Major Centers of Hand Block Printing
Cotton is also printed in Ahmedabad, Sanganer, Bagru, Farukhabad and Pethapur, the main centers in Rajasthan and Gujarat where hand block printing has continued to flourish. In fact the prints of these areas seem to be quite similar. The Bagru and Sanganeri prints cannot be easily distinguished but if one looks carefully each has its own typical characteristics. The Sanganer prints are always on a white background, whereas the Bagru prints are essentially in red and black. Farukhabad is famous for its artistry and intricacy of design. Pethapur near Ahmedabad is known for the finest block printing. Banaras block makers design their blocks to suit fine silk printing - sometimes each design has seven colors. Block designs get bigger and bolder and the delicacy is lost as one moves towards the south or towards Calcutta. Today, Andhra Pradesh is a large center for hand block printing. Hyderabad is the home of the very popular Lepakshi prints. It is quite amazing how the same motif can be interpreted in different forms. Ajarakh prints, popular even today originated in Gujarat involving a resist print, primarily intended for garments for men.
The Process of Hand Block Printing
Block printing has become popular because the simple process
can create such sensational prints in rich
and vibrant colors. Originally natural dyes
were used but today they have been replaced
by chemical and artificial colors. The main
colors used are red, the color of love,
yellow the color of spring, blue as in Krishna,
and saffron of the yogi. The main tools
of the printer are wooden blocks in different
shapes and sizes called bunta. Blocks are
made of seasoned teak wood by trained craftsmen.
The underside of the block has the design
etched on it. Each block has a wooden handle
and two to three cylindrical holes drilled
into the block for free air passage and
also to allow release of excess printing
paste. The new blocks are soaked in oil
for 10-15 days to soften the grains in the
timber.
Wooden trolleys with racks have castor wheels
fastened to their legs to facilitate free
movement. The printer drags it along as
he works. On the upper most shelf trays
of dye are placed. On the lower shelves
printing blocks are kept ready.
The fabric to be printed is washed free
of starch and soft bleached if the natural
grey of the fabric is not desired. If dyeing
is required as in the case of saris, where
borders, or the body is tied and dyed, it
is done before printing. The fabric is stretched
over the printing table and fastened with
small pins (in the case of saris the pallu
is printed first then the border).
The printing starts form left to right.
The color is evened out in the tray with
a wedge of wood and the block dipped into
the outline color (usually black or a dark
color). When the block is applied to the
fabric, it is slammed hard with the fist
on the back of the handle so that a good
impression may register. A point on the
block serves as a guide for the repeat impression,
so that the whole effect is continuous and
not disjoined. The outline printer is usually
an expert because he is the one who leads
the process.
If it is a multiple color design the second
printer dips his block in color again using
the point or guide for a perfect registration
to fill in the color. The third color if
existent follows likewise. Skill is necessary
for good printing since the colors need
to dovetail into the design to make it a
composite whole. A single color design can
be executed faster, a double color takes
more time and multiple color design would
mean additional labor and more color consumption.
Different dyes are used for silk and cotton. Rapid fast dyes, indigo sol and pigment dyes are cotton dyes. Printing with rapid dyes is a little more complicated as the dyes once mixed for printing have to be used the same day. Standard colors are black, red, orange, brown and mustard. Color variation is little difficult and while printing it is not possible to gauge the quality or depth of color.
It is only after the fabric is processed with an acid wash that the final color is established. Beautiful greens and pinks are possible with indigo sol colors but pigment colors are widely popular today because the process is simple, the mixed colors can be stored for a period of time, subtle nuances of colors are possible, and new shades evolve with the mixing of two or three colors. Also the colors are visible as one prints and do not change after processing. Colors can be tested before printing by merely applying it onto the fabric. The pigment color is made up of tiny particles, which do not dissolve entirely and hence are deposited on the cloth surface while rapid dyes and indigo sols penetrate the cloth.
Pigment colors are mixed with kerosene and a binder. The consistency should be just right, for if it is too thick it gives a raised effect on the material, which spoils the design. Small plastic buckets with lids are ideal for storing the mixed colors over a few days.
Cotton saris after pigment printing are dried out in the sun. This is part of the fixing process. They are rolled in wads of newspapers to prevent the dye form adhering to other layers and steamed in boilers constructed for the purpose. Silks are also steamed this way after printing. After steaming, the material is washed thoroughly in large quantities of water and dried in the sun, after which it is finished by ironing out single layers, which fix the color permanently.
|
