If you are a boutique or designer in the US or UK sourcing hand block print textiles from India for the first time, a few questions up front save a lot of back-and-forth later. These are the ones that actually change the outcome.
Ask about the production model
Is fabric printed to order, or pulled from existing stock? The answer tells you how much flexibility you have and how much time you need.
At Shivalaya everything is made to order — nothing is mass-produced ahead of demand — which means you can choose a colourway and quantity, but there is a production lead time to plan around, typically 7–10 working days.
Ask whether they actually make it
A great many Indian "manufacturers" are trading houses. That is not automatically bad, but it changes what they can do: an agent cannot carve you a new block, cannot fix a colour at the table, and cannot tell you why a run came out differently. Ask directly whether printing and stitching happen in their own unit — and ask who does the part they do not.
Ask about materials
Confirm fibre content and dye type in writing. We print on 100% natural cotton (organic available) with azo-free, water-based dyes. Azo dyes are restricted in the EU on safety grounds, so this is worth confirming with any supplier — and worth having stated on the invoice, not just in a chat message.
Ask about minimums
Our minimum order quantity is 25 units, varying by product — low enough for boutique-scale buyers. Confirm the number for your specific product before you quote your own customers, and check whether the minimum is per design or per order, because that distinction decides whether a varied first range is affordable.
Ask about samples
Never commit a first order without a physical sample or strike-off. Screens and photographs do not carry colour reliably, and hand block print has natural variation that is easier to accept when you have felt it. A sample is also the only way to check the cloth itself rather than the print on it.
Ask about shipping and logistics
We ship worldwide from Jaipur by DHL Express, which typically delivers in about 5–8 working days once an order is complete. Factor both production and shipping into any launch date.
Import duties and taxes are set by the destination country and are the buyer's responsibility — budget for them at the quoting stage rather than treating them as a surprise on arrival, and ask what documentation the supplier provides.
Ask what happens if something is wrong
Agree in advance what a remake or credit looks like. A supplier who has thought about this will answer plainly; one who has not is telling you something useful.
Get specific
General guides only go so far — the fastest route to a real quote is to apply for a wholesale account or contact us directly with your product, quantity and timeline. If you are weighing a small workshop against a large factory, small-batch vs mass production covers the trade-off honestly.