When this is done it is wound over the drying rollers, thus bringing forward a fresh length to be treated similarly. If the pattern contains several colours the cloth is usually first printed throughout with one, then dried, re-wound and printed with the second, the same operations being repeated until all the colours are printed. Many modifications of block printing have been tried from time to time, but of these only two tobying and rainbowing are of any practical value.
The object of tobey printing is to print the several colours of a multicolour pattern at one operation and for this purpose a block with the whole of the pattern cut upon it, and a specially constructed colour sieve are employed. The sieve consists of a thick block of wood, on one side of which a series of compartments are hollowed out, corresponding roughly in shape, size and position to the various objects cut on the block.
The tops of the dividing walls of these compartments are then coated with melted pitch, and a piece of fine woolen cloth is stretched over the whole and pressed well down on the pitch so as to adhere firmly to the top of each wall; finally a piece of string soaked in pitch is cemented over the woolen cloth along the lines of the dividing walls, and after boring a hole through the bottom of each compartment the sieve is ready for use.
In operation each compartment is filled with its special colour through a pipe connecting it with a colour box situated at the side of the sieve and a little above it, so as to exert just sufficient pressure on the colour to force it gently through the woolen cloth, but not enough to cause it to overflow its proper limits, formed by the pitch-soaked string boundary lines.
The block is then carefully pressed on the sieve, and, as the different parts of its pattern fall on different parts of the sieve, each takes up a certain colour that it transfers to the cloth in the usual way. By this method of tobying from two to six colours may be printed at one operation, but it is obvious that it is only applicable to patterns where the different coloured objects are placed at some small distance apart, and that, therefore, it is of but limited application.
Printing patterns on textiles is so closely related in its ornamental effects to other different methods of similar intention, such as by painting and by processes of dyeing and weaving, that it is almost impossible to determine from the picturesque indications afforded by ancient records and writings of pre-Christian, classical or even medieval times, how far, if at all, allusion is being made in them to this particular process.
Hence its original invention must probably remain a matter of inference only. As a process, the employment of which has been immensely developed and modified in Europe in the nineteenth century by machinery anti the adoption of stereotypes and engraved metal plates, it is doubtless traceable to a primeval use of blocks of stone, wood, etc.
Nevertheless, highly skilled as the Chinese are, and for ages have been, in ornamental weaving and other branches of textile art, there seem to be no direct evidences of their having resorted so extensively to printing for the decoration of textiles as peoples in the East Indies, those, for instance, of the Punjab and Bombay, from whose posterity 16th-century European and especially Dutch merchants bought goods for Occidental trade in Indiennes or printed and painted calicoes.
As in, the case of weaving and embroideries, specimens of printed stuffs have of recent years been obtained from disused cemeteries in Upper Egypt Akhmim and elsewhere and tell us of Egypto-Roman use of such things. Some few of them are now lodged in European museums. For indications that earlier Egyptians, Greeks and Romans were likely to have been acquainted with the process, one has to rely upon less certain evidence.
Of textiles painted by Egyptians there are many actual examples. Apart from these there are wall paintings, e. A rather more complicated and orderly pattern well suited to stamping occurs in a painting about BC, of Hathor and King Meneptha I. Herodotus, referring to the garments of inhabitants of the Caucasus, says that representations of various animals were dyed into them so as to be irremovable by washing.
Pliny describes a very remarkable process employed in Egypt for the colouring of tissues. After pressing the material, which is white at first, they saturate it, not with colours, but with mordants that are calculated to absorb colour. He does not explain how this saturation is done. But as it is clearly for the purpose of obtaining a decorative effect, stamping or brushing the mordants into the material may be inferred. There are no known examples of printmaking on papyrus.
The process was later picked up in the rest of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe centuries later. It served as both an art form and a way to print text before the invention of moveable type. There are several different techniques and materials used for block printing around the world. A few of the most popular types are:. This is the oldest type of block printing, with the images carved out of a solid piece of wood.
This is a broad category that includes many specific techniques. In Europe these are frequently called woodcut prints. The trick when working with wood is using a hard, tight-grained material. Fruit woods like pear and cherry are common historical choices, but many more types are viable when mounted on a plywood base. Read also: Best wood for woodblock printing. Using wood as a material for printmaking remains popular today, with certain synthetic materials like medium-density fiberboard MDF making an excellent and inexpensive substitute.
When it comes to block printing on fabric, India is one of the most famous sources for fine artisan patterns. The technique is largely the same, but due to a long history and specialization in different types of dyes and fabrics the Indian subcontinent is where the craft truly shines. One of the most famous areas for this is around Jaipur, where there are countless communities dedicated to this ancient art.
Nowadays many are being driven out of business by screen printers and digital methods, but the technique still survives today. Patterns are first drawn on wood, then carved and mounted on handles. The blocks are dipped in non-toxic ink then stamped by hand on a large piece of fabric.
This is one of the main ways to tell hand block printed fabric from screen or digitally printed alternatives. Believed to have its origin in China, block printing has been in use around the world now, for quite some time.
Block printing or hand block printing is popular on account of a number of contributing factors. Then I take the block and press it down onto the paper or fabric. You can do this with your hands, a printing barren a specific tool to apply pressure to a block , a rolling pin, by walking on it, or with a printing press — whatever it takes to apply even pressure.
The most important part is applying the pressure evenly, since the color will be stronger in some areas of the print than others if uneven pressure is applied. This is also a step that takes some practice and perfecting. The ink then takes several days to dry, so unlike other printing processes, there is a long wait time before the prints are ready to use.
The oil based inks can take from two days to a week to fully dry, whereas water-based inks will dry slightly faster. The inks are made to dry slowly so that you are able to print without having the ink dry on the block; if you print with a fast-drying ink or paint, it will sometimes start to dry before you have even finished the print, giving a very uneven coverage. I love block printing because of the bold and simple designs that can be created, but that simplicity takes a lot of steps to achieve.
The technique is excellent for images with just a few colors and fewer details, but can be difficult to use for images with lots of small text, or very fine details that tend to break off the block with too many uses. One of the advantages of block printing is that it can be done on a surface of almost any size and texture.
Block printing is also an excellent way to produce a something that is truly handmade, but can be very easily replicated. Carving the block is time consuming and requires a lot of patience, but once you have the block you can use it hundreds or thousands of times.
Thanks Katharine! Photo Credits: Katharine Watson. I love carving SO much.
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