A buyer's guide to Jaipur hand block printing

Jaipur's traditions: Sanganer, Bagru, dabu and indigo

Hand block printing around Jaipur is carried on by printing and dyeing communities, including the Chhipa community, in towns and workshops close to the city. Two names come up most often.

• Sanganer. Known for fine floral motifs on white or off-white grounds: buta (larger motifs), buti (small motifs), jaal (net patterns) and bel (creepers). Sanganeri hand block printing is a registered Geographical Indication.
• Bagru. Known for earthier palettes and for mud-resist printing. Traditional Bagru colours include black from iron, red from madder with alum, and indigo blue. Bagru hand block print is also a registered Geographical Indication.

Dabu is a mud-resist technique. A paste, traditionally of black clay, lime, gum and wheat chaff, is block-printed onto the cloth where colour should not reach. Sawdust is sprinkled on the wet paste to set it. The cloth is then dyed, very often in indigo, and the paste is washed away to reveal the pattern. Repeating the cycle builds two- or three-tone effects. Dabu is practised in Bagru and Sanganer, as well as Akola in Chittorgarh district and Pipar in Jodhpur district.

Indigo dyeing works by dipping the cloth and airing it. The colour develops as the dye oxidises, and deeper shades need more dips. Shade varies with the number of dips, the vat and the weather.

Workshops today print with three broad families of colour:

• Natural dyes. Indigo, madder, pomegranate rind, turmeric, iron and others, fixed with mordants such as alum or iron. Soft, varied tones. Shades vary more from batch to batch.
• Pigment colours. Printed with a binder that sits on the fabric surface. A wide, consistent palette and simpler processing. Can feel slightly stiffer and may show more wear on rubbing.
• Reactive dyes. Bond chemically with cotton and other cellulose fibres. Brighter, more consistent colour and good wash performance, with washing-off steps after printing.

If a product is sold as naturally dyed, check which colours really are natural. Many prints use more than one method.

Jaipur is also Sourcingo's headquarters hub, known for hand block printing, ethnic and fusion wear and cotton womenswear.

How blocks are made, and why a new design needs new blocks

Blocks are hand-carved, traditionally from teak or sheesham. The design is traced onto the wood and carved with fine chisels. Small holes are often drilled through the block to let air escape and help the colour release evenly. New blocks are commonly seasoned in oil before use.

A design is usually built from several blocks, one per colour:

• an outline block (rekh) that prints the main lines
• filler blocks (datta and others) that print each colour inside the outline

This has three consequences for you as a buyer:

1. A new design means new blocks. Your artwork has to be carved before sampling can start. That adds time and a one-off cost.
2. More colours mean more blocks. A five-colour print needs more carving and more printing passes than a two-colour one.
3. Scale is limited by the block. Very large, non-repeating artwork is hard to block print. Motifs, small repeats and all-over layouts suit the craft best.

Existing blocks held by a workshop can sometimes be used for faster sampling. Ask whether a design is open stock or carved for you alone. Sourcingo makes designs only for the brand that owns them and never offers them to other brands.

Hand block vs screen vs digital

Each method fits a different product and quantity. Many brands mix them across a range.

A useful rule: if the uneven, handmade look is part of the appeal, block print it. If every piece must look identical, use screen. If the design has many colours or gradients, or you need a few metres to test, consider digital.

The irregularities to expect, and how to spec them

Hand printing is done block by block, and the result is not machine-perfect. Expect:

• Slight misregistration where colours meet the outline
• Visible joins where one block impression meets the next
• Variation in colour depth from impression to impression
• Shade variation between batches, especially with natural dyes and indigo
• Small marks or specks typical of the process

These are part of the craft, but the line between character and defect should be agreed in writing. In your tech pack or quality spec:

• Define acceptable variation. For example: "misregistration within a few millimetres is acceptable on fillers; outline must be continuous".
• Send a reference. Approve a strike-off or printed fabric swatch and mark it as the standard.
• Agree shade bands. Approve a light and dark limit for batch variation rather than one exact shade.
• State placement rules. Say whether motifs must be centred on key panels such as yoke or front placket, or whether random placement is fine.
• List real defects. Smudges, missing impressions, heavy blotches or colour bleeding into ground areas should be rejected.

Colour fastness, washing and shrinkage

Block-printed fabric needs the same performance checks as any other.

• Colour fastness to washing and rubbing. Ask whether the fabric is tested, and to which method. Common lab references are ISO 105-C06 for washing and ISO 105-X12 for rubbing. Indigo and some natural dyes can lose colour on rubbing or in the first washes, so say what level you will accept.
• Washing-off. Proper washing after printing removes excess colour and paste. Poor washing-off shows up as bleeding in the customer's first wash.
• Shrinkage. Cotton and viscose base fabrics can shrink. Ask whether the fabric is pre-washed before cutting, and state a shrinkage limit. Your pattern must allow for any shrinkage that will happen in finishing.
• Care labels. Many block prints do best with cold, gentle washing, separately at first, and drying out of direct sun. Make sure the care label says so.

Lead time and minimum-quantity factors

Block printing has its own rhythm, which affects both timing and minimums.

• Block carving for new designs comes before the first strike-off.
• Drying and curing between colours and steps. Weather plays a part, and the monsoon can slow outdoor drying.
• Dabu and indigo involve several cycles of printing, dyeing, drying and washing, so they take longer than direct printing.
• Fabric is printed in lengths, so the print run is set by metres of fabric, not number of garments. Using one print across several of your styles helps.
• Colour count. Each extra colour adds blocks, passes and checking.

Sourcingo's minimum order starts from 25 pieces per style. Some fabrics, dyes and prints need more, and the exact minimum is confirmed after the team sees your specs. Production runs 45 days from sample approval to dispatch; carving, strike-offs and sampling happen before that.

How to brief a block-print style

A clear brief shortens sampling. Include:

1. Artwork or reference. Your motif, a scan of a print you like, or a mood board. Note the motif size and repeat.
2. Number of colours and colour references, or physical swatches.
3. Technique. Direct print, dabu or a mix, and whether you need natural dyes, pigment or reactive.
4. Base fabric. Composition and weight, for example cotton cambric, voile, mulmul or linen.
5. Placement. All-over, border, panel or placed motif.
6. Garment details. Style, size range and fit, quantity per style and per colour, target cost or retail price, and launch date.
7. Acceptable variation and any testing your market needs.

If you only have a sketch, Sourcingo's in-house designer can turn it into flat sketches and a tech pack. With a complete brief, you receive a costing and line plan within 48 hours.

Questions

Updated: 12 October 2026