What is Batik?

Batik is one of Indonesia’s distinctive cultures that have been recognized by the world. Unesco as the United Nation Board for Culture and Education has announcement the batik art as one of the cultural richness of Indonesia. Batik art is indeed already known and used in Indonesia since long time ago. Batik is available in many areas in Indonesia an every area has his own styles and models.

In Solo and Yogyakarta where batik is the most popular use, batik was originally used as a stain on clothing and fabric products. At the beginning the batik in here is used to make jarik, a long traditional Java cloth that is used as clothing for royal family and the rich peoples in Yogyakarta and Solo. For many years ago batik is considered as an expensive cloth. In subsequent developments later the batik becomes much cheaper and more popular and it is also used on many other clothes. Dress, shirts, pants and even underwear now are available in batik paint.

The coloring process of batik on cloth is initially an expensive process since it requires a long and difficult process. A white cloth covered and painted with wax to form a painting patterns and designs in accordance with the desired model. And then after the formation of patterns is complete the blanket was boiled in a solution of ink that will stain to form the paint models. If it is desired coloring with few colors then it need to redo the process of waxing and dyeing. This is of course make the price of traditional batik is quite expensive. But nowadays, with the development dyeing technology, the batik process is done by printing. A white fabric is printed using print equipment that has been designed to form certain patterns as desired. This makes the process of batik can be done faster and cheaper make the batik be able to develop and use for all types of clothing.

Batik For Wood Furniture

The uses of batik now have been developed further to finish for wooden products. Solo and Yogyakarta, which is well known as one of the batik centers in Indonesia is also the source of handicraft and furniture products. The peoples here have developed batik art to finish the wooden handicraft and furniture products. Now there is lot of wooden products that is painted and finished with the art of batik. Then it turn out that batik on wood finishing began to be accepted by the world market. Batik wooden products from Indonesia either the handicraft, furniture or other wooden products are shipped to various countries and already has its own fans in the world. 

Batik process on wood is quite difficult since it done in the same way with batik to the fabrics. A wood product is coated with wax to make certain patterns and pictures and then boiled in a liquid ink that will stain it in accordance with the desired pattern. For patterns that require many colors, it needs several times of making patterns and boiling to obtain the desired pattern and model. The finishing result of this process has actually been quite good durability, the resulting appearance is a soft and natural picture which is unsolved with thinner or solvent. But if it desired we can apply some layer of clear coating on this stain. The nitrocellulose, acid curing, varnish or polyurethane clear coating can be applied on it to give more protection and form the desired gloss at once.
Initially the batik finish is done for handicraft products or wood products with small size, since the boiling process is difficult to do on large items.Since many people like it, then this finish is also needed for furniture products which are big item. Since that the batik industries here develop the batik process to furniture products. 

Batik finish on furniture and other that is big stuff, is done in different ways. The process of forming the pattern of batik pictures on the large furniture products is done by hand painting using special inks and dyes. Then the on the finished image usually is layered with a clear coating to protect the picture and also to form the desired gloss. Therefore, batik finishing for furniture still requires relatively long processing time because it is a hand job. This process also requires a skilled person to create the batik patterns which is distinctive and unique.  

Finishing batik has unique looked, distinctive patterns and colors. Usually the batik finish in furniture follows the pattern and model in the traditional batik patterns. The shape pattern of batik is mainly lot of small objects organized with a harmonious, soft and well blended color combination.