Sinh folk paintings are totally handcrafted. The process includes seven steps: paper cutting, applying scallop shell powder, pressing papers on woodblocks, drying papers, mixing colors, coloring and finally, adorning with figures’ eyes of the paintings. Paper must be made from the inner bark Dó tree (Rhamnoneuron balansae), covered with a layer of scallop shell powder (collected from Tam Giang lagoon) for gaining durability and color retention. 

Originally,  Sinh folk paintings is divided into three main theme categories, human figures, animals and objects. These are used for praying. Now, the paintings add scenes of village life or spring landscapes, scenes taken from stories and legends, pictures featuring the animals of the Vietnamese horoscope (especially those of the upcoming and current lunar years). The prints are produced with pictures carved into wooden printing blocks. The prints’ five colours are of natural origin, the black being from charred bamboo leaves, the orange from gardenia flowers, the blue from indigo and so on.