India is well-known for its textile and handicrafts. It has been proved through various archaeological evidence. The first evidence was of purple dye in Mohenjo-Daro. It indicated that cotton was woven and spun way in 3000 BC. In 100 BC, the Indian textiles gained plenty of popularity due to their bright hues and became well-known in Persia. Apart from that, Indian silk and muslin became famous in Rome. India is a land of 300 gods and goddesses, but it’s also home to the best, unique and eye-catching textile printing, which deserved to be appreciated, promoted, and preserved.
Types of Traditional Textile Printing India
You will come across some of the unique textile printing in India that carries plenty of history. Given below are some of the most well-known traditional textile printing.
- Ikat-The Blurred Beauty:
Ikat is a type of technique where the cloth is bound and dyed before the cloth gets woven. Ikat is said to follow the resist dying method. This particular printing technique is practiced heavily in Telangana and Gujarat. The craft takes the help of bundles or individual yarns, which are bound together with tight wrapping. After that, the cloth is dyed to make the selected pattern. Because of its intricate and tedious weaving technique, it’s dubbed as the Poetry of the Loom. This particular technique is usually conducted on cotton or silk fabrics and features blurry lines and an intentional bleed.
- Bandhani for Bed Sheets:
Bandhani is known as the oldest form of the dye and tie technique. You will find this particular technique on bed sheets, pillow covers, garments, and bed cover as well. This particular textile printing technique originated 5000 years ago and you will find its traces within the Ajanta caves. The Khatri community of Gujarat started this printing process and brought it to Rajasthan. The technique and art of Bandhani are pretty unique, and you need to dye the fabric when it’s tied with thread on several areas. The threads play their part as barriers and will not affect any of those untied parts. This helps in creating some very unique and extraordinary designs and patterns that showcase either stripes or dots.
- The Bagh Print for the Jaipuri Print Bed Sheets:
The Bagh Print originated from the Bagh district, which is now in Pakistan. This printing technique is practiced in Madhya Pradesh. The Bagh printing stands out as a traditional block printing technique, which utilizes natural colors. You will come across some of the Jaipuri print bed sheets, which carries this particular printing technique on them. Under the Bag printing technique, the silk or cotton cloth gets treated with a blend of corroded alizarin, iron fillings, and alum. The inspiration for the design includes geometric and landscape features, and mushrooms and jasmines. Other types of designs you will come across are architecture like the jaalis of old Mughal architecture and Taj Mahal.
- Kalamkari- Painting with a Pen:
Kalamkari is an ancient printing technique that is mainly conducted on silk or cotton fabrics with natural dyes and tamarind pen. The technique consists of 23 tedious steps of hand printing, dyeing, bleaching, cleaning, block-printing, starching, and many other steps. Kalamkari stands out as one of the most awe-inspiring prints of all time. It’s because the technique got originally inspired through the stories or episodes created by the storytellers, musicians, and artists. You will come characters, such as flowers, paisleys, and peacocks from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. You will find this particular technique on sarees.
- Silver Leaf & Varak Gold Printing- A Rare Royalty:
Through the Varak technique, you can trace the rich and quintessential times of the nation. This is a traditional-style printing, which is also known as the Chandi ki Chhapai in the rural areas of the country. This is one of the most delicate ways to embellish fabric or cloth using varak through the process of flattening silver or gold into the thin paper. You will encounter Varak prints on Chanderi dupattas and sarees. The finest and skilled craftsmen of India are the ones who create such beautiful clothes using this printing method.
- The Batik Print- Ideal for Jaipur Cotton Bedsheets:
Batik is a fax-resisting dyeing process used mainly on textiles. This particular printing technique is pretty complicated. It’s well-known for creating stunning intricate designs, which are unique to the region it belongs to or tells a story about it. The craftsmen take the help of dye-resisting wax to make elaborate designs and patterns. After the printing, the wax gets washed away to reveal the actual Batik pattern. The technique is repeated to make numerous shades.
The Jaipur cotton bedsheets have Batik-style prints on them and come in beautiful and vibrant colours. These bedsheets will help in beautifying the interiors of the bedroom. When the printing is visible on both sides of the fabric, you can truly say that it’s a Batik print.
- Ajrak-The Love story of Blue:
Ajrak is a type of block printing that consists of indigo blue and deep crimson background. It also comes in symmetrical patterns paired up with white motifs. The word Ajrak came from the Arabic word Azrak, which means blue. Within this printing method, blue stands out as the main shade. The print gets employed within a grid to symmetrically make a repeated web-like design. With the web-like design, the fabric, or the clothes receive border designs, which is conducted through this technique. You will come across numerous clothes and materials that carry the Ajrak printing style. You will easily find this printing technique in sarees, duvets, bed sheets, and many more.
Last words to share
Just like movies and songs, Indian textile printing is also evergreen. They don’t look stunning but also adds a hint of charm to your clothes and materials. Nowadays, you will find them on many things, such as bed linen, bed covers, pillows, and many more. Having such items that carry one of the unique ethnic prints will provide your home with a warm, elegant, traditional, and welcoming feel. Make sure to learn and gain more information about the various printing techniques.
