Abstract
Advances in additive manufacturing (AM), particularly Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), have introduced new possibilities for textile and fashion design through toolpath-based fabrication. This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of 3D-printed textiles, drawing on insights from five iterations of a Digital Design and Craft course, in which 101 students designed and produced wearable artifacts using computational workflows. This paper examines students’ projects, analyzes application types, discusses assembly techniques and post-processing strategies, and highlights how traditional textile manufacturing inspires the toolpath structures. The paper further discusses the opportunities of 3D printed toolpath-based textiles, such as supporting sustainability and enhancing personalization through accessible, low-cost technologies. Challenges include differences in tactility relative to traditional textiles, printer build-size constraints that require assembly, and reliance on post-processing to achieve three-dimensional forms. By framing these findings within an educational context, this paper highlights both the creative potential and current barriers of 3D printed textiles and suggests directions for future research, tool development, and design pedagogy.
Keywords
Personal fabrication; Computational fabrication; Toolpath manipulation; Computer science education; Fused Deposition Modeling
DOI
10.21606/TI-2026.102
Citation
Sterman, Y.(2026) Opportunities and challenges of toolpath-based 3D printed textiles: insights from Digital Design and Craft course, in Jane Scott, Sophie Skach, and Rebecca Stewart (eds.), Textile Intersections 2026, 17-18 September 2026, London, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/TI-2026.102
Conference Track
researchpapers
Included in
Opportunities and challenges of toolpath-based 3D printed textiles: insights from Digital Design and Craft course
Advances in additive manufacturing (AM), particularly Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), have introduced new possibilities for textile and fashion design through toolpath-based fabrication. This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of 3D-printed textiles, drawing on insights from five iterations of a Digital Design and Craft course, in which 101 students designed and produced wearable artifacts using computational workflows. This paper examines students’ projects, analyzes application types, discusses assembly techniques and post-processing strategies, and highlights how traditional textile manufacturing inspires the toolpath structures. The paper further discusses the opportunities of 3D printed toolpath-based textiles, such as supporting sustainability and enhancing personalization through accessible, low-cost technologies. Challenges include differences in tactility relative to traditional textiles, printer build-size constraints that require assembly, and reliance on post-processing to achieve three-dimensional forms. By framing these findings within an educational context, this paper highlights both the creative potential and current barriers of 3D printed textiles and suggests directions for future research, tool development, and design pedagogy.