The origin of Indian textiles can be traced to the Indus valley civilization. The people of that civilization used homespun cotton for weaving their garments. Excavations at Harappa and Mohenjodaro, have unearthed household items like needles made of bone and wooden spindles, suggesting that the people would spin cotton at home to make yarn and finally garments. Fragments of woven cotton have also been found at these sites.
India has a diverse and rich textile tradition. It has a wide range of textiles in various designs, manufactured by different techniques as compared to other countries of the world. There are many techniques for working on fabric that appeal to all levels of painting skills & interest. To make fabric attractive, its ornamenting is done through printing.
The specialty lies by following under the climate, weather, and fabric availability in different locations of the country.
Each craft that has been bought on the fore is backed by a story of artisans for whom there is no greater happiness than retaining the legacy of the craft and passing it on to their future generations.
Hand Blocking
Block Printing is an ancient craft form of Rajasthan that has been practiced since time immemorial. Rajasthan is well known for the art of block printing that is hugely practiced there even to date. The process of doing block printing flourished since the 12th century when the art received royal patronage from the kings of the era.
Using the natural colors in the technique, it is done on cotton fabrics with the repetition of the same prints using the smooth block of wood on which the design is transferred by following per under- delivery it on the fabric.
Ratan Jaipur happens to be the most prominent and exquisite place to visit for the hand block prints who choose to deliver the best from the artisans of our heritage who have acquired the skills from more than 200 years and generations.
The skillful talents come from various villages of Rajasthan state who practice the creative techniques and process in textile. The most experienced carvers take separate time to give their finishing touch to every piece of art they make.
Their nurtured skills are then delivered on every craft filled with their hard work and love printing, globally.
Every wooden block used for the printing is separately carved with various types of wood for separate design and color usage by the carvers of the Ratan Textile family. As it is a laborious process, and everything is manmade, yet our artisans promise to deliver the most exquisite work of art in a handful of time.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is also another form of hand operation or an automatic machine process.
As one of the most used techniques for t-shirt printing in the garment industry across the country, it incurs the higher set-up cost of a single t-shirt as compared to other types of printed T-shirts.
The cloth is first laid on a printing table, gummed in position or pinned to a back gray, and then the design is applied through a screen made of silk or nylon gauze stretched over a wooden or metal frame, on which the design for one color has been reproduced.
Screen Printing is one of the most used and loved handmade technique at Ratan Jaipur, used for apparels for men and women, home furnishings and products like bedsheet covers, quilts, dohars, table covers and mats, and lots more, Ratan Textile is all known for its eternal love and the integral art form of handmade techniques and forms that recites in the heart of Rajasthan.
Stencil Printing
This printing involves the use of stencils cut in the shape of the designs. The stencils are made of metal wood paper or plastic. The dye/color is applied to the spaces cut inside the stencil.
This is a very easy method of printing on fabric that can be done even by a kid. But the disadvantage is that it is labor-intensive and takes a long time to print. It is mostly used for single-use purposes.
Roller Printing
Also known as machine printing or cylinder printing, originally devised in 1783 in Scotland, it is a modern continuous printing technique that can be a counterpart to those time-taking labor devices.
This technique has been preferred for the usage of the masses. Roller printing has traditionally been preferred for long production runs because of the very high speeds possible. It is also a versatile technique since up to a dozen different colors can be printed simultaneously.
Digital Printing
It is yet another modern way of printing fabrics just like you print a photo from your inkjet printer while sitting at home.
A modern printing textile technology and perhaps the most convenient technique to cope with the coming digitized and economic world and generations which are heavily exposed to spontaneous growth and development.
Digital textile printing is the pressing of colors, geometry, and graphics on the fabric.
Digital printers use printable images, designs, or graphics. Appropriate color is then selected through the LAB or RGB system after which the desired color prints are merged or applied on the fabric as tiny ink droplets.
Final Words-
All the printing techniques that are practiced in India boast of the rich culture and heritage of the country. Creativity, craftsmanship, and a whole lot of effort go into keeping these printing techniques alive and trending around the globe.
Different designs and techniques contribute to the popular saying of “unity in diversity”.
The variety of different colors coupled with intricate designs is a rich source of culture that has been handed down and delicately preserved in the country.
They deserve all the patronage and love that they can get.
You can check out the special blog curated for the Handblock print lovers at Ratan Jaipur’s website.
https://www.ratanjaipur.com/blogs/handblock-prints--imprinting-the-world-with-art