ECO- PRINTING

Botanical -printing

Contact- printing
Definition of Eco-printing

Eco-printing is a technique where plants, leaves and flowers leave their

shapes, colour, and marks on fabric.  

Plant material bundled inside of cloth is steamed or boiled to release the

dye found naturally inside the plant, creating a contact print in the shape
of the leaf or flower used. 

These contact prints are referred to as “eco-prints.” 

simply refers to the use of an environmentally responsible printing
process. By this, it implies the use of an approach to printing that aims
at eliminating or reducing the environmental hazards (footprint) of the
entire printing process.
What is Eco-printing?
Eco-printing (or Botanical printing as it is also known) is a process by which the
colours and shapes of leaves or other natural plant material such as bark, seeds
or flowers are transferred onto fabric or paper.

The plant material is combined with moisture and heat (and in some cases
mordants) to transfer the colour and shape onto the target fabric or paper –
natural alchemy!  

Eco-printing is far more environmentally friendly than many of our modern

dying/production methods as few, if any, chemicals are used, and the best results
are achieved on natural fabrics – better for you and better for the planet
The history of Eco-printing
There is very little written about the history and formation of eco-printing in comparison to
many other crafts.
Also known as Botanical printing, what little is know about the history of this medium can
however, be traced back to middle ages. Dis corides, an ancient Greek pharmacologist,
first described the techniques and, as interest in scientific study and herbalism grew, they
were used to record/illustrate books.

Famous writers such as Leonardo Da Vinci also described techniques for botanical
printing and produced some examples including a sage leaf. However, knowledge and use
of these printing techniques appears to have faded over time. Ismal (2016) suggests this
was largely as a result of the discovery of the first synthetic dye by William Henry Perkin in
1856.

This would seem to be intuitively correct as more uniform and predictable results are
achievable with synthetics and this would have been desirable at a time when the western
world was moving to mass production and marketing just after the Industrial revolution.
What Type of Textile Printing is Greenest?
•Latex – By far the most eco-friendly printing method is latex. Often
fully recyclable, it is a technology that has greatly advanced in the last few
years. Latex ink works well with any fabric both synthetic and natural.
•UV – Eco printing on fabric using large format UV technology means that the
ink is sublimated to the substrate using an inline fuser.
•Dye sublimation – This method remains a popular form of printing because it
can reproduce photo-like quality to a wide range of fabrics where the ink is
printed onto screen paper before being pressed into the fabric or textile to
transfer the image. 

• From textile flooring to retail exhibition displays, this type of printing absorbs
water-based inks ensuring the inks penetrate the fabric weave. However it still
produces waste in the form of excess ink and transfer papers, but traditional
artisan eco printing is best than others.
 The two best of eco-Print techniques

Bundling Prints by Hammering

is a technique of arranging leaves, stems, berries and • Sandwich fresh plants
flowers onto the mordanted fabric in a systematic
between mordanted fabric;
way to get the desired design pattern. Fabric to be
bundled with petals or plant parts are mordanted fabric or paper as a base
with alum or other metal salts to facilitate effective • Hammer the fabric using a
dye take up. Alum acetate and alum sulphate are two hammer with a rounded
mostly used mordants used for cellulose and protein rubber face. (Use scrap fabric under
fibers respectively. the hammer head to prevent smudging).
• Remove plant, dry, press,
After mordanting fabric are wetted in water for
hand wash to remove
thirty minutes. Leaves and petals are arranged in
predetermined area in an outlined pattern. Folded remaining plant pieces and
and bound fabric thus arranged are then subjected excess colour; machine wash.
to sunlight for at least 24 hours or extended period
to ensure proper extraction of dyes. Steaming also
helps to extract dye
 Variables of bundling
Some of the factors influencing bundling output are-
o Arrangement of the flowers and plant leaves
o Folding technique of the fabric
o Pre-treatment of the fabric
o Contact pressure of the items
o Heat of the sun
o Time
o After-treatment
Statement of the Problem.

In today’s world the Fast fashion design, manufacturing, and marketing

method focused on rapidly producing high volumes of clothing. Fast
fashion garment production leverages trend replication and low-quality
materials in order to bring inexpensive styles to the end consumer.

The printing process in noted to have moved form an unsophisticated to

a very sophisticated process involving the use of several inputs. By
sophistication, mean production in the printing industry has involved the
increase use of different chemical compounds in materials such as ink
which has degrading effects on the environment
The main objective
 Adapting artisan eco-friendly eco-printing from plant wastage
To this effect, the attributes of eco-printing will be examined with a particular
case of in house hold process potential environmental (contributions) benefits of
eco-printing.
The specific objective of the study includes:
 To investigate the role of eco-printing towards environmental sustainability
 improving environment sustainability
 To know the concept of handmade eco print technique

1.5. Scope of the project

The concept of sustainability is usually perceived as a global issue. As a result, it
could be seen as very broad and complex since it focus on household artisans
eco printing process.
Eco printing on natural fibers
As with natural dyeing, you must always
use natural fibers such as:
•100% cotton
•100% linen
•100% silk
•100% wool
•100% leather
•any mixed fiber blend (30%silk,
70%cotton)
 Material and Methodology
methodology
Practice-based
• Experimentation to discover/revise
methods with the end result being an
artifact (Gray & Malins, 2004)
Materials like;
• steamer
• plants you identified as useful during
testing and others to experiment with
Fresh, frozen, dried
• scissors and string
• rubber gloves and apron
•Cotton Fabric (practice on ripped
strips of cotton bed sheets)
•gloves
•extra old sheeting (optional to make
‘Iron Blanket’)
•Potassium aluminium sulphate used as
amodrant
The eco printing process in brief
 Eco printing is a kind of alchemy, as much art as it is science. Several
interacting factors influence the final print: the age and part of the dye
plant, the plant's growing conditions, the textile fibre (cellulose or
protein), the choice of mordant (e.g., alum, iron), the choice of dye
assistants, time for resting, etc.

