Motifs Of Dabu Print From The Ensemble Of The Printroots.

Dabu print fabric has its own charm and elegance which is recognized by worldwide individuals.  If we talk about the Dabu print, it is recognized for its subtle depth and intricate motifs which is distinct from any other hand block print. 

Dabu is a print that is a mud resisting type of hand block printing with the combination of highly skilled labor and beautiful motifs. Here artisans tend to work in order to produce classic and authentic Dabu prints. From the regional to the western, a variety of motifs are crafted in the Dabu. 

History

From the village of Akola, Chittorgarh of Rajasthan. A beautiful craft named Dabu print has been winning the hearts of more than a billion people for the past 500 to 700 years. with the beautiful motifs and enchanting hues, it is curated in order to deliver the richness of Dabu print to every individual and move forward with the legacy. If we talk about the Dabu print, it is an ancient art of hand block print, which is mainly crafted in Rajasthan and is renowned as the art which is curated with natural colors and hand block printing technique.

How to make Dabu?

The painstaking and labor-intensive art of printing is fabricated with the help of highly expert artisans who work in the field for years. In making Dabu, wheat powder (Beedan), limestone (Chuna), babool Gond, and black soil are blended together with the help of legs. But nowadays, grinders are used for the same. Further, it is filtered to get rid of waste materials which makes the designs more alluring.

Process

1. Washing process

• First of all, the fabric is cut in 10m length (Because in block printing there is a problem in printing larger cuts than this and when dyeing, the yardage becomes heavy in that too, artisans can work well in a 10-meter cut)
• Then 10 meters of cloth is cut and left in the water with castor oil, camel dung, and soda ash for 3 days, and the water is changed daily (this removes impurities/starch of the fabric and makes it soft ).
• Then on the 4th day, the fabric was thoroughly washed and dried.

2. The Dabu printing  process

In the printing process of Dabu print, firstly fabric is collected from the mills and cut according to the order. These mills are heavy in size and in order to print the Dabu print, it is De-sized. Although if we talk about Desizing, it is done by repeatedly beating the wet fabric against the stone or hard surface. This is kept for one day in the isolation process so the enzymatic process can take place and loosen the size. Therefore the next day it is beaten again and this process is done repeatedly for three consecutive days.

3. Dye process

As the mud is dried, the dying process is initiated. Usually, the indigo is used for the same and then the fabric is laid to dry in the sun again. Afterward, printers may repeat the process of Dabu printing over the dyed fabric in order to design multiple layers of resistance and again goes under the process of dying in the darker shade.

At last, the fabric was washed thoroughly to remove all the Dabu mud traces and the resist area is revealed to be in the original white that is completely dependent upon the tendency of Dabu printing. Hence it is dried in the sun again.

Motifs and designs

The traditional motifs used in Dabu printing are taken from the nature around you and inspired by the surroundings. It evolved with time and made its mark in foreign countries as well. Let's have a look at some motifs that make the Dabu print fabric more appealing.

Animal motifs - peacocks and elephant 

Floral motifs- sunflowers and mangoes.

Geometrical- zigzag lines, dots, circles, stripes, etc. 

At Printroots, we love to embellish our fabric with different motifs and hues to make it more classy. In Dabu prints, every fabric is incarnated with extra delicateness and natural shades.

Present scenario

Dabu print is worldwide famous and accepted. In the earlier years, Dabu printing was just used to embellish the Dabu saree only but with the market evolution, it is fabricated over all types of fabric.  In Dabu Craftsmanship, the silk, crepe, and georgette become famous and popular among the market.  Although, this Dabu print fabric holds the most vibrant shades and aesthetic designs very well. Therefore, the Dabu print used the most porous and resilient cotton fabric for the exquisite print with the natural motifs with the modern touch that is evolved in the last few years

How to care

Dabu print fabric must be washed with your hands and handled with extra care. although you need to wash it first with your hands gently and then clean it in the machine with cold water.  Dabu print is advisable in the natural air to maintain color vibrancy and texture.

The machine washing can somehow impact the Dabu print fabric and make its color fade adequately. Although it depends on the use, frequent use can harm  the fabric

The Printroots - An astounding place to shop for Dabu prints.

At Printroots, we care for our customers and effectively work along the curation of unique silhouettes to refresh your ensemble. Every fabric depicts the symphony of earthy shades and beautifully crafted designs with the utmost precision. Complemented by the handwork and the melange of tranquility, comfort, and contentment exclusively at the printroots.