The base color of Bagru prints is off- white. Initially, natural dyes like madder, indigo, pomegranate rind, turmeric etc. were being used as coloring agents. For the past seventy years Alizarine has been introduced in place of madder (manzeet).Natural indigo has been replaced by Synthetic indigo. The main natural colors are prepared in the following ways by the printers themselves:

1. BLACK (Natural)

Worn-out iron horse-shoes or camel-shoes are soaked in water (fermented) (example 10 litres of water for 10 kg of horseshoe) to which molasses (gud) is added [1kg for 10 litres of water]. This mixture is kept aside for 15days. The process is carried on in a matka or a separate cement tank specially made for this purpose. After fifteen days the water is decanted and is used as the black pigment.

2. RED (Natural)

First, a gum paste solution in water is kept overnight and then sieved through a cotton cloth. Hundred grams of phitakari (boiled in water) is then mixed in the gum solution. When this color is applied on the fabric with the help of blocks it appears brown in color, but after it is put in the (bhatti) furnace the color changes to red.

3. MAROON (Natural)

In order to get this color, red and black colors are mixed in the ratio of 3:1 respectively i.e. 75% red and 25% black.

The source materials for natural dyes are not only plentiful but also harmless and non-pollutant. The water from these dye baths is usually recycled to irrigate vegetable garden of peas, wheat, and other green vegetables and grains.

Pigment Colors

Other than natural colors, pigment colors are also used for printing. Some of the pigment colors are:

1)       Green

2)       Pink

3)       Brown

4)       Violet

5)       Blue

6)       Rust

The basic color combinations used for Bagru printing are:

1)       Cream , Maroon and Black

2)       Black and white

3)       Blue (indigo) and white

Motifs

All the motifs are first carved on wooden blocks which are made by craftsmen called KHARAUDI. They specialize exclusively in the skill of hand-carving the designs on the blocks and do not use the electric machinery. They work with their traditional tools which include a ruler, compass, saw and wooden maller. A single colored block measuring 5.5 cms by 9cms, can cost between Rs. 350 and 800, depending upon the intricacy of the design. One block lasts for a maximum of 800- 1000mts. of fabric. Each design usually requires a set of several different blocks, including an outline (rekh), a background (gad), and filler (datta).

Main patterns carved on the blocks are:

1)       PATASHI with its tiny floral designs of buds, leaves and stems.

2)       JHAD with its interviewing trendrils and distinctive border lines.

3)       HATHI- the elephant

Besides these the other motif used are floral, spiral, geometrical and figures like fishes etc.

Process of Printing

Hand block printing is a complex and labor- intensive craft that involves a variety of skills at different stages: Carving the block (usually done by craftsmen) preparing the cloth, mixing the dyestuffs, and finally the printing, dyeing, and washing steps, which may be repeated several times to obtain a final color and design.