A Connoisseur's Guide to SZ Blockprints

The Art of Authenticity

Authenticity in every print, from block carving to the final pressing.

100% Hand Block Printed. Always.

This statement is at the heart of SZ Blockprints. Every piece, every dress, every quilt, every home good, carries our commitment to true craft. Blocks are hand-carved by skilled artisans, not machines, and each print is placed by hand. The legacy of Kitty Rae, who trained Jaipur's craftspeople since the 1960s, runs through all we do. Here, the human touch is present in every detail.

How to tell

Spotting Authentic Hand Block Printing

Look closely. True blockprints are perfectly imperfect, and the signs of a real human hand are there if you know what to look for.

Edges

Notice small misalignments where motifs join, and a little dye pooling. These signs show a real person printed your fabric.

Multi-block Technique

Complex patterns use up to five different blocks per motif, set by skilled hands. A touch of overlap or gap is mastery you can see.

Colour Variation

Hand pressure and weather create shifts in depth and shade that machines cannot match. Painterly, lively surfaces.

Jaal Heritage

Our patterns honour the evolving florals of Rajasthan, with every collection bringing fresh colour stories and prints.

The Reverse Test

Real blockprints leave a faint, visible pattern on the back. Digital prints do not. A simple clue that sets genuine craft apart.

The difference

Hand Block vs. Machine Print

Hand blockprints deliver a richness you can feel and see. Pigment soaks into the fabric rather than sitting on the surface, and over time the colour softens and matures.

Hand Block

Pigment dyes soak into the fabric, deepening with age.
Up to 5 hours and 160 hand presses for a single panel.
No two pieces are ever identical. Pressure and colour vary.
Slow craft, made to last for generations.

Machine Print

Colour sits on top and may crack or peel after washing.
Yards finished in minutes, repeated on autopilot.
Every repeat is identical, with no human variation.
Mass production, made at volume.

For the collector

The Collector's Guide

For advanced collectors, here is how to judge real skill and value.

Ask about the print process. How many blocks are used? Are they hand-carved or machine-cut? What kind of dye is set into the cotton?
Flip the fabric. Find the faint pattern on the reverse and the subtle colour changes across repeats.
Check the joins. Minor misalignments and small ink overlaps are marks of handwork, not mistakes.
Know the time. It can take up to five hours and over 160 separate impressions for a single panel of our textiles.
Look for heritage. The best pieces carry a sense of place, like our use of 'jaal' florals from Rajasthan, and deep artistic value.