Day 8 of 30
Day 8 · Week 2 · Craft Techniques
Welcome to Week 2 — Craft Techniques.
🖐️
One stamp at a time
WEEK 2 · CRAFT TECHNIQUES
Block Printing —
Where Each Stamp Is the Signature
Wooden block. Natural dye. One press. Repeated by hand, never identical.
The Concept
Block printing = pattern by hand-stamping
Take a carved wooden block. Dip it in dye. Stamp it onto fabric. Repeat across the length of cloth, by hand. Each colour needs its own block, so a four-colour piece takes four stamping passes. The slight unevenness between stamps is not a defect — it's the proof it was made by a human.
Hand · Block · Dye · Repeat
= Block-Printed
If the pattern is perfectly identical end-to-end, it's screen-printed, not block-printed.
Visual Guide
The Three Block-Printing Traditions
Simplest → Most complex (process steps)
Fine floral · Rajasthan☀️ Summer wear
Mud-resist · Rajasthan🎉 Earthy tones
Do-rukha · Gujarat & Sindh👑 Heirloom
← Quicker processSlower & more layered →
Side by Side
Three Traditions to Know
🌸
Sanganeri
FINE
floral
Sanganeri
Rajasthan · white ground
☀️ SummerDelicateWhite base
🟫
Bagru
MUD
resist
Bagru
Rajasthan · earthy tones
🌿 Natural dyeMud-resistIndigo + red
🔷
Ajrakh
21
stages
Ajrakh
Gujarat & Sindh · do-rukha
👑 HeirloomReversibleGeometric
🖨️
Screen-print
NOT
hand-done
Screen-Print
Pan-India · machine
❌ Not hand-doneUniformLower price
How to Tell Hand Block from Machine Print
| Tell-tale | Hand Block | Screen Print |
|---|---|---|
Pattern repeats End-to-end consistency |
Slightly off | Perfect |
Colour intensity From stamp to stamp |
Varies | Uniform |
Edges of motif Crisp vs soft |
Soft, slight bleed | Razor-sharp |
Back of fabric Penetration of dye |
Dye visible | Only on top |
Smell when wet Natural vs chemical |
Vegetal (if natural dye) | Chemical |
Ajrakh: both sides Do-rukha = real |
Equally vivid | One side only |
Put It to Work
How to Use This in Your Store
Your Brand Edge
When a customer asks “is this really hand-printed?” — don't just nod. Name the test. Point to the corner where the pattern shifts a hair. Show her the dye on the back. That's the moment she stops checking other stores. You become her trusted source for block-printed pieces.
"Look at this border — see how the flower is a hair off here versus there? That's the wooden block being stamped twice; a machine print would be identical every repeat. The unevenness is the proof a human made it. This is real Sanganeri."
Remember this always: Hand block-printed fabric is never perfectly identical. The slight unevenness is the signature, not the flaw. When you name the test (pattern shift, dye on the back, do-rukha for Ajrakh), you become the trusted brand owner customers come back to.
Day 8 Quiz
Check What You Learned
3 questions · Mark your attendance · Keep your streak alive 🔥
Question 1 of 3
Bagru block printing is from:
A
Gujarat
B
Rajasthan
C
Tamil Nadu
D
Bengal
Question 2 of 3
Ajrakh is identified by:
A
Pink colour
B
Same pattern equally vivid on both sides
C
Gold thread
D
Silk fabric
Question 3 of 3
A printed fabric perfectly identical on every repeat is most likely:
A
Hand block-printed
B
Screen-printed by machine
C
Hand-embroidered
D
Naturally dyed
Your WhatsApp Number
+91
Use the 10-digit number you have on this WhatsApp channel (no +91, no spaces) — this marks your Day 8 attendance.