Block Printing

India is famous for its fine hand block printing.

The basic elements that go into hand block-printing are very simple. A few blocks of teak wood, some dyes and a long piece of cloth. 

 Once the design has been carved onto the block, the fabric is stretched out on a waist high table and pinned at each end. The required amount of dye, often a natural dye, is poured out into a tray with a metal grid with layers of fabric across it. When the dye fills the tray, the fabric on the grid acts like an inkpad when the block is pressed against it.