Eco printing, also known as botanical printing, botanical dyeing, bundle dyeing, leaf printing, or contact printing, is a natural dyeing technique where leaves, flowers, bark, and other plant materials are placed directly onto fabric and transferred through steam, heat, pressure, using mordants to 'fix' the colors.
If you are just starting with eco printing, the process can feel like you will never get it right: some leaves give clear prints, some disappear completely, and some leave soft stains rather than defined shapes. This beginner’s guide will help you understand what eco printing actually is, what materials you need, and how to get your first successful botanical prints on fabric.
Eco printing vs botanical printing vs bundle dyeing
These terms are often used slightly differently, but in practice they overlap. “Eco printing” and “botanical printing” usually describe clear plant impressions on fabric. “Bundle dyeing” often describes a looser method, where flowers, leaves, and dyes are rolled into fabric bundles to create soft color effects. “Botanical dyeing” is the broader term for dyeing with plants, including both dye baths and printing techniques.
What fabric is best for eco printing?
Protein fibers:
wool and silk are usually easiest and give the clearest prints.
Cellulose fibers:
cotton, linen, hemp, viscose need more preparation and usually require tannin and mordanting.
Good beginner advice:
If this is your first eco printing project, start with silk or wool. They are much more forgiving than cotton or linen.
You can find the best fabrics to start with in our scarf section:
https://naturaldyestore.com/?cm=Scarves#
What Leaves Work Best for Eco Printing?
One of the biggest beginner mistakes in eco printing is assuming that any beautiful leaf will make a beautiful print. Unfortunately, botanical printing does not work like a photocopier. Some leaves give strong, clear impressions. Some give soft stains. Some disappear almost completely. The difference depends on the chemistry of the plant, the fiber you are printing on, the mordant system you use, and how tightly the leaf is held against the fabric.
The best leaves for eco printing usually contain natural tannins, strong pigments, or both. Tannin-rich leaves often give clear shapes, especially when used with iron, while pigment-rich flowers and plants can add brighter yellows, oranges, reds, and warm color effects. A good eco print is not just about finding “pretty leaves.” It is about choosing plant materials that actually transfer color and shape to the textile.
Eucalyptus is one of the most famous plants for eco printing, and for good reason. Many eucalyptus species can give strong orange, rust, red, or brown prints, especially on wool and silk. The results vary a lot by species, season, and location, but eucalyptus is often one of the most reliable plants for beginners because it can produce both clear shapes and strong color.
Sumac is another excellent plant for botanical printing because it is rich in tannins. Sumac leaves can give beautiful defined prints, especially when combined with iron. Depending on the mordant and the fabric, the results may range from soft beige and yellow-brown to gray, olive, or dark charcoal outlines. It is especially useful when you want structure and clear leaf shapes rather than only soft color.
Cotinus, also known as smoke bush, is one of the great eco-printing plants. The leaves can give strong, clear impressions and beautiful color, often ranging from yellow, olive, greenish-gray, brown, purple-gray, or dark outlines depending on the mordant, the season, and whether iron is used. Purple-leaved cotinus varieties are especially loved by botanical printers because they can produce dramatic, well-defined prints. Like many of the best eco-printing leaves, cotinus is valuable not simply because it looks beautiful on the plant, but because it contains the kind of chemistry that transfers well onto fabric.
Oak leaves are also tannin-rich and very useful in eco printing. They often produce earthy, brown, gray, or dark marks, especially with iron. Oak is not usually the plant to choose if you want bright color, but it is wonderful for texture, contrast, and strong botanical shapes. The same is true for many other tannin-rich trees: they may not look colorful on the plant, but they can print beautifully.
Maple leaves can be very rewarding, especially because of their strong and recognizable shape. The color results can be softer than eucalyptus or sumac, but maple can give lovely yellow, tan, brown, or gray prints depending on the mordant and the use of iron. Because the leaf shape is so graphic, even a softer print can still be visually beautiful.
