Textile design is further broken down into three major disciplines: printed textile design, woven textile design, and mixed media textile design.  Textile design is basically the process of creating designs for knitted woven or printed fabrics. Fabrics can be made by weaving and knitting and can be given basic decoration through printing. The production of textiles is an important craft, whose speed and scale of production has been altered almost beyond recognition by industrialization and the introduction of modern manufacturing techniques. However, for the main types of textiles, plain weave, twill or satin weave there is little difference between the ancient and modern methods. The design process usually starts with a requirement or desire for a new item or product. Research will usually be carried out then to find out as much as possible about this need and about the role or function the new item or product is to have. Ideas generation is the next stage when various alternative initial ideas are conceived. These initial ideas are then usually developed through until the designer is happy to offer them as proposals to meet the initial need. In the early stages, alternative ideas will often also be presented. These proposals will be considered and perhaps modified. A decision is then taken as to the best solution to the design problem and the necessary specifications and instructions will then be given. This book follows the creative process of designing and printing textile patterns, from the initial sourcing of ideas to the final high-quality creation. It provides ideas and practical information at a level easily accessible to textile students and designers, but also to novices who would like to learn more.