Sanganeri Hand Block Print Textiles: A Buyer Guide to Bedsheets, Curtains and Cushions
Updated: Oct 6
Hand block printing is one of India's best known textile crafts, and Sanganeri hand block print from Sanganer, near Jaipur, is one of its most famous styles. If you source bedsheets, curtains, table linen or cushion covers, understanding the craft helps you brief suppliers and set the right expectations.
What is Sanganeri hand block printing?
Sanganeri Hand Block Printing is a registered Geographical Indication. The GI Registry record shows Application No. 147 in Classes 24 and 25, filed by the Calico Printers Cooperative Society and registered in March 2010.
The GI application document describes a white base colour with fine-lined designs and delicate floral motifs. Traditional colours came from natural sources such as turmeric, indigo, pomegranate rind and madder. Today workshops mostly use natural dyes or synthetic azo-free dyes. Sanganer lies about 16 km from Jaipur.
Sanganeri or Bagru?
Bagru, about 30 km from Jaipur, has its own GI (Application No. 183). The Bagru GI filing notes that the two styles are close, with the main difference being the background: white in Sanganeri, off-white or cream in Bagru. Bagru is also known for dabu, a mud resist paste, and for traditional black and red dyes. Both are beautiful. Knowing which one you want avoids confusion when you brief a supplier.
How a hand block print is made
A design is carved into wooden blocks, one block per colour.
Fabric is washed and prepared.
Printers stamp each block by hand, lining up every colour.
The fabric is dried, fixed and washed.
It is cut, stitched, checked and packed.
Because every metre is printed by hand, small shifts in registration and shade are normal and are part of the product's character.
Azo-free dyes and EU rules
If you sell in the European Union, REACH Annex XVII, entry 43 restricts azo dyes that can release certain aromatic amines above 30 mg/kg in textiles that have direct and prolonged skin contact, such as bed linen, towels and bags. Ask your supplier to confirm azo-free dyes and, for larger programmes, arrange a lab test.
What to specify when you order
Fabric and thread count: many bedsheet programmes use cotton around 200 TC. Confirm the exact quality at sample stage.
Finished size: bedsheet sizes differ between the US, UK, EU and Australia. Share your mattress sizes and the drop and tuck you want.
Colourway and motif scale: approve a strike-off or swatch before bulk.
Construction: headers for curtains, closures for cushion covers, edge finish for table linen.
Labels and packaging: care labels, barcodes and retail packs if you sell under your own brand.
MOQ and lead times
Printing is set up per design and colourway, so minimum quantities are usually higher than for decor items. Our block print programmes start from 500 units per design, with swatch cards and samples available before bulk.
HS codes to discuss with your broker
Bed linen and table linen fall under HS 6302, curtains under HS 6303 and other furnishing articles under HS 6304, per the WCO nomenclature.
Explore our range
Browse our hand block printed textiles: bedsheets, the White Garden collection, curtains, table linen, tote bags and cushion covers. Prices are on request because every programme is made to order. Send us your specification and we will quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Sanganeri and Bagru print?
Both are hand block prints from near Jaipur. Sanganeri prints usually have a white background with fine lines, while Bagru uses an off-white or cream ground and is known for dabu mud resist.
Are block printed textiles azo-free?
Ask your supplier to confirm azo-free dyes. For the EU, REACH restricts azo dyes that release listed amines above 30 mg/kg.
What is the MOQ for block print bedsheets?
It depends on the supplier. Our programmes start from 500 units per design, with swatches and samples first.
Related reading
Kraft Bharat is one of the handicraft exporters in India supplying handmade products to retailers in the UK, US, Australia and UAE. Browse our catalogue or contact our export team.
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