Plants used in blue printing techniques on fabrics

Introduction The aim of the project is to explore blue printing techniques on fabrics which are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. These techniques involve protective printing combined with indigo dyeing. Material: The indigo plants used for dyeing fabrics were Indigofera tinctoria L., Strobilanthes cusia (Nees) Kuntze., Isatis tinctoria L. The prints were made with carved wooden blocks and a specially prepared reserve paste. Methods: The research was carried out in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and China. Results: As a result of the scientific trips and participation in workshops of natural printing on fabric, the patterns of prints, their colours and dyeing methods were compared.