There are various methods of applying color to fabric that come under the topic PRINTING. Those that can be carried out at home are considered here.
BLOCK PRINTING: Block printing is one of the earliest forms of printing and, if done carefully, it can produce effective designs. Beginning with a block of wood, cut out a patter on its surface to create a raised design. Nowadays ready made blocks are available in wood stores and in dye stores. We can show the required design to a carpenter to made. This must be done accurately as any marks in the raised part of the wood will be transferred to the fabric. Next, cover the design in paint, either by brushing it with paint or by dipping it into paint so it is evenly coated, and then press the block down on to the fabric. Finally lift the block off the fabric slowly and evenly. If another color is required the first application of paint must be completely dry before the next one is added, and each color uses a new block.
SCREEN PRINTING: Unlike block printing, screen requires some specialist equipment. It is necessary to have a fine mesh screen and a squeegee which is used to spread the paint. Screen printing is time consuming and ,as a different screen is needed for every color used, it can be little bit expensive to do at home.
This method is useful for simple designs with specific areas of color because the design is built up, one color at a time. First, the design needs to be created in stencil form; so, for example, there might be one stencil for a flower stem and leaf(green or brown), and one for the flower's petals(red). The stencils are cut out of a thin sheet of card or plastic film which the dye cannot penetrate. The stem and leaf stencil is then placed inside the screen, which is laid on top of the fabric. Green or brown paint is put at the top edge of the screen, and the squeegee is used to spread the paint evenly across the stencil. In the process the paint pushes through the gaps in the stencil. Once this is dry a different screen, containing red paint and the flower stencil, is needed to complete the picture.
STENCIL PRINTING: Screen printing is developed from the Japanese technique of stenciling. To stencil, cut the desired shape to be printed out of paper or card. Then apply the stencil paint with a brush or sponge, to color those parts of the fabric that are exposed by the stencil. Once again this technique must be cried out with care, to avoid smudging the printed shape. Keep the fabric as taut as possible and hold the stencils firmly in place. When the paint is dry the stencils should be lifted slowly from the fabric.
TRANSFER PRINTING: This method of printing literally transfers a design from one medium to another. Commercially produced transfers are available for use on fabric, or one can use transfer inks or pens or crayons to produce a design, which is then transferred to the fabric. Transfers are created on special paper using disperse dyes. Place the transfer, design side down, on to the fabric and apply heat by ironing the back of the paper. This causes the dye to change from a solid to a gas, and soak into the fabric, where it returns to solid form. The dye is also made colorfast during this process. The only difficulty that can arise is remembering to create the design back to front.