 Regardless of these other factors, direct and firm contact between plant
and substrate is key to a successful eco print.
 Plant materials (along with branches, barks, rocks or metals, too) should
be securely wrapped in a pre-mordant textile or layered between sheets
of water colour paper; the bundle is tied tightly with string and perhaps
weighted with a brick, then steamed over water or simmered in water or
natural dye.

 Different print effects are obtained by layering, tying, folding, clamping

or stitching metals, rocks, twigs, etc. onto the substrate
Flowers. Eucalypt flowers are a miraculous creation,
they can be tiny and they can be hugely over-the-top
disco. In general; if the tree has pink or red flowers, it
could be a great red printer. Printing with flowers and
buds is very pretty,
Leaves; if the leaf is silvery grey, you have more chance
of your prints
Step By Step Guide to Botanical Printing
Step 1. Silk works really well for botanical printing, because it absorbs natural colour
incredibly well, and you'll end up with vibrant results. You can also use any other natural
fibres, like cotton, linen or wool. Keep in mind that colours will be more muted on plant-
based fibres.
Start by pre-mordanting your fibres. The most common mordant is alum, which helps
plant based dyes stay colourfast and encourages bright, cheery tones. You can also use
iron, which darkens and "saddens" colours, or makes them more grey.
Simmer fibre for 1 hour with 8% of the dry fibre weight of alum. For example, if you
have 50g of fibre X 8% = 4g alum. Let cool in vat for 2-12 hours. If using iron, use 2%
WOF (weight of dry fibre).
Step 2. Lay out your fabric. It can be dry or damp. Gather all your dye plants around.
Fresh or dried, powdered or whole, it all works! The more different plants and
textures you add, the bigger the surprise reveal will be at the end.
Step 3. Lay out your dye or print plants on one half of the fabric. Leave half of the
fabric blank. It's best if you divide the fabric in half lengthwise. Lay out plants in a
random distribution, a gradient of colour, or a geometric pattern- the world is your
oyster!
Step 4. Fold, Roll and Tie. Fold the blank half down over the half with plant
material on it. Starting at one end, roll up tightly. You can also wrap it around a
dowel or chopstick. Then, tightly wrap the bundle up with string.
Step 5. At the bundled fabric to steamer and steam for 1 hour. You
may have to add water a couple of times to make sure it doesn't boil
dry. Be careful opening the lid! Like with all natural dyeing, it's best to
use pots/steamers that you don't use for cooking.
Step 6. Let the bundle cool off completely. This will help the colour
set. Untie the string and unravel to see your new botanically printed
fabric! Remove plant materials, wash, dry and enjoy!
Overall benefits offered are enlisted as below: -
1. Environmental concerned i.e. Conservation and preservation of environment
2. Wastage reduction of consumables used during printing like chemicals, paper, ink
etc.
3. Overall cost reduction
4. Time and energy saving
5. Offers enhanced quality of printing with improved standards
6. Safer workplace with improved employee health
7. Reduced use of hazardous materials for lowering environmental impacts
CONCLUSION
the eco fashion concept is appropriate and strategic. Eco fashion is sustainable. Although this
concept is not yet popular in our country the awareness and responsibility of ‘green’ behavior
must be improved and socialized for the actors and all parties involved in the fashion industry in
the country.

The next question is what products are processed and what impact will they have on the
environment.
Generally, in our country aplenty of plant wastages found in everywhere so, to create awareness
about sustainable clothing production method easily at the home to achieve the eco-friendly goals
partially.
Recommendation

 Practicing different techniques of eco printing and identify the plants within selected
fibre, fabric types.
 Consumers of products from this industry should develop positive attitude towards
the environment and put pressure on producers to be able to meet up to basic
environmental requirements related with crating awareness to the social system.

 Simply put, consumers should think twice the environmental effect before the give a
print to the fabric and papers and read thrice the source of paper before they purchase
a print product.
 I wish further research could be done on the following topic
• Comparative study between the environmental hazards of print media.
• Investigating the contribution of traditional printing on the environmental effects
of the print industry.
References

 Buchanan, R. (1995). A dyer’s garden. Interweave.

Cardon, D. (2007). Natural dyes. Archetype.
Fletcher, K. (2008). Sustainable fashion & textiles. Earthscan

 https://mayalein.co/blogs/the-fyi-on-natural-dyeing/an-introduction-to-eco-
printing
 https://slowyarn.com/introduction-to-eco-printing/
 http://www.turkeyredjournal.com/archives/V18_I2/feldberg.html
 https://www.mochni.com/eco-prints-learn-the-process-of-all-natural-eco-printing/
 https://www.sharlenebohr.com/my-technique
 https://joybileefarm.com/ecoprint/
Thanks !!