Hand-block printing is an integral part of the
cultural heritage of Rajasthan. Printing styles
vary from region to region. Traditionally, Sanganer
produced fine small floral motifs on white backgrounds
for the royal court, whilst Bagru produced simplified
graphic designs for the local rural people.
The process of hand block printing is very elaborate
and interesting. Once the teak block has been
carved, the cloth to be printed is stretched out
on a waist high table five metres long and pinned
at each end to secure it. A tray is filled with
the pigment and the block is placed in to it to
collect the accurate amount of dye.
A 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 an ink pad against which the block is to be
pressed. The secret to good printing is to constantly
measure (visually) the quantity of dye in the
tray so that the “ink pad” is neither
too dry nor too wet and the block, when pressed
onto the pad, picks up the correct amount of dye.
The block is then placed carefully on the fabric
and struck with the heel of the printer’s
hand. The process is repeated, precisely aligning
the block each time until the entire cloth is
covered. This means that the cloth can be stamped
over a 1000 times for three metres. Each colour
has its own block and each colour is lined up
using tiny markers in the blocks. Colours can
vary owing to the weather and as it is printed
in five metre lengths can vary within a collection.
Natural dyes are affected more by the weather
and printing has to stop completely over the Monsoon
season. The more colours used the greater is the
time and labour required for cutting the blocks
and printing the cloth.
Different dyes react in different ways and hence
have separate process when applied to fabric.
Indigo dyes for example are resist-printed with
a paste made from clay, wheat chaff and gum. The
resist paste is printed on the cloth with a block
and left to dry. This prevents the indigo dye
from penetrating the cloth when the cloth is later
dipped into the indigo vat. Once the cloth has
been dyed 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.
This ensures the colours remain rich and vibrant.
