Mud Resist Hand Block Printing with indigo.

Mud-resist hand-block printing (Dabu printing) practiced in Rajasthan and Gujrat of India since 16th century

.It is natural substitute of batik print with wax. The process of making mud resist printed fabric is lengthy

and hardworking process. To achieve different colour with natural dyes, one has to follow different process.

Production process for mud resist printing with indigo is as follows.

Process no 1:

1. Scouring / De-sizing

Traditional Process for natural fiber base fabric – i.e. Cotton, jute, linen fiber base fabrics

1.Cut the grey fabric in pieces - maximum length preferred is 10 mtrs .( If fabric is heavy like canvas or

jute , then need to reduce the length of fabric – so that one can handle the fabric easily)

2. Put the fabric in the cemented water tank for overnight. Then repeatedly beaten up the wet fabric against

hard surface (normally stone or cemented floor). Then again dip in the water so that enzymatic reaction can

loosen the starch. (Natural or chemical – called size). This process continues for 3 days.

Using wood ash water, castor oil, cow dung and cow urine can improve this process.

Castor oil (or TRO) increases absorbency of the fabric.

Fabric pieces thereafter spread in the sandy field in the sun to dry.

Scouring

Scouring & de sizing

Scouring & de sizing

Scouring & de sizing

Process 2

Preparation of Mud resist paste:

The mud resist paste is a natural substitute of wax and specialty of traditional printing is commonly known

as ‘Dabu’ or Daboo. Dabu acts as mechanical resist and prevents the penetration of dye during dyeing on

areas covered with mud resist paste (Dabu).

The art of making mud resist paste is kept secret for long time and every family has its own recipe to make

the paste. Dabu printing is laborious process.

We can divide the type of mud resist paste in three categories:

1.Kaligur Dabu –Made from river clay ( kali mati ), lime stone , insect eaten wheat flour and tree gum (

gum Arabic or similar type of gum ) . It has the least adhesive strength. It is suitable for designs need

maximum two dips.

2. Dolidaar Dabu –Made from insect eaten wheat, lime and natural gum mixed with water to make a semi-

thick paste. This process has better adhesive strength than the kaligardabu and is suitable where design need

more than 2 dips.

3. Gawanrbali Dabu –Made from roasted gawar seed powder ( Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba ), lime stone,

jaggery (Molasses), oil ( til oil ) and river clay. It has the best adhesive strength of the three If design need

more than 3 dips , this method of mud paste preparation is suitable .

Fabric washing and drying

Preparation of mud paste

River mud or clay

Lime stone

Soaking of clay

Preparation of lime stone

water

Preparation of mud paste

Ready mud resist paste

Process no 3

Printing :

Pathiya or printing table ( normally 3 to 6 mtrs. long) is used to print mud resist paste on fabric . The

mud paste is taken in wooden trey ( plastic trey can also be used ). Earlier used handi ( a wide mouthed

earthen vessel) . Filled with mud paste and plastic wire knitted frame made of iron or bamboo floated

on the top of mud paste . While printing with block , ( light wood block specially made for mud resist

printing ) a soft beating is required on the handle of the block . Block need to lightly dip in the mud resist

paste just enough to smear the surface thinly and evenly with the paste . This act need experience . For

any excess of the paste on the block would spread to the other part of the motif .

Since the resist paste is thick and sticky no sharp impression of motif are achieved. It is applied with

wooden block on the fabric and saw dust ( camel dung powder were used in old days ) is sprinkled over

it. Saw dust has two major functions at this stage-first to absorb water from the mud resist paste and give

additional layers of resist. After printing, the fabric is left outside in the sun for crispy drying before dipping

in indigo vat.

. Special care is required while moving the fabric from printing table to outside so that printing not get

damaged .

Printing Table Mud resist paste in trey

Wooden block for mud

resist printing

Daboo printing Saw dust spray

Carring fabric after mud

resist printing

Fabric drying in sun after

mad resist paste printing

block washing

Block Washing

Process no 4

Preparation of indigo vat:

Preparation of the indigo vat ( normally 15 feet deep cemented pit is used in Bagru ) is tedious and

lengthy process but once the vat is ready for use, it is kept ‘alive’ by constant addition of indigo, lime and

jaggery ( to maintain the efficiency of indigo vat one has to use every day ). How and what qty of different

ingredients required to add in the indigo vat is learned by experience only. Now a days hydro (sodium hydro

sulphite) is used for quick reduction of vat dye. (Lime and jaggery can be used, but it takes longer time for

reduction of indigo vat). There is no written recipe for the indigo vat and artisans has its own way of

handling indigo vat.

Process of extraction of indigo from indigo leaves (Indigofera Tinctoria) is covered in other article.

Indigo flower

Indigo cake Indigo vat

Indigo vat

Process no 5

Dyeing with indigo blue:

The mud printed cloth is folded with pleats and lowered gently into the indigo vat with the help of stick.

(Indigo Vat is a 15 feet deep cemented tank in which indigo is stored in liquid form). Person who Indigo

dye need good amount of experience (locally called neelgar) .Otherwise you may not get indigo dye evenly.

When the cloth is totally submerged in the vat, the dyer still holding it under the liquid dye, opens each

pleat to allow the fabric to have the indigo dye evenly. Since indigo does not react in the presence of air,

any air trapped in the folds or pleats will give patchy dyeing. The fabric is then taken out of vat and opened

out to react with the atmospheric oxygen for oxidation of colours. Oxidation turn reduced indigo into

oxidized indigo. Dry flat on the ground, once it is dried, for darker shades the fabric is again dipped in the

vat, pulled out and oxidized. Dried flat on the ground. This process is repeated till the desired dark shade

is achieved. The fabric is finally dried flat on the ground. Care is taken that while dyeing or drying, dabu

does not get broken or cracked.

Indigo dyeing

exposing indigo dyed fabric

to oxygen

Process no 6

Washing:

The mud resist paste and superficial dye which is physically loosely attached to fabric is removed by

washing of the fabric .The dyed fabric is left in big cemented tanks for at least 3 to 4 hours till the mud

resist paste becomes smooth and lose . The excess dye and paste removed by beating the fabric on large

flat slab of stone. Then fabric is transferred to another water tank with fresh water .Wash the fabric by

beating on the large flat slab of stone again . This process may be repeated 2-3 times .Finally dry flat on

the ground . Washing with non ionic detergent before drying may give better result .

Drying fabric in the sundry after indigo

dye

Washing & removing mud from fabric

Indigo dyed fabric washing and drying

Indigo dyed fabric washing and drying

Sources :

Photographed at Jai Texart Hand Block Printing Factory –Bagru

Jai texart’s printing process manual.

" Rangrez" by Hemant Sethia & Udit Sethia

"Block printing and dyeing of Bagru – Rajasthan” by Bijoy Chandra Mohanty and Jagadish Prasad

Mohanty.