Punched Jacquard card

Damask designs were originally laid out on point paper (regular grid) for draw boys to read and in turn lift the appropriate warp threads, allowing patterns to be woven on a draw-loom. With the invention of the Jacquard mechanism, damask designs were now transferred from point paper to rigid cards. Sewn together in sequence, the Jacquard mechanism acted like a primitive computer, lifting the loom's warp threads and allowing the weaver to produce damask without the need for a draw boy.