System and method of generating a pattern or image on fabric with linear laser irradiation, fabric made by said method, and products made with said fabric

A method of laser abrading fabric, comprising the steps of:

• a. selecting a length and width for a fabric substrate;
• b. selecting a style and size of a garment or product to be formed from the fabric substrate and causing a marker pattern to be formed for each panel of the garment or product and applying the marker pattern to the fabric substrate;
• c. selecting an imaging pattern to be laser etched for use in the garment or product;
• d. applying the imaging pattern to each of the panels;
• e. providing a length of fabric;
• f. lazing the fabric and thus forming the panels having the imaging pattern;
• and
• g. cutting the panels from the fabric.

A system for generating a design on a surface of a fabric with laser irradiation, comprising:

• a laser system comprising software programmed with a plurality of designs based on a plurality of garment sizes and a plurality of garment styles, each different combination of garment size and garment style being associated with a respective plurality of panel shapes that are configured for assembly with one another into a respective garment, wherein the designs of the different combinations of garment size and garment style programmed in the software differ from one another;
• wherein the software allows a user to select a design from the plurality of designs;
• wherein the software allows a user to select a garment size and a garment style from the plurality of garment sizes and the plurality of garment styles;
• and
• wherein the software controls the laser system so that the selected design is lazed onto areas of a fabric corresponding to the respective plurality of panel shapes of the combination of the selected garment size and the selected garment style prior to assembly of the respective plurality of panel shapes into the garment.