Increasing global competition in textiles has created many challenges for European dyers and finishers. The rapid growth in technical textiles and in their end‐uses has generated many opportunities for the application of innovative chemical finishes. Novel finishes of high added value for apparel fabrics are also greatly appreciated by a more discerning and demanding consumer market. This review will concentrate on some of the new approaches to producing high added value textiles that provide consumers with greater levels of comfort, safety, aesthetics and functional performance. Some of the technologies to be described are developed to the commercial exploitation stage, while others are still in development but offer potential for the future. Textile finishing personnel and companies must be active in keeping abreast of the developments in chemical finishing that are emerging globally, in order to survive and prosper in this very competitive and cost‐conscious sector of the textile industry. The future of textile finishing within Europe depends upon rapid adoption of high performance, high added value finishes that provide innovation and novelty to the consumer, and in seeking out new end‐uses and markets for such finishes.

One hundred and fifty years ago the world of coloration changed forever with William Henry Perkin's discovery of the first synthetic dye derived from coal tar. The life, work and legacy of Sir William Henry Perkin are reviewed in the light of his early chemical education, his training in coal tar chemistry with Hofmann, and his discovery, patenting and manufacture of mauveine. This was the first synthetic dyestuff to be manufactured in a purpose‐built industrial chemical plant anywhere in the world.

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The use of chitosan as a combined thickener and binder in pigment printing has been examined in comparison with a commercial printing system (Alcoprint). Printing pastes made up from mixtures of chitosan, pigment and acetic acid at the appropriate viscosity gave satisfactory prints on polyester and 67:33 polyester/cotton woven fabrics. Rheological data showed the chitosan pigment paste had a much lower yield point than commercial printing paste though no difficulties were found in its use. Curing of the chitosan print at 150°C for 6 min gave samples of comparable colour fastness to the commercial printed samples when subjected to the rubbing and washing tests. The only drawbacks noted in using chitosan in this way were a reduced colour yield and a much higher fabric stiffness.

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