The beauty of wooden blocks for printing on fabric lies within the subtleties of design and the regularity of stamps. And the harmony and richness of colors, their reliability in washing and, of course, the creativity (requires the skills of craftsmen with a very different specialization).

History of Manual Wooden Blocks Printing

Origin

It is difficult to date the start of the use of stamp Printing technology. According to recent discoveries, this dates 5,000 years back. When in the tombs of Upper Egypt, prints were found in the ruins of Mohenjo Daro, an ancient city in the Indus Valley.

Was it printed with stone or wood carving?

However, the discovery of blocks with carved figures and patterns on fabric and fragments of printed cotton depicted the longevity of woodblocks usage.

Development in India

This printing technique flourished in India in the 12th century.

And in the 16th century, Indians (cotton printed on the block) was exported to Europe from Punjab and Bombay by Dutch merchants.

In the 17th century, there was a period of reactivation of the process. But it was in the 18th century India, left the most beautiful evidence and testimony of the sophistication of printing techniques using Wooden stamps. Canopies, wall hangings, bedspreads, coats, and other clothing.

Wood Block Creation: The Complete Process

First, the pattern is created on paper, which determines the distribution of colors. For multi-colored drawings, depending on the complexity and the abundance of color ranges, you may need from 4 to 20 stamps. If you engrave 1 stamp, then in 3 days you can occupy 5 engravers.

The picture is transferred to teak wood, which is perfectly flattened and sanded. The areas covered by it are stained in such a way that they can easily be distinguished from the hollowing space. After that, the carving is done gradually, and the general mass goes first to the smallest details.

The carving of the contour blocks in the drawing is very delicate.

There are several carved Wooden Blocks with the same number of colors. Due to which each shaped block made in different sizes, is marked with a sign to maintain continuity from drawing to printing.

The wooden blocks after this process are soaked in oil for two weeks to provide sufficient nutrition to the wood. So, that the cracks do not damage the wood and the dirt adheres better. On the back of the block, a wooden handle is also added so that the craftsman can hold it.

Printing process

It is the master of color who makes the whole palette. On a small rolling table, each pallet consisting of a wooden box filled with jute is placed, on top of which a colored paste is poured in a measured amount.

The colors are gradually created as the printing process progresses. Pigments are nowadays often chemical, and sometimes natural, like IndiGo.

Printing craftsmen work on long tables and cloth mattresses of about twenty layers of jute, wool or well-stretched cotton. This surface is not too soft, not too hard, making it an ideal base for applying wooden printing blocks suppliers.