We are often asked how the wax print fabrics are made, so we thought it would be helpful to share the process in detail with you.
The Raw Material-white plain fabric we use is locally sourced in India and is made in Gujarat-India, where the whole process is highly respected as a craft and a labour-intensive art form. In this blog we’re going to take a look at the complex and time-consuming production process involved in creating these incredible textiles.
BASIC STEPS IN AFRICAN WAX PRINT FABRIC PRODUCTION
Preparation
Raw cotton yarns are woven into grey cloth that is stiff and dirty. The cloth is then bleached white to clean and remove any impurities before being strengthened and stretched to its desired width.
Design
The prints are designed on a computer using CAD software in black and white form. Traditionally two or three colours are added to the cloth at the end of the production process. Each print design is usually produced in several different colourways.
Wax Printing
The design is engraved onto a pair of copper rollers before being printed onto both sides of the cloth using melted, molten wax. The wax used is a natural product that comes from pine tree resin.
Indigo Dying
The cloth is then put into an indigo dye bath where the exposed parts of the cloth are dyed and the resin covered parts are resisted. This process can also cause naturally formed fine cracks in the wax, which can allow small amounts of the dye to seep through onto the cloth.
Crackling Effect
The wax is then deliberately cracked using specific machinery depending on the desired outcome such as marbling and bubbles.
Colouration
Large, industrial printing machines are used to add solid colours to the design either before and/or after the wax is removed from the cloth. Sometimes part of the design is hand carved onto a wooden block and applied to the fabric by hand (called block printing). This colouration process is key to producing the highly distinctive and vibrant colours of all of our fabrics.
Washing
The cloth is then washed to remove all the small residues of wax and excess dyes ensuring that colour fastness standards are met.
Finishing
There are different types of finishes that are applied to the cloth depending on the desired outcome. The fabric can sometimes look shiny which disappears after the first initial wash. Certain fabrics are more expensive due to the type of finishing used at the end of the manufacturing process, which can be costly.
Due to the nature of the wax printing process it is impossible to make each piece of cloth look exactly the same so they are truly unique. Furthermore because the tailors cut the fabric used to make the final clothing by hand, the print positioning is different on each item meaning each one is one of a kind!
To see examples of the finished fabrics, all lovingly made by our production team using this wax print process, visit our AFRICAN PRINT FABRICS.
If you have any questions or for more information about the production process please feel free to get in touch!