A fabric in which the warps have been printed prior to weaving; also a technical description of Chiné.
A simple description of a complex and time rich process: the fabric length is fully woven with substitute weft threads, the pattern is printed, the weft threads are removed and the cloth is re-woven with new weft threads.
The cloth may or may not remain on the loom, depending on the dying method and the unique process of each warp printed fabric technique; for most ikat weaving the yarns are: marked up, tied for dying, taken off the loom, dyed, re-woven with new weft yarn.