This research investigates how invisible data markers can be embedded into woven textiles and retrieved using near-infrared (NIR) imaging. It focuses on integrating machine-readable information without altering the textile’s visible appearance, which is essential for traceability and compliance with emerging frameworks like the Digital Product Passport (DPP). The method follows a multi-stage approach, beginning with an analysis of material behavior and the combination of yarns with differing NIR absorption properties. Transparency and contrast serve as key evaluation criteria. Results demonstrate that specific yarn combinations in compound woven structures can be programmed with invisible markers that are detectable under NIR light yet remain invisible to the human eye. A final demonstrator validates the approach. This supports circular design by embedding product data within the material itself and contributes to human–computer interaction (HCI) by enabling non-electronic, material-based interfaces. The work advances research on embedded markers and tags, enabling machine-readable codes without additional hardware.

Current practices in the textile industry significantly contribute to environmental and social issues. Textile-forms have potential to support the transition towards a more sustainable system, but woven textile-forms are currently rare due to most looms being designed to solely create flat sheets of fabric. The possibilities for woven textile-forms, if the fabric could be shaped directly on the loom, have therefore been left unexplored. This project proposes a way to change the weaving process and the loom to enable the creation of 3D and non-rectangular 2D fabrics. An add-on is introduced that can provide standard looms with the required functionalities, which was validated with a functional prototype for a Magic Dobby shaft loom. The assortment of 3D and non-rectangular 2D fabric samples created with use of the add-on prototype show the potential of the proposed method and tool for creating textile products while requiring less post-processing and eliminating waste.