Block Printing on Fabric in India - Introduction, History, Process, Art, Design

1. Block PrintingonFabric in India-Introduction, History,Process,Art,Design IntroductionofBlockPrinting Block printing is a traditional Indian art form practised for centuries. It is believed to have originated in theearlydays of Buddhism whenmonks used blocks to print texts on cloth. The technique was later adopted by the Mughal Empire and became popular in India during the 18th century. And it is still popular to this day; look at the demand for Sanganeri Print bedsheets. Theprocessof blockprintingonfabricinvolvescarvinganimageintoablockofwoodor metal, then applying ink to the surface and pressing paper onto it. The design is transferred from theblockontothe paper,creating aprint withsharplinesandbright colours. HistoryofBlockPrinting The history of block printing is not definitive as there are many origin stories that one can find, especially in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. According to many, Block Printing is a technique developed in China and spread to Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and other countries. The earliest known examples of block printing are believed to be from Chinainthe 6thcentury AD. Similarly, there are origin stories of how block printing was first discovered in India around the12thcentury,theevidenceof whichcanbefoundin the Jaipurirazaiandother materials that use this print. The art of block printing from then has been passed on from generationtogeneration.

2. ProcessofBlockPrintingand ScreenPrintingin Jaipur • BlockPrinting • Block printing is a process of printing from carved blocks of wood. The wood block is cut to the size of the page, and then ink is applied to the surface. The block is then pressed onto paper, transferringtheink fromthe surfacetothepaper. • Stepsinvolvedintheprocess: • Thefirststepinblockprintingiscuttingwoodintoarectangularshapeusedasa printingplate. It canbe done withasaw orusinganelectriccarvingknife. • Thenextstepistocarveoutallthelettersandimagesprintedonthisplate.Itcanbe done withanX-Actoknife orusing gougesandchisels. • Onceallofthesedetailshavebeencarvedout,it'stimetoinkupthisplatewithink tobe usedforprinting purposes. • ScreenPrinting • Screen printing is a process of printing from a stencil. It is the most common form of screen printingandcanbeusedonmanydifferent typesofsurfaces. • Stepsinvolvedintheprocess: • The process starts with a design created in a computer program, such asAdobe Photoshop or Illustrator.Thedesign is then printed onto thesurfacethat will be usedforthe finalproduct.

3. Theprinterthenplacesthestencilontopofthesurfaceandsqueezesinkontothe surfacebelow. • Theinkis thenleftto dry. • Printingthedesignontothesurfaceusuallyinvolvesusingasqueegeeandapplyingink.Ink is pushed out of nozzles in the squeegee at a high pressure to allow droplets of liquid to spread over large areas of the stencil. The result isan even coatof ink over the entire screen, with small gaps where droplets did not cover an area covered by other drops. Some screens may alsouse arollerthat applieslesspressure. • Art • Hand block print is the art of printing images or patterns on paper using a hand-held press. Initially, this art was used to produce beautiful and intricate designs for textile fabrics. But today, hand-block print is also famous for use in furniture, pottery, and other decorative items. You can easily find Rajasthani home decor items with Hand Block Prints. Some of the most popular prints include floral designs, abstract patterns, and traditional scenes from everyday life. • The versatilityof theartthatone can utilizewith block print makesit amongthemost popular choice for a textile manufacturer. Youcan easily find differently designed Katha workbedcoversandmorewithuniqueart that willtakeyourbreathaway. • Design • Hand blockprints are a type of designthatiscreated by pressinginkonto paper. The designs are usually made up of geometric shapes and patterns. The most common type of handblockprintismadeupofgeometricshapesandpatterns.In mostprints,suchas in hand block print bedsheets, the ink is applied to the paper using a flat printing press. The designs produced by these inks tend to have fine lines and dots that give them a textured quality. • This printmakingis oftenusedfor decorativepurposes,such as blockprintbedsheets. Becausehand-blockprintingisadelicateprocess,it'susuallyreservedforhigh-end

4. products.The designstypically have aunique andbeautifulappearancethatcan'tbe reproducedusing otherprintingmethods. SourceLink: https://www.suhaanicreations.in/blog/block-printing-introduction