Resist Printing Technique

 

 

In the resist printing technique, material like clay, wax, resin or the mixture of all this is used and applied over the area which is to be printed, to resist the dye. The fabric is then immersed in the dye bath. After dying, the material attached to the fabric to resist the dye is removed. The seepage of dye into the edged of the resist areas creates a tonal effect. The tonal effect thus produced is subtle and soft.

Resist printing technique is popular in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country.

The city of Jaisalmer is popular for its wax resist printing work The print on a Jaisalmer wedding dress is a spectacular one, with a design of squares in red, pink and black. A variety of utilitarian items like sheets, covers, tablemats etc are also made here.

Tamil Nadu is known for its craft of Amman selai, a ritual offering in fabric, which is made to the village goddess. Amman selai is of two kinds. The plain woven one known as the Kinar selai and the Muthukatti selai, which has ornamental pallavs and borders. Using the wax resist process creates these ornamental pallavs and borders. Metal blocks of different variety are used . The process of creating a good Amman selai is painstaking and not only involves resist dying but also, tie and dye and fabric painting