A woven fabric consists of two assemblies of parallel yarns superimposed (or interlaced), one on the other, at ninety degrees. Where each of the two assemblies of yarns is arranged in a particular colour sequence, a specific category of woven cloth known as a 'tartan', with a characteristic check-type design, may be created. Check-type cloth has been produced worldwide, but it was in Scotland where a complex set of rules evolved and tartan of different types became associated traditionally with different families, groups or 'clans'. This paper identifies and introduces a selection of tartans and suggests innovative methods for the analysis and possible synthesis of new tartan-type designs.
Index Terms - Tartan, proportion, computer graphics