HOW ARE BLOCKS MADE FOR HAND BLOCK PRINTING?

by Neha Rajan on Aug 09, 2022

Hand block printing is an age-old craft of making beautiful motifs on silk, cotton, and linen fabrics using incised wooden blocks. These motifs are not brushed strokes but rather are stamped from an incised wooden block.

The entire process of creating block print apparel is really laborious, tedious, time-consuming, and requires careful eye-hand coordination. Here, Organic Vibes will try to explain the outline of the entire process to acquaint you with the hard work that our local artisans put behind the curtains.

How are wooden blocks made?

1. Preparation of Blocks

These wooden blocks are mostly handmade, crafted from Teak wood, a native Indian deciduous tree. The wood is then cut into square or rectangle blocks and is then oiled and sanded. Then they are kept safe for about 15 days. Once the wooden blocks have been oiled, the final design is traced out traditionally. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TstBPOvYSTI

2. Tracing the design on the wooden block

First of all, a pattern that is supposed to be printed, is drawn on paper. This design is then traced on a special woodblock.

3. Carving The Block

The further steps of carving out the designs are a work of precision and take several weeks. The bigger parts are carved by machine, while the smaller parts are carved manually with the help of chisels and hand tools. The Process is also called wood chipping which is done mostly by mastered craftsmen.

The Process of Hand Block printing doesn't stop here. Once the Blocks are ready, there goes another process of hard labor to dye and print the fabrics. To know more about the historic art of Hand Block Printing in India, Pls, read here. Organic Vibes is trying to preserve this traditional craft where the woodblock-making process itself is an art form. Check out some of the clothes and prints made through Hand Block Printing. Click here to buy these beautiful products