What you need to know about stamped and hand-painted batik

If you don’t know already, batik is a traditional Indonesian textile art that involves using wax to resist dye, resulting in gorgeous patterns and designs. For centuries, batik has played an important role in Indonesian culture and remains a beloved art form that has inspired many countries globally. I have written two articles on batik: here, noting different stories behind every curve, and here, where we talked about the traveling history of batik.

But, did you know? In the world of batik-making nowadays, we are accustomed to two methods, which are stamped and hand-painted batik. The two techniques have basically dominated Indonesia’s batik repository because, first, the stamped ones are easy to make, hence their availability, and second, the hand-painted ones signify art.

Curious to find out? Keep on reading, ladies!

Batik Painting

Calling all artists!

The first step to this technique is to come up with or choose a design. Let your imagination run wild because the options are limitless! Common traditional designs feature barong, flowers, dolphins, mandalas, and trees of life.

The second step involves creating an outline of your special design with hot wax by using a traditional tracing tool called the canting. Once the wax dries out, we move on to the fun part – painting your batiks. 

Use selected dye colors and a paintbrush to embark on the therapeutic process of painting your masterpieces. Be ready for your designs to come to life as you experiment with color combinations and gradients to create a truly personalized piece.

Did you know? In each of our Indonesian retreats, we bring our girls to a batik-painting session, where you can get creative and of course, batik shopping.

Batik painting day in Ubud

Tjaps, or stamped batik

Tjaps are flat copper stamps that are a common tool in batik making. As painting batik can be labor-intensive, tjaps are here to save the day! Large batik businesses now use tjaps as a means to speed up the process when trying to fulfill large orders.

This technique involves laying out hot wax in a flat metal pan known as a Layang. A Layang is made up of a folded piece of fabric used to absorb the wax, that way, it can act as a stamp pad. The tjap is then dipped into the hot wax before being applied to a stretched-out cloth laid out on a padded table, which helps to absorb pressure.

Once the fabric is completely printed with your desired design, it is vat dyed (bucket dyed) before the wax is boiled and hung to dry.

Caution: You might get impatient!

Which is better?

If you're looking for a speedy process for making batik, tjaps are highly recommended. But if you want an overall cultural and fun activity, batik painting is the way to go.

Painting is more time-consuming but allows for more precise and intricate designs, whereas tjaps are less time-consuming but make the perfect solution if you're trying to achieve repetitive patterns on your canvas.

Ultimately, there is no way to say that one is better than the other when you’re a part of the batik lover club. Both techniques are unique in their own way and make for enjoyable Bali activities, so be sure to add these two to your bucket list!

Which one would you like to try first?

Batik can be created in a variety of ways. But if you’re looking to stick with the traditional techniques, then join us on one of our Bali retreats, where you’ll get the opportunity to try both!