The glutinous rice flour, when wetted and steamed, is very sticky and clings to the fabric, helping the paste adhere during the application of dye. This is particularly important when indigo dyeing, as the paste needs to survive several immersions in an indigo dyebath. However, the glutinous rice paste is very sticky, so it doesn’t come off easily afterwards. Which leads to the addition of…
Finely ground defatted rice bran. This acts as a filler, adding bulk to the resist, and also decreases the stickiness of the rice paste somewhat, making it easier to remove after dyeing.
Calx is used to make the katazome paste more alkaline, making it more supple and elastic.
Glycerine and/or salt are humectants, added to help the paste absorb a little bit of moisture from the air. This keeps a trace of moisture in the paste, which makes it flexible enough that it doesn’t crack off the fabric when dried.