The properties of natural gardenia blue dye in silk printing were studied.The influences of mordant method,mordant type,mordant dosage,steaming time and pH on printing performance were discussed.Choosing ferrous sulfate as a mordant,the printing process of gardenia blue on silk fabric was optimized.The results show that the optimal printing process of gardenia blue on silk fabric was as follows:same medium printing method,gardenia blue dye 2%,guar gum 5%,ferrous sulfate 3%,urea 8%,pH 3,steaming time about 20 min.The printing fabric color is darker,and the color fastness is good.