The Block Print Edit

Block-print is hand-printing done with a carved wooden block dipped in dye and stamped onto fabric, one repeat at a time. The pattern is built by hand across the length of cloth rather than printed by machine, which is why block-printed fabric carries small, deliberate irregularities no two lengths share exactly.

Rajasthan holds some of India's oldest continuous block-print centers, Bagru and Sanganer among them, both near Jaipur: Bagru for dabu mud-resist work, Sanganer for fine floral printing. Block-print is also worked in Gujarat and parts of Madhya Pradesh under regional variations.

Screen-print pushes dye through a stencil in one pass, built for exact, high-speed repeats. Block-print is stamped by hand, block by block, so alignment shifts slightly across a length and the surface carries the print-maker's hand. The two are tracked as distinct techniques, not treated as interchangeable finishes.

Hand-wash or use a gentle machine cycle in cold water, inside out, and avoid soaking colored block-print for long stretches since natural and vat dyes can bleed in the first few washes. Line-dry in shade rather than direct sun, and iron on the reverse to protect the printed surface.