Japanese dyeing techniques

thumb|right|alt=A rectangle of indigo blue and white cloth lying on a wooden table covered with a tatami mat, viewed diagonally from the corner.|A section of (spider ) dyed with indigo, next to that has not been dyed yet is a Japanese manual tie-dyeing technique, which produces a number of different patterns on fabric.

thumb|upright=1.3|An early 19th century -dyed summer kimono thumb|Length showing repeating pattern is a Japanese method of dyeing fabrics using a resist paste applied through a stencil, typically a rice flour mixture applied with a brush or a tool such as a palette knife. Unlike , stencils are used repeatedly to make a repeating pattern. Pigment is added by hand-painting, immersion dyeing, or both. The area of the fabric covered and permeated by the paste mixture resists the later application of dye, thus creating undyed areas within the fabric.

Japanese craft of making paper stencils for dyeing textiles

thumb|A kimono dyed with the technique, displaying characteristically crisp resist areas (thin white outlines around the dyed pattern of maple leaves) thumb|Japanese kimono dyed with the technique, 1912–1926, from the Khalili Collection of Kimono is a Japanese resist dyeing technique where dyes are applied inside outlines of dyed or undyed rice-paste resist, which may be drawn freehand or stencilled; the paste keeps the dye areas separated. Originating in the 17th century, the technique became popular as both a way of subverting sumptuary laws on dress fabrics, and also as a way to quickly pr

thumb|alt=Fabric decorated with a busy design of diamonds constructed from light green bamboo stems and blue, pink and purple flowers on a white background.| fabric thumb|alt=The back view of a white kimono dyed with .|19th century ramie Ryukyuan dress showing -dyed design of bamboo, cranes and plum blossoms

thumb|right|300px| fabric, along with and , the three main varieties of in Japan|alt=A display table showing a number of different indigo-dyed fabrics, some stacked on wooden stands in roll-form, others displayed flat in front of the rolls, and some hanging on small stands. is the Japanese term for fabric that has been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric, typically referring to fabrics produced within Japan using this technique. It is a form of ikat dyeing, traditionally resulting in patterns characterized by their blurred or brushed appearance.

thumb|Fragment of a decorated with fan roundels, flowering vines, and wild ginger leaves in the original style, Momoyama period (1568-1615)