The traditional craft of ajrakh uses only natural colors (vegetable dyes) for its making. The usual colors of the craft are red, yellow, blue and black. However green and some other secondary colors are also used now-a-days. They are generally made by mixing the usual colors.
The colors being made from all natural materials are harmless to the workers in all ways. Whereas the chemical ajrakh printing which has come up in the recent past uses chemical dyes which are very harmful to the health of the workers.
| Colors | Materials Used | Cost (Rs./Kg) | Native Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Anar (pomegranate) peel | 2 | - |
| Turmeric | 60 | - | |
| Taiyesu flowers | 1-2 | Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh |
Note :
Most of the raw material is bought at 10 times the original cost because of larger transportation expenses.
Most of the raw materials are from hill areas (adivasi)
| Colors | Materials | Charecteristics | Cost Native Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Alizar | Used in powder form, mineral base. | Arab Country(Africa) 600 Baroda(Gujarat) |
| Masak | Himchal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh | ||
| Mazist | This is plant stem | 350 Iran, Afghanistan |
Note : Masak at one time was used by indian women to color their lips.
| Colors | Material | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Gurrh | Usual Amount |
| Bajri Ka Aata | ||
| Iron Piece | 12 Rs/Kg |
Note : Iron pieces are put in water for around 15 days.
| Colors | Material | Cost | Native Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indigo | 800 | Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bengal |
Note : Now these days chemical are used for its production. Indigo leaves are churned with water and this liquid is kept in sun for 8 to 10 days. The froth which appears dur to the churning of indigo is removed. This is then used as color.
