A patterned carpet is carpeting imprinted with a pattern that can be applied in several different ways. Some patterned carpets are worked with pre-dyed yarns to form a pattern while others have the design printed onto its once-plain surface. There are also differences in how the pattern is angled on a patterned carpet.
Drop match and set match are the two main types of pattern angling used to make printed patterned carpets. The drop match method is printed on the carpet in sloping angles. The set match approach features straight rows that are parallel to the width of the patterned carpet.
Screen or jet printing of carpeting creates a printed design on the carpet done with computer technology much like that used to print paper. Screen printing places dye stuffs onto the face of the carpet and between one and eight colors are usually used. Jet printing is also called the injected dye method as the ink is injected right into the pile of the carpet. The printed method of creating a patterned carpet is known as post-dying, as the color is added after the carpet itself has been made.
The patterned carpet that is created with pre-dyed yarns worked to form the carpet itself at the same time the pattern is being made can be considered the pre-dying method. The three main kinds of pre-dyed patterned carpets are woven, knitted and tufted. A tufted patterned carpet is made with tufts of pile inserted by needles into the backing material. Woven carpets are available in many different textures such as looped or velvet.
A patterned carpet can be used in large or small rooms, but generally larger patterns work best in large rooms and smaller patterns are better suited to small rooms. This is because large rooms can overwhelm small prints on patterned carpeting and small rooms with bold or bright patterns can look tiny and tacky. Hotels and other commercial properties often use patterned carpeting in many different designs and colors. One large hotel may have dozens of different patterned carpets in its dining rooms, lobbies, hallways and guest rooms.