabric length varies than fabric multiple of lay length. As a result, during preparation of the fabric lay, the last or end remains of the fabric roll are separated by cutting. Fabric wastage increased for this splice.

      Purchase loss:

Fabric length is marked/ identified by fabric manufacturers and supplier on fabric roll. Sometimes less fabric is wound on roll than identified length. So it should be measure before fabric purchase.

Methods of Drawing a Marker:

1. Marking directly on the fabric:

            a. Drawing by Chalk or pencil: To mark directly onto the fabric, card patterns are laid onto the laid fabric and chalked around using pipe clay or wax. It is an inexpensive method, however,

● It does not allow copies to be made

● Required considerable skill

● It is least accurate method

● Not applicable method for pile or woolen fabric because of the difficulty in marking

.

            b. Paint Spray: In spray marking, fine jets of paint are sprayed over the patterns that have been laid on the fabric, leaving an outline of the patterns when they are removed. This method is faster than chalking, however,

● More fabric is required to allow gaps for paint.

● Paint can migrate under the pattern edges.

● Pattern sizes grow as layers of paint build up and

● The machine must be cleaned every day.

2. Marking on the paper: In this method, pattern pieces are precisely arranged on to the marker paper and draw the outline of the patterns by using pencil. This method is widely used in the industry.

3. Computerized Drawing: Computerized methods are used for large volume production and they function as follows:

● Graded patterns in the computer are manipulated on screen to produce a marker.

● the corresponding fabric width is shown on the screen and the range of the pattern pieces are shown on top.

●These pieces can be rotated, reversed and moved into place

●The computer can calculate marker efficiency.

●The completed marker is then drawn using a linked digital plotter.

●These systems are extremely quick and accurate and an unlimited quantity of markers can be produced and/or reproduced.

4. Photographic System: With the photographic method, the patterns pieces are set onto a light sensitive paper passing through ultra-violet light and revealed by using ammonia vapor.  This method is quick and clean.

Methods of Duplicating a Marker:

The original marker may need to be duplicated, depending on the numbers of markers required to fulfill an order.

In manual duplicating, the patterns are drawn around by hand on to the paper. The other methods are

a. Carbon duplicating

b. Spirit duplicating

c. Photographic method

d. Perforated method.

a. Carbon duplicating: Carbon duplicating uses interleaved and carbon paper to replicate outlines drawn on the top sheet. This duplication method has fairly low capital and material costs, however its disadvantages are as follows:

● It is dirty

● It leaves poor impressions on the lower layers of the paper.

●Care must be taken to avoid carbon slippage.

b. Spirit duplicating: Spirit duplicating machine and its working procedure is same as Office duplicating machine/Xerox machine,  Only significant difference is that the size of the machine. This method is suitable when 40-50 duplication per master is required.

c. Photographic method: With the photographic method, the original marker is set onto a light sensitive paper using ultra-violet light and revealed by using ammonia vapor.  This method is quick and clean and produces unlimited numbers of duplications.

d. Perforated method: The perforated method is an obsolete technique that involves punching a series of perforation around the marker, placing it on the fabric and lightly dusting with chalk. It can be used many times.

It is a dirty process and poor line definition can result unless great attention is given.