This printing technique, used from the 18th to the early 20th century, is carried out on the warp threads before weaving and lends a certain fuzziness to the design.
The warp is returned to the printer after a first very loose weave whose purpose is simply to secure the warp threads during the various operations. After printing, fixing, and washing, the weft threads are removed and new warp threads are woven in.
This technique is not be confused with the chiné à la branche technique, which uses different dyes on the warp threads to produce a fuzzy and irregular polychromatic design, whose colors suggest the hues of a watercolor painting.