AM-4101 ONLINE CLASS

Prepared by
Abir Khan
Lecturer, TE
 TIE-DYEING
• Tie-dyeing typically consists of folding, twisting, pleating, or
crumpling fabric or a garment and binding with string or
rubber bands, followed by application of dye. Tie-dye is
characterized by the use of bright, saturated primary colors
and bold patterns. These patterns, including
the spiral, mandala, and peace sign, and the use of multiple
bold colors, have become usual since the peak popularity of
tie-dye in the 1960s and 1970s.
• The vast majority of currently produced tie-dyes use these
designs, and many are mass-produced for wholesale
distribution. However, a new interest in more 'sophisticated'
tie-dye is emerging in the fashion industry, characterized by
simple motifs, monochromatic color schemes, and a focus
on fashionable garments and fabrics other than cotton.
• Most tie-dyes are now dyed with reactive dyes. This dye reacts with fibers
at alkaline (high) pH, forming a wash-fast, permanent bond. Soda ash
(sodium carbonate) is the most common agent used to raise the pH and
initiate the reaction, and is either added directly to the dye, or in a solution
of water in which garments are soaked before dyeing. This is suitable for
cellulosic fiber like cotton. Protein-based fibers such as silk, wool as well as
the synthetic polyamide fiber, nylon, can be dyed with acid dyes.
• Tie-dye can be used to create a wide variety of designs on fabric, from
standard patterns such as the spiral, peace sign, diamond, and the marble
effect to beautiful works of art. Using techniques such as stencils (screen
printing using dyes or discharge pastes), clamped-on shaped blocks,
and tritik (stitching and gathering), tie-dye can produce almost any design
desired. If a modern kit is used, then it is easier to accomplish a spiral or
circle.
 BLOCK PRINT
• The printing of fabric by hand, using carved wooden blocks is called block
printing. Block printing is a special form of printing first developed in China.
The earliest known example with an actual date is a copy of the Diamond
Sutra from 868 A.D (currently in the British Museum), though the practice of
block printing is probably about two thousand years old.
• The fabric to be printed is washed free of starch and soft bleached if the natural
gray of the fabric is not desired. If dyeing is required as in the case of saris where
borders or the body is tied and dyed it is done before printing. The fabric is again
washed to remove excess dye and dried thoroughly. 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 and no ripples. Color is mixed separately in
another room. Usually pigment dyes are used for cotton.

• The first step in block printing is the production of the block. This is laid on a large,
smooth wooden block. Next, craftsmen of various skill levels, ranging from master
carvers for the fine work to less talented artisans for cheaper blocks or less important
sections, carve the original painted, drawn or written image into the block of wood.
The block can now be covered with ink and used in a press to create duplicates of
the original.
• The dye solutions are poured in the tray. The printer presses the block into the
dye tray and then onto the cloth until the pattern is complete. For every
imprint the block is pressed into the tray to get a fresh smear of paste. The
outline pattern is done in blocks for the background and highlights in
different colors. This printing is primarily done by male printers.
• The fabric, after printing is dried out in the sun. It is then rolled in wads of
newspapers to prevent the dye from adhering to other layers and steamed
in boilers constructed for the purpose. Silks are also steamed this way after
printing. After steaming, the material is washed thoroughly in large quantities
of water and dried in the sun, after which it is finished by ironing out single
layers, which fix the color permanently.