Hand printing of clothes and textiles has been practiced since the ancient times in Rajasthan. These prints reflect the history, tradition and lifestyle of the native people. They commonly depict gods, goddesses, animals, birds, plants and human figures. Each region in the state has its own variations of the art. The colors are derived from minerals and vegetables.
There are basically three kinds of processes used in printing. The simplest is the direct Dyeing Process. In this technique, clothes are directly dipped in a dye. The portions of the clothes, not meant to be colored, are protected by a covering of polythene or rubber. Different portions are thus covered each time the cloth is dipped in a dye of a different shade and it produces a multicolored effect.
Another printing process is the Resist Printing. A kind of substance called resist, which does not allow the dye to get into the cloth is used in this technique. The parts of the cloth, not meant to be dyed, are coated with resist. Color is applied to the entire cloth. The portions unaffected by the dye are colored in the desired manner and designs.
The third process used in hand printing is the Discharge Process. In this technique, the cloth is first colored. Colors from some portions are removed using some chemical treatment. These discolored parts are decorated in the desired manner. No machines are involved in this method of printing.
