Hand block carving

 

Blocks are made of seasoned teak wood by craftsman. These craftsman are called as blockmaker.

Block printing is done with the help of wooden blocks.

The underside of the block has the floral motifs design etched on it by the blockmaker. Each block has a wooden handle and two to three cylindrical holes drilled in to the block for free air passage and also to allow release of excess printing paste.

The new blocks are soake in oil to soften the grains in the timber.

 These blocks are dipped in to color pigment tray. The color pigments to be used are kept in a tray on a wheeled wooden trolly with racks which the printer drag along as he works.

The fabric is stretched over the printing table and fastened with small pins. This is an important stage as there should be a uniform tension in the fabric with no ripples.