Tie-dye is a modern term for a set of ancient resist-dyeing techniques, and for the products of these processes. The process of tie-dye typically consists of folding, twisting, pleating, knotting, stitching tying or crumpling fabric or a garment and binding with string or rubber bands, followed by application of dyes. The manipulations of the fabric prior to application of dye are called resists, as they partially or completely prevent the applied dye from coloring the fabric.

Shibori (Japanese name or Tie and Dye) is part of the larger family of resist-dyeing techniques that can be found in different forms across many cultures.

Tie-dye is a method of tying or stitching fabric together to prevent the absorption of dye to a particular area, dyeing is the process of applying colour on cloth to produce a design. Although the techniques of tie and dye vary from culture to culture, the concept of dying remains one of the oldest methods of printing design on fabric.

The design obtained from the placement of the pleats, stitches and ties can never be an absolute means of predetermining the final visual result.