Batiking is a refined style of dying
fabrics with intricate patterns of tiny dots and flowers. While batik-style fabric comes up in artifacts throughout the world,
Java in
Indonesia seems to have the most complicated designs.
In batik preparation, densely woven fabric is used to best absorb the dye. Melted wax in metal cans with ordered holes is one way of distributing resistance patterns throughout the fabric. Another way is hand-drawing designs with wax. The fabric is then dipped into dye, a common and natural one is indigo. Once the desired depth of color is achieved, wax is scraped away with a small knife.