Woodblock Printing

• Woodblock fabric printing is the earliest form of textile printing. Easily the slowest method, the artist designs a simple shape on a wood block, then pounds the back of the block with a mallet to create an impression on the fabric.
  
  

Roller Printing

• Roller printing was invented in Scotland in 1783. Fabric is fed into the machine, where engraved cylinders pass over it and are continuously inked.
  
  

Screen Printing

• Today, the most commonly used fabric printing technique is screen printing. Using a blade, ink in the form of paste is squeezed through small openings on a screen.
  
  

Stenciling

• Fabric can be printed with stencils; the artist creates a design that is cut from heavy paper or very thin metal, and ink is applied through the cut-out openings.
  
  

Bleaching

• After fabric is dyed, bleach can be applied to create a print design.
  
  

Prints Using Wax

• A print can be applied to fabric using wax. After the fabric is dyed, the wax is removed, leaving a lighter design.