Pigments are classified as organic or inorganic based on their chemical composition. 1,2 Typically, organic pigments comprise compounds of carbon elements that participate in covalent bonding, while inorganic pigments consist primarily of ground minerals such as metals, metallic salts (except barium salts of dyes) and metalloid salts, which do not contain carbon bonds. 3 Although some organic pigments may contain inorganic elements as stabilisers, organic pigments are defined primarily based on their congugated carbon bonds (except carbon black). 2 To improve the chemical, thermal, freeze-thaw and dispersion stability of organic pigments upon application, these classes of pigments have been the subject of extensive research over the years due to their obvious advantages. [4][5][6] Typically, the colour strength and optical properties of coated/printed substrates depend largely on the quality of the pigmented ink/paste and the nature of the substrate. The quality of the pigmented ink/paste then rests on the quality of the dispersion system (ie, the degree of the dispersion and its stability). 5,7 Dispersion stability is very important from the point of view of surface coatings and printing systems, especially for encapsulated inks that

Retro-reflective materials are important for safety purposes, such as enhancing the visibility of pedestrians at night when they wear garments with reflective materials and therefore reducing pedestrian fatalities. This has challenged different manufacturers to produce effective materials that provide the best retro-reflection. Most of these materials are applied as stripes on clothing, but can also extend to artisans using reflective yarns in their creations. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research and the synthesis of reflective yarns and African design patterns (due to its symbolic value for the African people) to create effective textiles that have the necessary properties for visibility at night. In this research work, a new approach is adopted by using a design process that combines jacquard weaving technology, reflective threads and African design patterns to produce retro-reflective textiles. The subsequent reflective effects captured in a darkroom show the retro-reflective ability of the samples. The testing carried out by using the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics shows that the total hand value (THV) of the samples makes them suitable for men’s winter dress shirts and women’s thin winter dresses (with positive values) but not suitable for the summer garment (with negative values) counterparts respectively. This new approach might extend the ideation to produce retro-reflective textiles that can be applied for many different uses.

Challenges with broadloom beaming that affect the weaving process and eventually the woven fabric aspect, could be as a result of the great bulk of yarns attached to the weighted box for tensioning. This project sought to construct a beaming device that maintains even tension of warp yarn at beaming by reducing the amount of yarns held together in a group to the weighted box. The study employed the Universal Research Methodology (URM). Results from interviews and observations, aided in constructing an appropriate device for beaming. In the study, relevant data was solicited from textile students and technicians at the textile section of the Industrial Art Department of IJAH, VOL. 6(3), S/N 22, JULY, 2017 142Copyright © International Association of African Researchers and Reviewers, 2006-2017: www.afrrevjo .net/ijah Indexed African Journals Online (AJOL) www.ajol.infoKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology which aided in designing the blueprints. The outcome of the study after 14 beaming revealed that challenges and faults hitherto encountered at beaming and weaving were largely absent. The study recommends the adaptation of this new mechanism and method of warp attachment to ensure smoother weaving and enhanced fabric quality.

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