The setting of textile materials has developed great importance since the introduction of synthetic fibers, with the new processes which they made possible and the ease of care change in consumer demand which they simulated. The need for setting processes spread to the natural and regenerated fibers and intensified earlier work on crease resistance. Despite practical advances in the technology of setting, the fundamentals of the process remain imperfectly understood, and this lack of knowledge is impeding further technological progress. Setting may either be temporary or permanent, and may be brought about by chemical, thermal or moisture changes within the fibers or by structural changes within the fabrics. This book, which derives from a special course held at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, presents in its opening chapters modern concepts of the fundamentals of setting mechanisms together with the necessary background information on structure. The second half of the book is concerned with the technology of setting: the actual setting processes, the problems encountered, and the consequences of setting on other processes, including garment manufacture.