Super Blocks, the block making firm is located at Khadilkar Road in Girgaon, South Mumbai
Dark room where the films are converted to negatives
Graphic art film from Fujifilm is used to prepare negatives which are then used for exposing
Vertical camera is used to expose the film to convert into negatives
Exposing frames are used to expose the film on the metal plates
The negative film is ready for exposing
The metal plate is cut as per the size of the film and the job
The small room which is equipped to make blocks. Super Blocks is in the business of block making for past 60 years
Colourant is used to highlight the exposed part on the metal plate
The exposed metal plates are washed and kept ready for heat treatment
Subhash Sawant of Super Blocks examining the blocks which are to be restored as the wooden base of the blocks have worn out
Metal plates are cut as per the desired size on the manual cutting machine
Semi automatic cutting tables is used to cut the metal plate in required shape
The metal plates are etched so that the image area is formed
The etching machines where the metal plates are etched to create image areas on the surface
The red etching powder is used to etch the image area on the metal surface
Sawant showing the edge sharpener which is used to sharpen the edges of the metal plate
The metal plates are washed and rinsed after the etching process
The staff inserting the plate inside the etching machine for etching the surface so as to create image area
The washing table where the plates are washed after the etching process
The metal plate is heated using the blue flame
The coating solution is dried using the blue flame. This solution ensures that the image area remains intact
The blue flame is required to heat the metal surface. According to Sawant, it ensures that the coating is dried properly
The staff coating the plate with the etching powder
The wood cutter is used to prepare the wooden base block
The old and traditional method of printing the image on the paper. This is used to check whether the block which is prepared is as per the quality
The ink is mixed and with the help of handheld ink roller, the ink is applied on the surface of the block
The paper is kept in between the pressure roller and the block. The pressure roller is then moved over the paper which is pressed on to the block. The ink from the surface of the block is then transfered on to paper
Shubhash Sawant has been in the block making business for last sixty years. He says once Mumbai was considered to be the city for quality block making but today there are very few people left who are into this business
The wooden base is required to hold the metal plate which has the image on the surface
The metal plate is ready with the image on its surface. This plate is then taken for the further process
The stove is being readied for the further process of heating of the metal plate
The tray with the lacquer solution where the plate will be dipped. This lacquer ensures that the image area on the surface binds with the metal surface
After the lacquering, the metal plate is thoroughly washed and rinsed
After the plate is washed, it is clamped to a handheld rotaring device
The clamped plate is then rotated over the burning stove for sometime so that plate surface is dried
The heated metal plate is again washed so that it cools down and further process can be carried out
The image area on the metal plate is retouched with the black ink to hide the non image area surface. Sawant says, this helps in saving chemicals and the energy which is required to prepare the surface
After retouching the metal plate is again coated with the etching powder so as to fine tune the images
The staff giving the final touches to the metal plates before they are mounted on the wooden base
A busy Khadilkar Road, the hub for the wedding card business
The makers of the lost block
In the early eighties, Mumbai was considered the hub of block making. Printers travelled from other cities and towns just to get the blocks. The demand was high. To get an appointment with Master Blockmakers like the Poonawalas or Nerkers, took a minimum of a week.
Today, this is a forgotten art form of Mumbai. The PrintWeek India duo of Sachin Shardul and Disha Gandhi travel to the bylanes of Girgaum, which was once an area with coconut plantations and forests of plantain.