Hand block printing is one of India’s finest art forms in textile printing. It is the oldest yet the best art form and has been popular in the country throughout the ages, yet the people overlook its beauty, it’s similar to what they say is when people have something close, they ignore its importance, but that’s not happening with block printing.

Articles like these will keep the art’s beauty and importance alive among the people through generations. Before the start of this block, one thing can be said that this art is not going anywhere.

Charm in the Irregular

One can understand the beauty of hand block printing when they start exploring other printing styles, they will know even more when they ask their friends and family members who live abroad that how much they miss their country’s finest textile art that is woodblock printing.

Speaking with experience it can be said that one will fall in love and will have huge respect for hand block printing when they know the technique, the hard work that goes behind it, and the creativity of it.

If compared with modern printing styles it can be said that the former is about preserving rich culture, quality and respect while the latter is about accuracy and quantity. The focus is to conserve the rich culture rather than improving techniques and efficiency.

And who says that tradition doesn’t have variety, a variety of articles are available in block printed style such as Kaftans, sarongs, shirts, night-wears, kurtas, Kurtis, dresses, tops, and skirts just to name a few, all are available in diverse designs, colors, and patterns and are fashionable, long-lasting and comfortable in any decade.

The Artists

The term is artisan, but calling them artists is much more suitable and respectable because only an artist can create something so magical without a machine, the prints tell their story, one can find this difference on a closer look. Even two similar-looking designs will have a slight difference. Now it’s time to know how artists work together to bring quality and magic to life.

An artist first carves wooden blocks and dips them into eco-friendly dyes while another artist prepares the fabric, then the craftsperson carefully stamps out the design on the cloth to make the masterpiece. The more the colors in the design, the more artisans will be required which brings more of them together.

For example, a 6 color design will require 6 of them because one can only use one block and each block can have only one color. This also spreads the country’s message of togetherness.

It has become much more important nowadays with modern printing techniques overtaking, to train new artists in hand block printing, it’s like hitting two birds with 1 stone.

1) More and more employment in rural areas.

2) India‘s hand block printing tradition stays alive as new artisans will bring with them fresh ideas for designs and patterns.

At Shivalaya Jaipur they are doing exactly what they are saying, each year they employ new artisans, launch fresh designs and keep the tradition alive. There is something for everyone at their online website, available in both retail and Block Printed Fabric Wholesale.