Gradient Colour Engineering

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2nd Question:  I've also attached more of a complicated abstract gradient image.  What do you think the method/aproach would be to create something like this (line graphic then layer upon layer of colouring and bluring?)  Just trying to understand how it's done!

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I would guess Solid Color Layers, Gradient Layers, Vector Masks, Layer Masks, Smart Objects, Blur Gallery, … 

Ultimately a lot of manual painting may be hard to avoid. 

I'm thinking each colour has to be created individually using separate layers and then blurring the ends to create the gradient effect?  This way you can widen or narrow the specific colour and therefore the gradient is engineered to your determined measurements. 

Yes, pretty much. Most of the time you won't want to blur transparent, though, but rather merge your artwork and blur against white to prevent colors from degenerating into a dark mess. The specifics will depend on the actual print process, of course. Single application ink jet printing is simple enough, but things can get tricky with multiple applications or combining techniques.

(how to blur the ends, avoid bars and to create very smooth gradient transitions from one colour to another?

Same as with any other print stuff: Color management and working within the gamut of the avialable actual colors (dyes/ inks). The crux is, though, that different cloths behave differently and due to how the color is absorbed in the fibers it's a completely different process than layering print inks on paper. Point in case: You can spend all day cooking up nice designs and adhere to all this stuff and they still can turn out differently. Most facilities will rather run lots of test prints and rely on multispectral photography, spectrometer measurements and checking things in their color checking boxes.

Mylenium