Block Printing

Block printing or Woodblock printing  is the process of printing text, images or  patterns by means of engraved wooden blocks used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China about 4500 years ago in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper.

Bangru, in Rajasthan was on the Indian subcontinent where hand-blocked fabric reached its highest visual expression. Indians possessed unparalleled expertise in the secrets of natural plant dyes, particularly with mordants metallic salts that both create color and allow it to adhere to fabric). A kind of mud resist-printing, called Dabu, which allows areas of a design to be reserved from dye, also flourished here. A series of combinations of mordant and resist stamping and dyeing enabled Indian printers to create uniquely complex designs.

In Bangru,the  home workshops scattered throughout, you can still find chippas community, who originated block printing  continue day after day to stamp lengths of cotton fabric with color using hand-carved wood blocks. They were taught this trade by their parents, who were, in turn, taught by theirs — each generation working almost exactly as the one before, going back at least 300 years.

The famous centres in Rajasthan are the cities of Jaipur, Bagru, Sanganer, Pali and Barmer, and the state is known for its colourful prints of gods, goddesses, humans, animals and birds. While Bagru is renowned for its Syahi Begar and Dabu prints (that come in yellow and black and are done using the resist printing technique), Sanganer is famous for its Calico prints (recognised by their dual colour prints done repeatedly in diagonal rows) and Doo Rookhi prints (that come on both side of the fabric). Barmer is known for its prints of red chillies and trees featuring a blue-black outline, while Sikar and Shekhawat prints feature motifs of horses, camels, peacocks and lions.

After originating in Rajasthan,it was then adopted by Gujrat. Today, the art form is practiced in the states of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, apart from the aforementioned two.

In Gujarat, the well-known centres are Dhamadka, Kutch, Bhavnagar, Vasna, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Jetpur and Porbandar. Ajrakh prints originate in the Dhamadka village, and feature geometric motifs made using natural colours. Kutch’s popular motifs come in red and black designs of women, animals and birds.

Punjab’s Chhimba community, which is a group of textile workers, use a print with floral and geometrical motifs in light pastel hues. 

West Bengal’s Serampore is known for using vibrant patterns in their block prints.

The process of block printing

The process of block printing is a tedious one—the blocks themselves require 10-15 days to be perfected. It all begins with a fabric that is first washed free of starch. If tie-dyeing is needed, it is done at this stage, and if the fabric is already dyed, it is washed to remove excess colour, post which it is dried in the sun. The next step sees the fabric pinned on the printing table. Meanwhile, the colours are prepared and kept on a tray containing glue and pigment binder to ensure a soft base for the colour, and to allow it to easily spread on the block.

These blocks are made using woods such as teak, sycamore and pear, and are lovingly hand-carved in a myriad of intricate designs that are first made using chalk paste or a pencil on paper. Post this, they are soaked in oil for 10-15 days to soften the timber.

Once the blocks are ready, they are dipped in the colour and then pressed on to the fabric. This process is repeated over and over again until the length of the fabric is complete. Precision is demanded by the artisans to ensure there are no breaks in the motifs. If there are multiple colours, other blocks are used and the artisan waits for the first print to dry first.

The fabrics are left to dry in the sun, and then rolled in a newspaper to prevent them from sticking to each other. The post-printing process sees them being steamed, washed in water, dried in the sun again, and lastly, being ironed.

There are only three widely-used techniques of block printing in India—direct printing, resist printing and discharge printing. Direct printing sees the fabric bleached first, then dyed and finally printed using carved blocks (first the outline blocks, and then to blocks to fill in colour). Resist printing requires some areas of the fabric to be protected from the dye, which are shielded with the use of clay and resin. The dyed fabric is then washed, but the dye spreads through the protected areas, causing a rippled effect. Next, further use of blocks add desired designs. The last technique of discharge printing, on the other hand, sees the use of chemicals to remove portions from dyed fabric which are then filled in with different colours.

What makes block printing so unique?

The labour-intensive technique of block printing is sure to capture your attention. “From wood carving a block to transferring an impression onto the textile surface, it is the human hand that creates tiny variations and imperfections that are so charming and unique to this process,” says Kumra. “Also, it is a more versatile and sustainable technique—it lends itself well to small bespoke developments as well as large scale productions.”