The Art of Block Printing
Hand Block Printing is a difficult art which is as old as Indian cilvilization. It is handed down through many generations and is, even now, in the forefront of the fashion scenes today. This ancient Indian craft has seen a major revival over the last few decades and has moved away from its traditional rural centers to all over India.

History of Block Printing
India has been renowned for its printed and dyed cotton cloth since the 12th century and the creative processes flourished as the fabric received royal patronage. Records show that as far back as the 12th century, several centers in the south, on the western and eastern coasts of India became renowned for their excellent printed cotton. Tents were created from printed fabrics and became a necessary part of royal processions. The seasons largely influenced the integration of the highly creative processes of weaving, spinning, dyeing and printing. Trade in cotton cloth is said to have existed between India and Babylon from Buddha's time.

Major Centers of Hand Block Printing
Cotton is also printed in other cities but the main centers are in Rajasthan and Gujrat where hand block printing has continued to flourish.  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.

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 Originally natural dyes were used but today they have been replaced by chemical and artificial colors.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 fabric to be printed is washed free of starch and soft bleached if the natural grey of the fabric is not desired. Dyeing 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. 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.