Printing with Natural Dyes, Nicola Criffe

Printing with Natural Dyes is a beautifully practical guide that celebrates the alchemy of plant-based pigments for printmaking. Nicola Cliffe leads the reader step‑by‑step—from sourcing everyday materials (yes, even a humble potato!) to mixing colour-rich dye pastes—and unveils three artisanal techniques: screen printing, block printing, and eco-printing. With inspiring examples and project guidance, it encourages makers both novice and experienced to embrace natural dyes as rich creative media.

At a modest 112 pages and A5 format, the book is a perfect companion for the studio or kitchen table—bursting with colour swatches, process shots, and decorative prints. Cliffe doesn’t just teach technique; she cultivates a mindful, sustainable approach to craft, honouring traditional methods while inviting contemporary experimentation with botanical lore and low-impact making.

About the Author
Nicola Criffe is a textile maker, educator and founder of Madder Cutch & Co. Her practice centres on hand‑printed linens and fabrics, created in her Stamford, Lincolnshire, studio using sustainably sourced plant dyes (like woad, madder and weld) and low‑impact pigment techniques.

Publication date: 2024
Publisher: The Crowood Press
Pages: 112
ISBN: 9780719843242

Seeking a creative way to put your newly dyed fabrics to use? Try Nicola’s fabric bucket tutorial, a delightful companion that brings her natural-dyeing craft into functional, handmade form: watch here.