What is eco-printing?
A short introduction to printing with plants: how it works, what shapes a print, and why no two pieces are ever alike.
2 min read
Eco-printing is a way of printing with plants. Instead of ink, the colour comes from leaves and flowers themselves: they are laid directly onto fabric, bundled tightly and heated, and when the bundle is opened each one has left an impression of its shape, often down to the finest vein.
How it works
- Plant material is arranged directly on the fabric.
- The fabric is covered, rolled or folded, and tied firmly into a bundle so every leaf stays in close contact with the cloth.
- The bundle is heated, usually by steaming or simmering, so the plants' natural colour can move into the fibres.
- Once it has cooled, the bundle is opened and the spent leaves are removed to reveal the prints.
What shapes a print
A print is the meeting of many variables, which is why no two are ever quite alike:
- The leaf itself: its kind, its age, the season and how fresh it is.
- The fabric: natural fibres such as cotton and silk take colour in different ways.
- Pressure: how tightly the bundle is rolled and bound.
- Heat and time: how hot, and for how long, the bundle is steamed or simmered.
- Water and any mordants used, which can deepen, shift or brighten colour.
Eco-printing and natural dyeing
Natural dyeing usually colours a whole cloth by immersing it in a dye bath. Eco-printing works by direct contact: colour stays where the leaf touched, so the result is a record of individual leaves rather than an even colour. The two are often combined: a cloth may be dyed first and then printed with leaves.
Why every piece is unique
Because the colour comes from real leaves, each print records a particular plant at a particular moment. Even when an arrangement is repeated, the result differs. That variation is not a flaw; it is the character of the craft.
Explore finished pieces in the collection.
