The Ancient art of BlockPrint and Its Meaning

Some traditions are universal. Here, we shine a light on just one craft – how it’s being adapted, reimagined, and remade for the 21st century.

Block printing is one of the oldest types of printmaking in India. Professionals print lengths of fabric, usually on cotton or silk, with hand-carved wooden blocks. The print begins with the design drawn on paper and then transferred in pencil to the teak block. The design is meticulously hand carved using a hammer and chisel. Sometimes a brass or copper block is used for fine prints.

Patinas or printing tables are several meters long and are carefully prepared with layers of hessian and base fabric to cushion the surface, allowing dyes to be absorbed evenly. The fabric to be printed is stretched on the printing table and fixed with small pins. The tension of the fabric should be even, so that there are no ripples..

The dye is mixed and poured into the pallet which rests on a wooden trolley with wheels allowing efficient access to the people to print.

Each color of the print requires a different block and is individually stamped onto the fabric with the familiar “tock tock” sound of block printing. After the printed fabric is finished, it is hung up and left to dry. Once dry, the material is steamed and washed to remove any excess dye.

Block printing is an ancestral, skilful and meticulous process. The exceptional quality of our prints is the result of the extraordinary skills of the sculptor and printer. True craftsmanship.

Ines