Rose leaves are a very good beginner plant, especially because they are easy to find in gardens. They contain tannins and can give surprisingly clear prints. With iron, rose leaves may produce gray-green, charcoal, or dark outlines. Without iron, they may be softer and more yellow-brown. Rose leaves are a good example of a plant that looks ordinary but can be very useful in contact printing.
Walnut leaves and Pecan leaves can give warm brown and earthy prints, and they are often quite strong. Walnut is naturally rich in dye compounds and tannins, so it can be useful both in dye baths and in botanical printing. The results are usually more earthy than bright, but they can be beautiful, especially when combined with other leaves and flowers.
For brighter color, it helps to add flowers and dye plants rather than relying only on tree leaves. Coreopsis is one of the best plants for this. The flowers can give strong yellows, oranges, and rusty reds, especially on wool and silk. Coreopsis is often very generous in the bundle and can add beautiful warm areas of color around the clearer leaf prints.
Cosmos, especially orange cosmos, is another excellent plant for warm color. The flowers can produce yellow, orange, and golden tones, and they are very useful in bundle dyeing and eco printing. Cosmos does not always give a sharp “leaf print” effect, but it can add rich botanical color to the fabric.
Onion skins are not leaves in the usual sense, but they are one of the easiest and most reliable kitchen materials for eco printing and bundle dyeing. Yellow onion skins can give gold, orange, rust, and brown tones, while red onion skins may give more muted purples, greens, browns, or grayish effects depending on the mordant and pH. They are excellent for beginners because they are cheap, easy to collect, and strong.
Marigold flowers can give sunny yellows, golds, and orange tones. They are especially useful when you want to add brightness to a bundle. Like many flowers, they may not always give crisp outlines, but they can create generous areas of color and combine beautifully with tannin-rich leaves.
A good beginner bundle often combines both types of plants. Use tannin-rich leaves such as sumac, oak, rose, walnut, or pomegranate for shape and definition. Add color plants such as coreopsis, cosmos, onion skins, marigold, or weld for warmth and brightness. Eucalyptus can often do both, giving strong color and a recognizable print.
The most important lesson is this: successful eco printing is not random magic. It is plant knowledge, fabric preparation, mordanting, contact, heat, and time. Once you learn which plants are rich in tannins, which plants are generous with color, and which fabrics respond best, your botanical prints become much more reliable.
Mordants for Eco Printing: What Are the Options?
Mordants are one of the most important parts of eco printing, botanical printing, and natural dyeing. A mordant helps plant color attach to the fiber. It can also change the color you get from leaves and flowers, making the difference between a pale stain, a clear botanical print, or a strong and lasting result.
In eco printing, mordants are not only about washfastness. They also influence sharpness, contrast, and color. The same leaf can print yellow, brown, olive, gray, or almost black depending on the mordant system. This is why mordanting is not a boring technical step. It is part of the design.
The best mordant option depends on the fiber you are using. Wool and silk are protein fibers, and they usually accept natural dyes more easily. Cotton, linen, hemp, and viscose are cellulose fibers, and they need more preparation if you want good results.
Alum
Alum is the classic mordant for wool and silk. It is widely used in natural dyeing because it helps create clear, bright colors without darkening the plant material too much. In eco printing, alum can help leaves and flowers transfer more strongly while keeping the colors relatively fresh.
On wool and silk, alum is often the easiest beginner mordant. It works beautifully with many dye plants, including eucalyptus, coreopsis, cosmos, marigold, weld, onion skins, and many tannin-rich leaves.
Alum is especially useful when you want yellows, oranges, warm browns, and clear botanical color without making everything gray or muddy.
Aluminum Acetate
Aluminum acetate is one of the best mordants for cotton, linen, hemp, and other cellulose fibers. These fibers do not grab natural dyes as easily as wool or silk, so they usually need a different mordanting approach.
For beginners who want to eco print on cotton, aluminum acetate is often much more reliable than ordinary alum. It helps plant color bond to the fabric and can give clearer, stronger results.
If you are working on cotton or linen and your prints are weak, pale, or washing out, the problem may not be the leaves. It may be the mordanting.
