Eco-Printing

What It Is

Eco-printing uses the same natural dye chemistry as vat dyeing but applies it through direct contact rather than a dye bath. The plant acts simultaneously as the dye source and the printing block — its specific leaf shape, vein structure, and pigment distribution are transferred directly to the cloth. Every eco-print is a unique record of a specific leaf at a specific moment.

The process was developed and popularized by Australia-based artist India Flint, whose book Eco Colour (2008) brought it international attention.

Mordanting for Eco-Print

Mordanting before eco-printing is essential for colour development and durability:

• Protein fibres (wool, silk): Alum mordant 25% WOF (weight of fibre) in warm water. Proceed directly to bundling.
• Cellulose fibres (cotton, linen): Soy milk mordant (protein pre-treatment) or alum with tannin pre-treatment. Cellulose requires more preparation for eco-printing than protein fibres.
• Iron modifier: Rusty iron tools, iron liquor (ferrous sulfate solution) — placed alongside leaves during bundling to sadden and deepen colours.

Process

1. Prepare fabric: Scour (clean), mordant (alum or soy milk), and dampen.
2. Select botanicals: Fresh leaves with high tannin or dye content give best results. Eucalyptus, rose, Japanese maple, sumac, oak, black walnut, onion skins, coreopsis — among the most reliable species. Most plants with yellow autumn leaves will give colour. Very tender petals often give weak results.
3. Arrange: Lay leaves directly on the fabric surface. For two-sided prints, fold the fabric over the leaves, or stack leaves on both sides of the fabric before rolling.
4. Bundle: Roll or fold tightly. Bind with string. The tighter the bundle, the crisper the print.
5. Steam or boil: Steam for 1–2 hours (more control, prevents colours from bleeding together), or boil for 30–60 minutes in a dye bath for additional overall colour.
6. Cool and unfold: Allow to cool completely before unwrapping — the image sets as it cools.
7. Rinse: Cold water rinse. Do not wash with soap immediately — the print needs time to cure.

Plant Selection

• Reliable high-colour sources: Eucalyptus (all species), Japanese indigo (fresh), black walnut (hull), sumac (leaves and berries), rose (petals and leaves), coreopsis
• Seasonal timing: Autumn leaves generally give stronger prints than spring/summer leaves — tannin content increases as leaves prepare to fall
• Korean/local sources: 오리나무 (alder) leaves and bark, 치자 (gardenia), 소목 (sappan wood) shavings bundled with fabric

Common Failures

• Faint or no print: Too little tannin in the plant, poor mordanting, or insufficient steaming time. Try leaves with more tannin, increase mordant, or steam longer.
• Prints bleed into each other: Bundle too loose, or too much moisture. Roll tighter; wring excess water from fabric before bundling.
• Colour fades quickly: Under-mordanted fibre or very fugitive plant pigment. Use alum mordant for protein fibres; for cellulose, double-mordant.

Jay's Studio Note

Eco-printing is where natural dye moves from chemistry to collaboration. The print is not designed — it is negotiated between the maker and the plant. The rust from an iron tool left near a eucalyptus leaf darkens the print to a deep teal. The fold in the cloth doubles and mirrors the leaf. The exact result is never fully predictable. In this way, eco-printing shares more with lumen printing than with vat dyeing: both are about setting conditions and accepting the outcome.

Related Materials

Mordanting · Botanical Dye Plants · Natural Dye · Botanical & Photo Embedding