VRDI

Batik Printing at VRDI

The batik art form has been in existence for a long time in history. It was being practiced during the Nara period in India.

The technique includes washing a cloth followed with soaking and then is beaten with a large mallet. The patterns are drawn with pencil and later re-drawn with hot wax prepared with the mixture of paraffin or beeswax, sometimes in collaboration with plant resins, which functions as a dye-resist. Different tools can be used to apply the mixture on the cloth like canting, a small copper reservoir with a spout on a wooden handle. Alternatively, a copper block stamp called a cap is used for larger patterns.

After the cloth dries, the resist is removed by boiling or scraping the cloth. The color turns into a beautiful pattern when the resist is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed areas forms the pattern.