In the 1940s, men and women had been pushing the technical limits of photography ever since the medium was born, well over a century before but no one , it seems, had ever bothered to devote the energy, time and money it would take to devise a method for printing pictures directly on to fabric. Two New York-based companies were out to change that grave dereliction: by 1947, the photographic fabrics [were] being produced in quantity by two new and rival processes.
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlJRTvlkorw/XBPUV6BsynI/AAAAAAADZBo/On_GXhoj5hUOS5e8XmTMAIcPauSmptblQCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric.jpg)
Both methods depend on a series of secret chemicals and dyes with which fabric is impregnated to make it light-sensitive. In the Foto-Fab process used by Leize, Inc. of New York a light shining through a negative film makes a positive print on cloth. In the Photone process of Ross-Smith Corp., also of New York, a positive film is used.
For the textile-printing industry photographic fabrics are the big news of the year. Although now limited to a group of restrained monotones, both pioneering companies are working to develop techniques that will give them full-color photographs on fabric and an opportunity to compete vigorously with traditional methods of printing fabric.
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGdjNFtuHm8/XBPTTnjOaaI/AAAAAAADZAI/KWdxlyVns-UMePSY5GYGCCIjlplT5gPuwCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-1.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGgHBRraklA/XBPTXWyiDaI/AAAAAAADZAw/2469MAkv9XY6k87TLtp_zzyjS909cIE0ACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-2.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_h0yRn6S4hY/XBPTXiO0FGI/AAAAAAADZA0/ZIR7XoORJLAjN_G42D1XvKjnG7BDuLYrACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-3.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Q2ACIQkBr0/XBPTX9z8k6I/AAAAAAADZA4/Y4EY7E5WKegZs7-4D04_ZrA--srGNJ6CACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-4.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jK_0FbcAdk4/XBPTYheIb2I/AAAAAAADZA8/kfmL1816hPY4U1R8j0FArNz4bOlWfO_KACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-5.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KeGoEogquB8/XBPTY3zaEwI/AAAAAAADZBA/WK5p54qz0qIcpQrB-WGFSdXLpJNf91Q1ACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-6.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bmhKoZsLqXE/XBPTZDOWdbI/AAAAAAADZBE/F8M-vG0-Cqos7YVN4JOpWwlHCxhpDh59QCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-7.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b0dOjb4tNvw/XBPTZoYU_aI/AAAAAAADZBI/j8UPwqPUIVQLYwRtXYRftxJc2qFuuINpACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-8.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YcP3Av-FJOY/XBPTZ9Jh4_I/AAAAAAADZBM/2znQp3plhh0qPM-WYcmpV0on2p1aIBZ0gCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-9.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F2oH-rwDuzc/XBPTTalfjsI/AAAAAAADZAE/PsmE2RrJbLIreOvnU5MyuN3QbIgIUzkfACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-10.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSBUL6M7_pU/XBPTThXt2iI/AAAAAAADZAM/9gWdprwYSHsCeqyRbxAn9Ech4OQPxnr_ACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-11.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ObUjUziHzVE/XBPTURb5PaI/AAAAAAADZAQ/TFfLadFtuxcXTm-1KAk6pAW-0z0KtVz8ACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-12.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OFmJiqxL-Q0/XBPTUv3R2BI/AAAAAAADZAU/zkSPbMoVmxkK2A1x70lqoZwTa8Gp9AAyQCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-13.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_oectllFFnU/XBPTUxzRr_I/AAAAAAADZAY/pSipbhYVYJsf18ZJJT1MDJwMF9zFEsl5QCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-14.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sqJ7s9SxRHE/XBPTVXe9rrI/AAAAAAADZAc/l8XMyU8SjBoY35W3sypKAbE9BsKZodrUgCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-15.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WMYzLxRptk8/XBPTV-nlDZI/AAAAAAADZAk/jnji5NlG7AwPv5c3MH_Ejn59aK5rUqgQACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-16.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-727ATMoOOi4/XBPTV25BpII/AAAAAAADZAg/Z4LAjZmJObMaAYhrV_7dPWDd_b4RNdE2ACLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-17.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZWruaLDNc0/XBPTWSY7tEI/AAAAAAADZAo/mLzAwiYpXM0P7foCiHVqf4wMXluk2eXBgCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-18.jpg)
1940s Printing Technique
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lhdCtQBgpc4/XBPTW2zUTtI/AAAAAAADZAs/ShUuOQPsJMY77Pqv9tcLBe0lg-Oh9UnwQCLcBGAs/s640/printing-photos-on-fabric-19.jpg)