Bagru Block Printing

Natural Dyes & Materials

Every Raja Doggo fabric is colored using traditional Bagru block printing techniques rooted in Rajasthani craft. The dyes are derived entirely from natural plant and mineral sources — no synthetic pigments — and applied through a precise process of mordanting, bathing, and over-dyeing that has been refined over centuries.

Blue

Indigo fermentation vat

A deep, rich blue achieved through multiple dips in a specialized indigo fermentation vat. The depth of color intensifies with each immersion, making it one of the most labor-intensive dyes in the Bagru palette.

Green

Indigo over yellow dye process

A multi-step color created by over-dyeing fabric with indigo blue after a primary yellow bath. The resulting green varies in tone depending on the depth of each bath, producing subtle variation across the cloth.

Red

Madder roots

A traditional red derived from madder roots, often used as a base for over-dyeing. One of the oldest natural dyes in textile history, madder produces warm, lasting reds that deepen with age rather than fading.

Orange

Annatto seed pods

A warm, distinctive orange sourced from the prickly pods of the annatto seed tree. The pigment is extracted directly from the seeds' outer coating, yielding a vivid, earthy tone that is uniquely warm in the natural dye palette.

Yellow

Dried pomegranate rinds and turmeric

A vibrant, durable yellow made from dried pomegranate rinds or turmeric. Used for backgrounds and outlines, this yellow forms the base layer in many multi-step color processes and anchors the warmth of the overall palette.

Purple

Madder over indigo dye process

A complex over-dye combining rich madder red applied over a primary indigo blue base. The precise mordants used in each bath determine the final hue, making purple one of the most nuanced and variable colors in the Bagru tradition.

Pink

Dilute madder root solution

A light, delicate color derived from a dilute madder root solution, used with alum as the mordant for softer, cooler tones. The concentration of the bath and the mordant ratio together determine how warm or cool the pink becomes.

Beige

Harda fruit pre-treatment

A natural tone primarily used as a pre-treatment, with Harda fruit applied to prepare and bleach the base fabric. This step opens the cloth's fibers to receive subsequent dyes more evenly, and is essential to the consistency of the final color.

Black

Iron filings and jaggery fermentation

Iron filings from horseshoes and jaggery (raw cane sugar) react together in a fermentation process to create the deep black used for outlines and definition. This iron liquor, called kasyam, is the foundation of Bagru's signature graphic clarity.

Brown

Tannin and iron mordant process

A warm, earthy brown produced by combining tannin-rich plant sources with an iron mordant. The iron reacts with the tannins to create a range of brown tones — from warm chestnut to cool taupe — depending on concentration and immersion time.

Other Natural ResourcesLime, wheat chaff, and Multani Mitti (fuller's earth clay) are essential to the priming of the cotton cloth, as well as the mud-resist technique of Dabu printing — a process in which clay paste is applied to block out areas of the fabric before dyeing, creating the characteristic white or undyed patterns in the final design.

Traditional Rajasthani Natural Dyeing Techniques

Responsible Thoughtful Design with Your Dog Always Top of Mind

Sustainable Shoddy Filling

Upcycled fabric scraps for shoddy filling

Raja Doggo partners with a Brooklyn fabric co-op to create our signature filling: Shoddy. Unwanted fabric scraps too small for any other use are gathered and shredded into a colorful, cloud-like stuffing — an upcycling process that diverts textile waste from landfills.

The blending of fabrics from workshops across the world generates an aroma we've been told stimulates the minds of many dogs — 1,000,000 scents and journeys woven into every bed.

Flat Bed Design

Dog on flat Raja Doggo bed

Expert upholsterers stuff this filling into a flat, bumper-free bed. A dog moves through a million positions each night. The flat firm surface of a Raja Doggo bed gives the body room to find each of these positions, while supporting the spine and joints the way a bumpered bed does not.