Tannin
Tannin is not always called a mordant, but in botanical printing it is extremely important. Many of the best eco-printing leaves are naturally rich in tannins, including oak, sumac, rose leaves, walnut leaves, pomegranate leaves, and cotinus.
Tannin helps create stronger prints, especially on cellulose fibers. Cotton and linen often benefit from a tannin step before mordanting with aluminum acetate. This gives the aluminum something to bind to and helps the plant color attach more effectively.
Tannins can come from plants such as gallnut, sumac, myrobalan, tara, pomegranate rind, oak galls, or other tannin-rich materials.
In eco printing, tannin is also important because it reacts strongly with iron. This reaction can create gray, charcoal, olive, or black marks, which is why tannin-rich leaves often print with beautiful definition when iron is present.
Iron
Iron is one of the most powerful modifiers in eco printing. It can transform soft tannin marks into dark, dramatic prints. It is often used to create gray, charcoal, olive, black, or antique-looking effects.
Iron is excellent for bringing out the shape of tannin-rich leaves such as oak, sumac, rose, walnut, pomegranate, and cotinus. However, it should be used carefully. Too much iron can make the whole bundle dark, muddy, or harsh. It can also weaken fibers over time if used in excess.
A little iron goes a long way. Beginners often use too much because the effect is so exciting at first. For clearer and more elegant botanical prints, it is usually better to use iron lightly and intentionally.
Copper
Copper can shift colors toward green, teal, olive, or deeper tones, depending on the plant and fiber. It is less commonly used by beginners than alum or iron, but it can be very interesting for botanical printing.
Copper can add complexity, especially with yellow dye plants and tannin-rich leaves. However, like iron, it should be used with care and in small amounts. It is not usually the first mordant I would recommend for a beginner, but it can be useful once you understand the basic behavior of your plants and fibers.
No Mordant
Can you eco print without mordant? Sometimes, yes. Some plants contain enough tannin or pigment to leave a mark on fabric without extra help. Eucalyptus, walnut, onion skins, and some tannin-rich leaves may print even on unmordanted fabric.
But unmordanted results are usually less reliable. They may be paler, less washfast, or more likely to fade. If you are experimenting for fun, working without mordant can be interesting. If you want clear, repeatable, longer-lasting botanical prints, mordanting is usually worth doing.
Mordants for Wool and Silk
For wool and silk, alum is usually the best place to start. These fibers have a natural affinity for dyes, so the process is more forgiving. A simple alum mordant can give beautiful results with many leaves and flowers.
Iron can be added carefully as a modifier when you want darker lines, gray tones, or stronger contrast. It is especially effective with tannin-rich leaves.
Mordants for Cotton and Linen
Cotton and linen need more preparation. For good results, use a tannin step followed by aluminum acetate. This gives cellulose fibers a much better foundation for botanical printing. Or use aluminium tri-formate as your all round cold mordant.
Many beginners think cotton is easier because it is cheap and familiar, but in natural dyeing and eco printing, cotton is often more demanding than silk or wool. If your first cotton prints are disappointing, do not assume you are bad at eco printing. The fiber simply needs better preparation.
Choosing the Right Mordant
If you are just starting with eco printing, keep it simple.
For wool and silk, start with alum.
For cotton and linen, start with tannin plus aluminum acetate.
For darker outlines and dramatic leaf shapes, use a small amount of iron.
For experimental greens and deeper modified tones, try copper later.
The goal is not to use every mordant at once. The goal is to understand what each one does. Once you know how alum, tannin, aluminum acetate, and iron behave, eco printing becomes much more predictable.
Beautiful leaves are a lovely start, but they are not the whole story. In botanical printing, the real fun begins when the plant, the fabric, the mordant, the heat, and the pressure all decide to cooperate. Mordants help make that cooperation happen. They give the plant color something to grab onto, and once you understand how they work, your eco prints become much less “let’s see what happens” and much more “ah, now I know why that worked.”
I am happy to help you with all you need, this is why I have published so many blogs about eco printing and natural dyeing, make sure you take the time to read and enjoy!
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