Block printing – the art of exquisiteness in miniature The technique of block printing on fabrics has always appealed for allowing the transfer of minute or miniature patterns onto them, mostly not possible by other techniques. Exquisite floral art and fancy abstract prints with sharp detailing have ushered in a new freshness in the current life cycle of fashion trends. Block printing or the transfer of fine designs and patterns through wooden blocks dipped in colour dyes is a traditional art once practised specifically in Sanganer and Bagru in Rajasthan, India. It later also spread to other parts of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Block prints are made on fabrics through printing by hand using wooden blocks with handles or grips. It is also loosely termed as hand printing or painting. This is the only method by which extremely fine detailed designs are transferred to the fabric. Motifs that are generally popular are that of flowers, fruits, trees, birds, Buta, Kalga, Bel and floral designs and geometrical shapes. Since block prints require prints to be made in varied colours there are several blocks of different designs kept in readiness. Blocks are dipped in finely mixed colour dye baths and pressed upon the fabric and a slight tap is made before removing it so that the print is uniform. Wood Blocks are made commonly from wood like sycamore, plane or pear wood, though wood of other varieties also could be used.
The thickness is expected to be at least two or three inches to guard against warping. Additional precaution is also taken by backing it with deal or pine strips. The block is made by creating tongues and grooves to fit in each other snugly and gluing under pressure to make it seem like a homogeneous block. The block is smooth planed and the printing surface is smooth and flat. The design to be incorporated is etched out after applying lamp black and oil on the design and transferring it to the block surface. To achieve fine clear edges of the design the outline of the design on the block is coloured and then the etching is done. Metal copper pieces are wedged into the hollowed out design on the block to prevent caving in of pieces or edges becoming blunt due to the block used continuously with reasonably applied pressure over the laid out fabric. Sometimes coppering is done by heating the block with the copper strips inside and then removed when the block gets cold.The resulting block would have extremely fine edges and detailing as a single piece of wood. Brush Prints are done generally by colouring through dyes filled in blank areas, doing fine lines on the design, inner filling etc. in designs using different type brushes based upon the fineness of the design and its application. You could have silk brushes for filling in large areas and water colour painting, fabric brushes which push the dye into the fabric for it to soak in. You have brushes with different shapes at the tip like round, tiny round, flat for fine to coarse detailing work. Other known varieties are liner brush for different thickness of lines, foam brushes generally used for tie-dye applications, sumi brush for calligraphy, chinese wash brush for broad strokes on painting. Brush printing is practised as a complement to block printing in many places more as a filler and touch-up application than the main printing.
Block prints and brush prints have been done successfully on various fabrics such as cotton, silk and Sico. The next time you see the difference between two prints, be sure the design with finer detailed dots or curves would most probably be the block printed one. Unnati silks, the largest ethnic online Indian shop offers exquisite designer Block Printed saris for online sale. Our Online shopping store has the widest range of rich Indian Sarees and Salwar kameez. At Unnati Silks, you can buy unique, exclusive collection at affordable price. Unnati has a unique range of fusion salwar kameez where trending designs, patterns and colors have been incorporated in traditional styles of fabric manufacturers, and available in retail and wholesale. You can purchase online at Unnati silks and the products will be dispatched within 24 working hours of placing the o rder. We have free shipping and Cash on Delivery (COD) facility for Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ernakulum, Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Patna, Jaipur and many other Indian cities. We also do Worldwide express shipping to countries like Australia, United States Of America(USA), United Kingdom (UK), United Arab Emirates(UAE), Australia, United States of America (USA), Adelaide, Black Town, Brisbane, Gold coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Barking, Birmingham, Leicester, London, Manchester, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, South America, Sri Lanka and Sweden.