Handcrafted textiles should be packed in acid-free tissue and polybags, in strong export cartons with humidity control, and with indigo pieces separated from lighter goods so colour cannot transfer in transit. The aim is to arrive clean, dry, uncreased and smelling of nothing, which is harder than it sounds on a sea journey from Mundra or Kandla through several climates. Good packing is cheap next to the cost of a wet or stained carton.
The particular risks with artisan textiles are loose natural dye, residual moisture from washing and finishing, the smell of dye and starch, and creasing on heavy fabrics. Each is handled by a specific packing step, and most of them have to be done by the maker or at a consolidation point before the goods leave Gujarat.
Packing steps that matter
- Dry fully before packing: cloth that feels dry can still carry moisture from the last wash, so goods should be aired for a day or two and checked, especially in the monsoon months.
- Fold with acid-free tissue: tissue between folds and layers prevents dye transfer and creasing, and acid-free grades do not yellow or mark silk and fine cotton.
- Separate indigo: keep indigo-dyed and dark Ajrakh pieces in their own polybags and ideally their own cartons, never folded against white or pale goods.
- Polybag each piece or small set: a sealed bag protects from dust and moisture, with a desiccant sachet inside the carton rather than inside the bag.
- Humidity control: silica gel sachets in each carton, and for long sea transits a container desiccant. Consider a wrapped pallet rather than loose cartons for larger consignments.
- Strong cartons, moderate weight: double-wall export cartons packed to a weight one person can lift, with the opening taped rather than stapled so the goods are not caught on opening.
- Labelling: carton number, contents, quantity and your purchase order on each carton, with a packing list that matches, which makes customs inspection and your own receiving easier.
Preventing odour and creasing
Natural dye and starch finish can leave a smell that customers notice. Ask the maker to rinse and air goods well, and avoid packing freshly starched pieces tightly. Heavy items such as quilts should be rolled or folded loosely with tissue, and lighter items folded to the carton size rather than crushed to fill a space.
Avoid cheap coloured tissue, printed newspaper and plastic that is not garment grade, since all of them can mark fabric in a humid container. If you want retail-ready packing, such as branded bags, hang tags or care labels, send the specification and artwork well before production ends so the maker can source it locally or you can ship it to the consolidation point.
Consolidating small makers
Orders from several workshops are usually gathered at one point, inspected, repacked to a single standard and documented before going to the port. This is where differences in how each maker packs are ironed out, and where sea freight paperwork, including fumigation if the destination requires it, is handled.
How we handle this
We inspect at the consolidation point before packing, repack to one standard with acid-free tissue and indigo kept separate, and send you photographs of the sealed cartons. Small makers are consolidated into one shipment with a single packing list. For a first shipment, a free 20-minute sourcing review helps you set a packing specification that suits your channel.