Study Abroad Textile Mills Tour- El Salvador

In March 2022, I had the privilege of being part of the study abroad group with the University of Missouri's Textile and Apparel Management team to El Salvador. I gained first hand knowledge of how textile mills are set up and operated, as well as being able to see every step of the process of yarn and fabric development.

The highlights that I learned while I was there was:

1. How to color match properly.

2. About spectrophotometer color reading- According to a company called Xrite, “The most common spectrophotometer, this instrument measures the wavelengths of light reflected at a fixed angle to the sample, usually 45˚. This type of spectrophotometer is compact and can exclude gloss to most closely replicate how the human eye sees color.”

3. Knowing the material is key for good design.

4. To create recycled polyester, plastic bottles are collected with dirt and residue, etc (like remnants of drinks still inside, etc.), then chopped up, then washed well, then melted, then filtered, then made into fiber. Caps and labels are separated first.