UPMSP Hand Block Printing key terms

A traditional resist printing method in which a mud paste of clay, lime, and gum is applied through carved wooden blocks, dried, dyed, then scraped away to leave pale patterns on a dark ground.

A manual textile decoration technique in which carved wooden blocks are inked with dye or pigment paste and pressed by hand onto fabric in repeated positions to build a pattern.

A method where a paste, wax, or tied binding prevents dye from reaching selected areas of cloth, so those areas stay undyed or keep their earlier colour after dyeing.

A technique in which a chemical paste is printed onto a dyed fabric to destroy the ground colour locally, producing a lighter or white pattern in the printed areas.

A Rajasthan block printing tradition known for fine floral and paisley motifs printed on light grounds with delicate outlines, historically centred on Sanganer near Jaipur.

A Rajasthan printing tradition using natural dyes and dark grounds, characterised by bold motifs, dabu resist work, and repeated geometric and floral layouts printed by hand.

A long, padded work surface covered with layers of cloth and a washable top sheet, used to support fabric at even tension while blocks are positioned and pressed during printing.

A shallow tray holding a thin layer of dye paste over a cloth or foam base, into which the block is dipped or dabbed to pick up an even coating of colour before printing.

A flat container, often with a stretched cloth over a sponge or foam layer, that holds the printing paste and gives the block a uniform pickup without excess liquid.

A small reference mark, pin, or guideline on the table or fabric that lets the printer align each block so successive impressions and colours line up accurately.

The accurate alignment of successive block impressions, whether of the same block in a repeat or of different colour blocks in one motif, so the design fits together correctly.

The distance and arrangement at which a motif or motif group recurs across the fabric, set by the block size and the printer's spacing so the pattern tiles continuously without gaps or overlaps.

A carved block, usually of teak or sheesham, with the design cut in relief on one face and a handle at the back, used to transfer paste onto fabric.

The craft of cutting away unwanted wood from a block face so the design stands in relief, done with chisels and gouges and finished by smoothing and testing the impression.

The height by which the raised design areas stand above the cut-away background of a block; too shallow holds excess paste, too deep gives a weak or broken impression.

A single decorative unit, such as a flower, paisley, leaf, or geometric form, that is carved into a block and combined or repeated to build the overall printed design.

A small, isolated floral or dot-like motif printed singly or scattered across a fabric, usually in a repeating grid rather than joined into a continuous design.

A larger, often curved or paisley-derived motif used as a single prominent element in a layout, from which the buti is the smaller scattered form.

A colouring substance obtained from plant, animal, or mineral sources, such as madder root, indigo leaf, or pomegranate rind, used with mordants to colour textiles.

A metal salt, such as alum or iron, applied to fabric or included in the paste to bind dye chemically to the fibre and improve colour fastness and depth.

A blue dye obtained from fermented indigo leaves and applied in reduced, yellowish form to cloth, where air oxidation converts it to insoluble blue pigment trapped in the fibre.

Printing with insoluble colour particles held on the fabric surface by a binder in the paste, rather than by chemical reaction with the fibre, giving good light fastness on many fabrics.

A film-forming ingredient in pigment paste that glues colour particles to the fabric surface and must be cured so the print resists rubbing and washing.

A substance, such as gum, starch, or alginate, added to printing paste to give it the viscosity needed to sit on the block and fabric without bleeding.

The thickness or flow resistance of printing paste; too thin causes spreading and halos, too thick gives patchy, uneven pickup and incomplete impressions.

Unbleached or untreated woven cloth as received from the mill, containing natural waxes, pectins, and sizing that must be removed before dyeing or printing.

Removal of the sizing starch or gum applied to warp yarns before weaving, usually by soaking or enzyme treatment, so later dye and paste absorb evenly.

A chemical or sunlight treatment that whitens fabric by removing natural colouring matter, creating a clean, absorbent ground so printed colours appear true.

The preparation sequence of cloth, including desizing, scouring, bleaching, and sometimes mercerising or mordanting, that makes the fibre ready to accept dye and paste.

The process of treating printed fabric, by steaming, curing, or chemical after-treatment, so the colour becomes permanently attached and resists washing and rubbing.

A fixation step in which printed cloth is exposed to moist heat so dye diffuses into the fibre and the paste thickener is set, improving colour yield and fastness.

A controlled heat treatment, typically for pigment prints, that cross-links the binder film so the colour adheres firmly to the fabric surface.

The resistance of a dyed or printed colour to fading or bleeding under exposure to washing, rubbing, light, or perspiration, assessed against standard grey scales.

Unwanted spreading or migration of dye or paste beyond the intended motif edge, caused by thin paste, excess pickup, wet fabric, or inadequate fixation.

A defect where colour is uneven within a motif, showing light and dark areas, usually from uneven paste pickup, worn block relief, or insufficient pressure.

A working document listing fabric, dye, paste, labour, block, energy, and overhead costs per metre or per piece, used to set prices and monitor margin.

Printing or finishing carried out for another trader or brand on a piece-rate basis, where the workshop supplies labour and skill but not the design ownership or market.

The increase in worth created by printing, finishing, and design so that a plain fabric becomes a higher-priced product, supporting better margins for the workshop.

On-site or common treatment of dye-house wastewater, including screening, equalisation, chemical dosing, and biological treatment, so discharge meets permitted limits before release.

Recovering treated dye-house water for reuse in washing or cleaning, reducing fresh water draw and the volume of effluent discharged to drains or fields.

Wearable protection such as gloves, apron, mask, and eye cover that shields the printer from dye powders, mordants, and splashes during mixing and printing.

A supplier document giving the hazards, handling precautions, first-aid, and disposal advice for a chemical, which a workshop should keep for every dye and auxiliary used.