The common English translation of the Japanese word shibori is "tie-dye"; however, a more accurate translation is "shaped resist dyeing," which describes the inherent patterning process of manipulating the two-dimensional cloth surface into three-dimensional shapes before compressing them to dye. Three terms for separate shibori methods have come into international usage: plangi, a Malay-Indonesian word for the process of gathering and binding cloth; bandhani, an Indian term for the process of plucking and binding cloth in small points; and tritik, a Malay-Indonesian word for stitch resist. However, these three terms represent only two of the major shibori techniques.

Many different types of shibori techniques have existed in the world. The oldest examples–pre-Columbian shibori alpaca found in Peru and silk found in fourth century tombs along the Silk Road in China–are from regions where the shibori traditions have not survived to the present day. Shibori traditions existed for centuries in the Middle East and in the Indian subcontinent. Presently, active production in great quantities continues in western Africa, in southern China by minority people, and in the western regions of India. A lesser degree of production continues in northern Africa, the Middle East, Indonesia, and in the Himalayan region.

The materials and methods found in different shibori traditions vary widely, reflecting environmental, economic, and social specificities. The fibers may come from alpaca in the highlands of the Andes, sheep in the Himalayas, cotton grown in southwestern China, or from abaca grown in the jungle of the Philippines. The basic concept of shaped resist dyeing is apparent throughout a wide range of aesthetics, which are manifestations of cultural diversity.

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