What tools do Batik artists use to create designs?

Batik artists rely on a small collection of specialised tools that have changed very little over the centuries. The most famous of these is the canting, a pen-like instrument used to apply hot wax to fabric. A traditional canting consists of a wooden handle attached to a small copper reservoir with a narrow spout. The artist fills the cup with melted wax and carefully draws lines onto the cloth. The width of the spout affects the thickness of the design.

Another key tool is the cap, a copper stamp used to transfer repeating patterns, these stamps are often handmade and can contain hundreds of tiny soldered sections. Producing a single stamp may take weeks of skilled metalwork. Wax heating pots are used to maintain a suitable temperature, if the wax becomes too cool, it hardens and if it becomes too hot, it may spread across the fabric and blur the design. Artists also use dye baths, brushes, drying racks, and washing equipment during production. Traditional dyes came from natural sources such as indigo plants, tree bark, and roots and modern workshops may use synthetic dyes to achieve a wider range of colours.