Batik :

Method of decorating fabrics practiced for centuries by the natives of Indonesia. It

consists of applying a design to the surface of the cloth by using melted wax. The
material is then dipped in cool vegetable dye; the portions protected by the wax do not
receive the dye, and when the wax is removed in hot water the previously covered areas
display a light pattern on the colored ground Motifs. Cotton cloth is generally used, and
some silk.

Design Process

The outline of the pattern is blocked out onto the cloth, traditionally with charcoal or
graphite. Traditional batik designs utilize patterns handed down over the generations.
Often designs are traced from stencils or patterns called pola. The shadow is then traced
with a pencil. In large batik factories today, men usually are in charge of drawing the
patterns onto the cloth.

Waxing

Once the design is drawn out onto the cloth it is then ready to be waxed. Wax is applied
to the cloth over the areas design that the artisan wishes to remain the original color of
the cloth. Normally this is white or cream.

Melted wax is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use
a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The beeswax will hold to the fabric and the
paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has
seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colors are used,
with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.

Thin wax lines are made with a canting, a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup
with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps. After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up
to dry. Then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels
or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines
that give batik its character. This traditional method of batik making is called batik tulis.

The application of wax with a canting is done with great care and therefore is very time-
consuming. Other methods of applying the wax to the fabric include pouring the liquid
wax, painting the wax with a brush, and putting hot wax onto pre-carved wooden or
copper block (called a cap or tjap) and stamping the fabric.

The invention of the copper block (cap) developed by the Javanese in the 20th century
revolutionized batik production. By block printing the wax onto the fabric, it became
possible to mass-produce designs and intricate patterns much faster than one could
possibly do by using a canting.