Quote Originally Posted by Monkey@Arms
I understand the distinction you're making, but I get the distinct impression that the vast majority of tartans were created by the marketing departments of industrial revolution-era mills.
True to an extent but with an important distiction. The designers and mills turned out many tartans which were identified by number only. Families, Clans and other organisations that didn't have registered tartans adopted these tartans and in many cases eventualy registered them as theirs. Yes in many cases it was originally the mills that put the names to the numbers and they were later identified with a clan or clans.

Today organisations that wish to have their own tartan have it designed for them. I am not aware of books of unnamed and unsold tartans that organisations choose from to call their own. many of these designs are restricted. However that doesn't mean that mills wait for someone to ask for a tartan, far from it. Lately the marketing dept. of mills have decided to design tartans to fill a need they identify as a good marketing niche. It is these I have a problem with.