The art of screen printing: How women artisans are reviving a timeless craft.

SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS SCREEN PRINTING?

Screen printing is a centuries-old technique used to transfer designs onto fabrics using a stencil and ink. A fine mesh screen is used to hold the screen in place, and ink is pushed through the open areas of the design using a tool called a squeegee.

Each color in the design requires a separate screen, making the process both technical and artistic. It’s especially prized for its bold, vibrant results and the ability to reproduce detailed patterns by hand.

THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF SCREEN PRINTING.

Screen printing has a long history dating back to ancient China, when the method was invented using silk stencils. The technology evolved and spread across countries, catering to a variety of artistic and commercial needs.

By the twentieth century, screen printing had become a popular method for producing high-quality images on fabric, making its way into the world of fashion and design. This progression has enabled contemporary artisans, particularly women, to express their creativity and launch businesses based on this adaptable technique.

HOW OUR SCREEN PRINTING WORKS (STEP-BY-STEP)

In a sunlit courtyard on the outskirts of Jaipur, a bustling city in northern India, something magical unfolds—not in a factory, but at the hands of women artisans reviving a centuries-old craft. Welcome to the art of screen printing at Shakti.ism, where beauty, heritage, and empowerment meet.

Screen printing is more than a technique for transferring designs onto fabric; it’s a precise, hands-on process where natural dyes are prepared, wooden frames are carefully aligned, and fabric is stretched out across long tables to ensure accuracy and consistency before the first print is pulled.

At Shakti.ism, we partner with skilled women artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing them with training, fair wages, and a platform to showcase their craftsmanship. Through screen printing, these women are not just creating beautiful textiles; they’re weaving their narratives of resilience and independence. Profits from each purchase are reinvested into expanding training opportunities and creating even more meaningful work for women across our artisan communities.

THE SCREEN PRINTING PROCESS.

1. Designing with Intention

Every print begins with a vision. Whether inspired by traditional motifs or contemporary patterns, the design is carefully sketched by hand or digitally. At Shakti.ism, our founder, Jitna Bhagani, creates each design from scratch, drawing inspiration from South Asian textiles, architecture, and everyday life, infusing every piece with cultural depth and modern soul.

For prints that use multiple colours, the process becomes even more intricate. Each hue is carefully separated into individual layers, ensuring that when printed, the colours align perfectly to form one seamless image. This step, though often invisible in the final product, requires both an artist’s eye and a technician’s precision. Designing with intention means every motif has meaning, and every print tells a story inspired by nature, tradition, and culture.

2. Crafting the Perfect Stencil

Once the design is complete, the transformation from vision to tool begins.

A fine mesh screen is stretched tightly over a wooden frame and coated with a light-sensitive emulsion. The design is then transferred onto the screen using UV light, hardening the emulsion except where the ink will pass through. When washed, the unhardened areas dissolve, revealing clean, open areas through which the ink will later pass.

What’s left is more than just a stencil—it’s the designer’s blueprint, prepared by hand and ready for print. This part of the process is entirely manual in our partner workshop, utilising minimal electricity and natural sunlight.

3. The Magic of Printing

The fabric, often soft reclaimed cotton or ethically sourced textiles, is laid flat, and the screen is carefully positioned. The women artisans, trained in both technique and rhythm, pour vibrant, hand-mixed natural dyes onto the screen, and then comes the squeegee. A tool glided across the open screen with practiced ease. It’s a process that requires both muscle memory and finesse, and the skilled craftswomen make it look effortless.

As ink seeps through the screen, it does more than transfer the design onto the fabric; it imprints change. For multi-colored prints, this process is repeated with painstaking alignment. It takes an expert eye, a steady hand, and unwavering focus, qualities our artisan partners hold in abundance.

4. Sun-Kissed Perfection and Artisan-Approved

In true sustainable fashion, the freshly printed fabric is left to dry under the golden Indian sun. It enhances the character of the fabric, softening the inks and giving every piece a subtle, sun-kissed finish.

Every piece is then inspected by the artisans themselves, checking for clarity, alignment, and consistency. Quality, after all, is a form of respect for the craft, for the artisan, and for you.

The result? A print that lasts, both in quality and in memory.

EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH THE CRAFT.

Our screen printers are women rewriting their destinies, survivors, mothers, daughters, and dreamers from marginalised communities. What begins as ethical employment blossoms into transformation: hands-on training becomes confidence, fair wages become self-reliance, and community support becomes collective power.

By training and employing women in these traditional techniques, we’re not only producing stunning textiles but also playing a crucial role in making sure that these time-honored crafts are passed down, preserved, and celebrated for generations to come.

Every pull of the squeegee is a step toward independence.

These women evolve from artisans to leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs, igniting ripple effects that reshape entire communities. Their craft doesn’t just print fabric; it prints change, stitching economic freedom into the very fabric of society.

This is empowerment, pulled through a screen, one vibrant layer at a time.

SUSTAINABLE SCREEN PRINTING: OUR ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES.

Sustainability in screen printing is no longer just a trend; it is a responsibility. As global awareness grows, artisans are reimagining traditional techniques through an eco-conscious lens. Our partner artisans:

• Use hand-mixed natural dyes.

• Dry the fabrics in the open sun.

• Continuously produce small batches to minimise waste and ensure quality.

• Do not use harmful chemicals.

Every step of our process is rooted in respect for the environment. These thoughtful choices ensure that each hand-printed piece is not only beautiful but also gentle on the planet.

By embracing sustainable practices, our partner artisans are not just preserving heritage—they’re protecting the future.

As more people seek meaning in the things they buy, the dedication of these artisans becomes part of a beautiful, global movement, one that values intention, care, and conscious living.

WHY OUR PRINTS MATTER: WEAR THE CHANGE.

When you choose a hand-screen-printed item from Shakti.ism, you’re choosing more than aesthetics. You’re choosing:

• Tradition over trends

• Sustainability over mass production

• Empowerment over exploitation

Every print is a story of resilience and heritage, crafted not just for beauty, but for impact.

So wear it proudly. Decorate your space with it boldly. And know that behind every print is a woman shaping her future, one layer at a time.

Ready to bring home a story worth wearing?

Explore our latest screen-printed pieces in our shop, handmade with love, rooted in tradition, and powered by purpose.

Written by Elizabeth Ruguru Mbugua.