By Hitesh Sharma, Founder · Jaipur Bedsheet Wholesale, Sanganer, Jaipur · Updated 22 October 2026
How traditional Dabu print is made: 5 steps
- Oil treatment. Grey cotton is soaked for at least 48 hours in water mixed with Turkey red oil, then washed. The book is clear: without this soak, the Dabu paste does not grip the cloth.
- Making the Dabu paste. The ingredients are mixed with water and kneaded by foot for half an hour into a thick paste, then filtered through cloth.
- Printing. The paste is printed with wooden blocks (thappe) over the motifs that must stay light.
- Sun drying. The cloth dries about 2 hours in harsh sun. The clay cracks (taraade) – the source of Dabu’s signature veins.
- Indigo dyeing and washing. The cloth is dipped repeatedly in the indigo vat, sun-dried between dips, then washed in clean water to remove the clay.
The traditional Dabu recipes, with quantities
| Preparation | Ingredients | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dabu paste | 10 kg kaali mitti (black clay), 2 kg choona (lime), 4 kg gehun ka bidan (wheat bran), 1 kg gond (gum) | Kneaded by foot 30 minutes, filtered through cloth |
| Indigo vat (maat) | 4 kg indigo, 10 kg choona, 1 kg gud (jaggery), 5 kg crushed pomegranate rind | Pit 8 ft deep × 2 ft wide, dug in the ground |
| Vat capacity | One full vat dyes about 100 m of cloth | Add 2 kg indigo for every further 100 m |
Because every piece is pressed, cracked and dyed by hand, the book notes that Dabu is complex and its printers are few. That is why genuine hand Dabu costs much more than screen-printed Dabu designs.
Hand Dabu vs Dabu-design screen print: what we stock
We want buyers to know exactly what they are getting. Our Dabu print indigo bedsheets are screen printed in traditional Dabu designs with reactive dyes – they give the indigo Dabu look at a wholesale price that suits boutiques and resellers. They are not mud-resist hand Dabu. For genuinely hand-printed sheets, choose our hand block printed Sanganeri bedsheets.
| Traditional hand Dabu | Dabu-design screen print | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Clay resist pressed by wooden block, indigo vat | Screen printed design, reactive dyes |
| Crackle veins | Natural, different on every piece | Printed into the design, repeat is identical |
| Time per batch | Several days (soaking, drying, repeated dips) | Fast, consistent |
| Best for | Premium, craft-led stores | Volume retail, gifting, hotels |
How to identify genuine hand Dabu
- Crackle veins: thin blue lines running through the white motifs, different on every sheet.
- Colour on the back: indigo goes right through the cotton; screen prints are paler on the reverse.
- Soft edges: motif edges are slightly irregular where the clay was pressed.
- Repeat variation: small gaps or overlaps where hand blocks meet.
Dabu vs Sanganeri vs Bagru bedsheets
| Dabu | Sanganeri | Bagru | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technique | Mud resist + indigo dyeing | Direct block printing | Direct printing + resist |
| Ground | Indigo / dyed | White | Red, kathai, indigo |
| Look | White motifs, crackle veins | Fine red-black butis | Bold earthy motifs |
Shop our related bedsheet ranges wholesale
| Range | Print technique | Wholesale price |
|---|---|---|
| Hand block printed Sanganeri bedsheets | Hand block printed | ₹850–₹950 per set |
| Dabu print indigo bedsheets | Screen printed, Dabu designs | ₹550–₹650 per set |
| Bagru print bedsheets | Screen printed, Bagru designs | ₹550–₹650 per set |
| Sanganeri white base bedsheets | Sanganeri designs | ₹300–₹400 per set |
FAQ
What is Dabu print?
A Rajasthani mud-resist hand block print. Motifs are covered with a clay paste before indigo dyeing, so they stay light while the ground turns blue.
Why does hand Dabu have cracks in the design?
The clay paste cracks as it dries in the sun; indigo seeps into the cracks and leaves fine veins that differ on every piece.
Are your Dabu bedsheets hand printed?
No. Our Dabu print indigo bedsheets are screen printed in Dabu designs with reactive dyes. Our hand block printed range is the Sanganeri hand block bedsheet collection.
What is the MOQ for your bedsheets?
15–20 pieces. We sell only in wholesale.
