The amazing Block Printed Saris of India

by parineeti lal content writer

The pure handcraft technique, ‘Block printing’, is still in vogue because of its simplicity.

India is renowned of its innovative excellence of arts & crafts. Particularly, Saris plays a significant role in every woman wardrobes, because they regularly adapt to the changing eras and times and maintains their remarkable qualities and freshness.

Indian Saris are majorly designed using an uprising art “Block printing”. It has a huge fan following since ancient times. It is the only method that has the ability to transfer very detailed designs on fabrics.

Block Printing, an age-old traditional pure handcraft technique of producing patterns by means of carving the design, where the designs and patterns are printed through wooden blocks and dyes. It is an enamouring art that adds simple yet intriguing allure to the cloth. With its chic and sophisticated appeal, it was owed as a global wear-ability fabric.

Today, block printing has the capacity to beat the screen printing, because of its eco-friendliness that the former has added in its practice.

The world’s first wooden block prints were identified in the ancient China, under the influence of Buddhism i.e., before AD 220, has adapted the first printing to paper. Then Japanese and Europeans started following the same techniques. Later, Indians started printing on clay tablets during 7000 BC.

During the times of Mughal Emperor, Block printing was a simple designing technique much admired by the imperial class. Finally, the art of making printings on clothes has been developed by India.

Unlike others, Block printing is profoundly embossed in the history and culture of all most all Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan etc. But Rajasthan is the major hub in India to produce block prints.

There are three different approaches in Block printing: discharge printing, direct block printing and textile printing. Discharge or direct block printings are mostly preferred.

The major tools of this technique are wooden blocks, fabrics and dyes. The fabrics such as pure silk, pure cotton, crepe, georgette, chiffon and super net are used in block printing. Earlier, natural and vegetable dyes are in use, but synthetic and chemical dyes are gaining much popularity these days, as they are easy to use and comparative.

Here, wooden blocks are used to produce patterns on to the fabrics. For that the design is shaped into blocks of different size and shapes by means of carvers. It takes 5 carvers up to 3 days to create an intricate design. So, approximately it may require up to 30 wooden blocks for the whole design.

It is important that, each subsequent printer/former must place the blocks accurately as to create beautiful patterns. Very intricate patterns and motifs like butties, stone works, kundans, flowers, fruits, animals, peacocks, birds, trees, geometrical designs and figurative patterns are covering the saree.

Block printed cotton sarees are awesome summer and casual wears. Designer block printed saris with intricate works are best suitable for corporate, colleges and working places.

The future of block printing looks quite impressive from the point where the industry stands today.

Unnati Silks, one of the largest ethnic Indian Online Shops provides an exquisite collection of ethnic sarees and salwar kameez from traditional pockets across India. Latest Block printed sarees with exquisite designs are available for online sale. Products are dispatched within 24 working hours of placing the order. We have free shipping and Cash on Delivery (COD) facilities for domestic retail; worldwide express shipping covers most countries across the globe.