Printed

Print scale and repeat: small, medium or large

The size of the print changes both the look and how the cloth cuts.

• Small and ditsy prints: tiny florals or dots. They hide small cutting differences and suit most cuts.
• Medium repeats: stripes, geometrics and block patterns that look neat on shirt, sleeve and trouser alike.
• Large florals and motifs: bold and summery, but a large motif can land awkwardly at the bust or seam if the cut is not planned.
• Border prints: the pattern runs along the hem or sleeve edge and frames the outfit.

Look at how the photo shows the repeat across the shirt. A print with three or four colours is easier to match with plain pieces than one with many.

Reading a printed lawn listing: shirt, dupatta and trouser

Printed does not always mean every piece is printed. A set may have a printed shirt and dupatta with a plain trouser, or a printed shirt with a plain dupatta. Read the piece count, 1-piece, 2-piece or 3-piece, and the fabric of each piece on the brand's page.

For unstitched suits, check the metres supplied for the shirt, since large prints use more cloth to show the design. A plain dupatta or trouser in a colour taken from the print makes the suit more versatile, so mix a printed shirt with plain pieces you own. For ready-to-wear printed lawn, see the size chart on the brand's site and our size guide.

Why this page and the digital page can overlap

This page follows the word printed in the title. A suit whose title says digital printed can therefore show on both this page and digital lawn. The digital page owns the comparison between traditional and digital printing, so use it if you want photographic detail or smooth gradients.

For thread work on lawn, see embroidered lawn. For printed fabric in other cloths, use unstitched printed.

Will the print wash well? Checks and first-wash habits

Sharp edges, even colour and a print that looks the same across the photo suggest a well-made print. Blurry edges or patchy colour in the photos are a warning.

Deep dyes can bleed in the first washes, so wash a new printed suit alone, inside out, in cool water with a mild detergent. Dry in the shade, because strong sun can fade prints over time, and iron on a medium setting with the print turned inward. Dark prints on a light base can show through a light lining, so check the colour combination. Ask your tailor to pre-wash or steam the cloth before cutting, since lawn can shrink a little.

Which print for which routine

A subtle small print suits an office; a bolder large floral suits weekends and casual outings. Stripes and geometrics suit university and are easy to pair with a plain dupatta.

For a small wardrobe, buy two or three printed lawn suits in different scales and one plain dupatta and one plain trouser in neutral colours to mix with them. That gives more outfits for the same spend. A sort by price on this page shows suits with the same piece count side by side, which is how to compare fairly.