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Block Printing

Block printing is a traditional method of printing patterns on fabric using carved wooden blocks. It is the oldest and simplest printing method but also the slowest. The process involves carving fabric designs into wooden blocks by hand then applying pigment dyes to the blocks and pressing them onto fabric stretched over a table. Each color requires a separate block. The designs are limited by the carver's skill and the width of the printing table. Block printing produces low volumes but highly artistic results and is an important part of Rajasthan's cultural heritage, with styles like Sanganeri and Bagru that use specific color combinations.

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185 views

Block Printing

Block printing is a traditional method of printing patterns on fabric using carved wooden blocks. It is the oldest and simplest printing method but also the slowest. The process involves carving fabric designs into wooden blocks by hand then applying pigment dyes to the blocks and pressing them onto fabric stretched over a table. Each color requires a separate block. The designs are limited by the carver's skill and the width of the printing table. Block printing produces low volumes but highly artistic results and is an important part of Rajasthan's cultural heritage, with styles like Sanganeri and Bagru that use specific color combinations.

Uploaded by

shaifali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Block printing on textiles 

is the process
of printing patterns on textiles, usually
of linen, cotton or silk, by means of
incised wooden blocks.
It is the earliest, simplest and slowest of all methods of textile
printing.

Block printing by hand is a slow process. It is, however, capable


of yielding highly artistic results, some of which are
unobtainable by any other method.
• It yields very low production.
• The cost of set up is very less.
• Very skilled personnel is required to do such
printing.
• The cost of making a design is very less, however
durability of design is very low, being defined by
durability of block, usually made of wood.
• The variety of designs is dictated by the skill of the
woodworker who carves those designs.
• The size of design pattern repeat can be larger.
• There is a limitation of width of the fabric- which is
dictated by the width of the table.
Hand-block printing is an inseparable part of
cultural heritage of Rajasthan.

There are two types of block printing famous


in the state of Rajasthan namely

• Sanganeri – printed on white background


• Bagru – printed on black and red background
Blocks are made of seasoned
teak wood by trained craftsmen.

The underside of the block has


the design hand carved on it by
the block maker. Each block has
a wooden handle and two to
three cylindrical holes drilled into
the block for free air passage and
also to allow release of excess
printing paste.

The new blocks are soaked in oil


for 10-15 days to soften the
grains in the timber.
• The fabric to be printed is washed
free of starch and soft bleached if
the natural gray of the fabric is not
desired.
• The fabric is stretched over the printing table
and fastened with small pins. This is an
important stage as there should be a uniform
tension in the fabric and no ripples.
• Color is mixed separately in another room.
Usually pigment dyes are used for cotton
• The number of blocks needed per design depends on
the number of colors used.

• A tray is filled with the pigment and the block is placed


into it to collect the accurate amount of dye.
• The tray, which contains a metal grid with layers of fabric
laid on top, is filled with dye. The dye soaks through the
fabric, which then acts as a color pad against which the
block is to be pressed.
Coloured pigment is mixed with a
thickener or binder.

A printing pad
made from two
layers of muslin
and one layer of
hessian.

A sheet of
polythene is used
to keep the pad
from drying out.
• The block is then placed carefully on the fabric and struck
with the heel of the printer`s hand. The process is repeated
until the entire cloth is covered.

• Each colour has its own block and each Colour can vary
owing to the weather and as it is printed in five metre
lengths can vary within a collection.
• The fabric, after pigment printing is dried out in the
sun. This is part of the fixing process.
• Once the cloth has been steamed it is washed to remove
excess dye and the resist paste.

• Hand block printed fabrics are best washed in warm


water with a gentle detergent so that, the colors remain
rich and vibrant.
Pattern
carved from
a block of
wood

Pattern made by
hammering metal
nails into a block
of wood
Pattern made Carved
with nails blocks
Products of Block Printing

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