The tied bundles go into a metal pot and are steamed for hours. Heat and moisture release the natural pigment from each leaf and flower, transferring its true colour directly onto the cloth—with zero synthetic dyes involved.
The Crucial Gap:
The bundles sit above the water, never in it. Steam does the work. Get that gap wrong, and the dyes wash out into faint, ghostly prints instead of holding their sharp shape.
Why We Steam
Heat and moisture act as the catalyst. The steam penetrates the tightly bound fabric, coaxing the natural dyes and tannins out of the leaves and forcing them to bond eternally with the mordanted fibres. Without steam, there is no imprint — it's the breath that brings the colours to life.
How It Is Done
The Suspension. The rock-hard, tightly tied bundles are placed onto a rack, trivet, or basket inside the pot.
The Vapor Gap. They must sit completely above the boiling water level. If the bundles sit inside the water, the precious leaf dyes simply wash out into the bath, leaving faint, blurry "ghost" prints behind. The steam has to do the work, not the water itself.
An Environmentally Gentle Process
Eco-printing honors the earth. Instead of relying on vast vats of toxic, synthetic petrochemical dyes, we utilise localised steam, fallen foliage, and safe metal salts. It requires minimal water compared to traditional dye baths and leaves zero toxic runoff.
The Equipment: Finding Your Scale
The Kitchen Steamer. For small batches, scarves, or samples, a household tamale pot, a bamboo steamer basket, or a pasta insert over a deep pot works beautifully.
The Industrial Steamer. For large production runs and heavy yardage, artisans use modified stainless steel drums or commercial steam cabinets to maintain consistent, pressurised heat across dozens of bundles simultaneously.
Heat & Time: Honoring the Fiber
Different textiles require entirely different temperaments of heat to absorb the botanical prints successfully.
| Fibre Type | Heat | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cellulose Fibres (Cotton, Linen, Hemp) | A vigorous, rolling boil — 212°F / 100°C | 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on fabric thickness and leaf type |
| Protein Fibres (Silk) | A gentle, simmering heat — around 160–180°F / 71–82°C | 1 to 1.5 hours |
Plant fibres are stubborn and need intense, sustained energy to release colour. Silk is delicate — its natural, buttery luster can be destroyed by aggressive boiling, so it gets a gentler hand.
