Types of Block Printing

"Block printing" isn't one single style — it's an umbrella term covering several distinct regional traditions, each with its own motifs, colour palette, and technique. Here are the main types you'll come across.

1. Sanganeri Print

Named after the town of Sanganer near Jaipur, Rajasthan, Sanganeri print is known for fine, delicate floral and vine motifs, typically printed on a light or white background using a direct printing method. It's one of the most recognisable and widely used block print styles in Indian fashion today.

2. Ajrakh Print

Originating in the Kutch region of Gujarat (with a parallel tradition in Sindh, Pakistan), Ajrakh is known for its intricate, symmetrical geometric patterns in deep indigo, black, and rust red. It traditionally involves a multi-step resist and dye process — often printed on both sides of the fabric — making it one of the more labour-intensive block print styles.

3. Bagru Print

From the village of Bagru, also in Rajasthan, this style is known for its earthy, muted colour palette and use of mud-resist (dabu) techniques alongside direct block printing, often featuring nature-inspired motifs like paisleys and leaves.

4. Dabu (Mud-Resist) Print

Dabu isn't a motif style so much as a technique — a mud-and-gum resist paste is block printed onto fabric before dyeing, so the covered areas resist the dye and remain the original colour, creating a two-tone effect once the paste is washed off.

5. Kalamkari (Block + Hand-Painted)

Kalamkari, from Andhra Pradesh, often combines block printing for outlines with hand-painting (using a "kalam" or pen) for fine details and shading, particularly in designs depicting mythological figures and nature scenes.

6. Discharge Printing

A more contemporary technique where a bleaching agent is block printed onto already-dyed fabric to remove colour from specific areas, creating a pattern in reverse — light motifs on a dark base.

How to Tell Them Apart

A quick way to identify style: Sanganeri tends to be light-background and floral; Ajrakh is dark, geometric, and often printed on both sides; Bagru and Dabu are earthier and more rustic; Kalamkari has painterly, narrative detail that block printing alone can't achieve.