An Overview Of Handblock Printing

The intricate designs that you see on fabrics do not come from brush strokes. They are patterns printed using wooden blocks. The exquisite designs using the elements of nature and abstract designs give the cloth an interesting face.

Hand block printing had its impact quite early in the Indian fashion industry. The hand block printing technique was created as early as 3000 BC. The engraved patterns used on coins in the Mesopotamian civilization are archeological examples of the existence of block printing in those times. Today handblock printing saree shopping is all the rage.

The images and block prints that are widely used in East India as a style quotient originated in China. The style flourished somewhere around the 12^th century which is the era of the maharajas. Since its inception, the art has been an integral part of the apparel industry.

Today, the art of block printing has taken a different route it has developed new facets. Block printing is one of the most admired arts In Rajasthan. Because of its tremendous demand the fabrics that have been block printed are exported in bulk to other regions.

Block printing designs are enthralling. Be it bed linen, fabric or apparels hand printing is the choicest style for hand printing in India. It takes its cue for age old folk arts like Mehendi designs. A wide variety of designs and the skill of the designer creates a range of patterns varying from simple waves and circles to more elaborate designs. The smaller patterns are known as Chintz. Buti, Buta, Jhal and Bel form the elements of the block print.

Hand block printing is profoundly embossed in the history of the Indian states. The block printing of Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat etc , each has a unique and distinctive quality.

The wooden block prints are guided by the imagination of the carver who creates them. These could be geometric patterns or more elaborate impressions. The workers of various states combine to form an industry that is very important to Indian and global fashion. The variety results in the creative and intelligent uses of blocks to form alluring patterns.

The range is staggering. From table napkins to canopied light bulbs, everything you see has a little block print on it. Hand block printing has infiltrated every industry and become an indispensible trend. Cutwork silk saree shopping is also very popular.

The innovations introduced by the industry are not merely about the varied facets of designs. They are also about the significant shift in technology that the industry has witnessed. When screen printing came along it ate up the block printing industry. Now people have begun to appreciate the innate differences between screen printing and hand block printing.