FIBER COMPOSITE WITH STITCHED STRUCTURAL IMAGE

A plurality of structural fibers are laid onto a substrate. The plurality of structural fibers are stitched together with a thread in a specified stitching pattern to form a composite preform. The thread in the specified stitching pattern secures the structural fibers to each other such that the structural fibers provide a tailored load path within the composite preform and presents a visible image on an outer surface of the composite preform.