Surajmal Shobhachand supplies batik clothing and fabric from India for brands and garment makers. Wax work can be hand-drawn, stamped or combined to your brief.
Batik uses wax as a dye resist on cloth.
Batik garments we supply
Have a style in mind? Send a reference garment and the quantity, and we quote it with batik.
Request a similar style→Drawn or stamped
Wax is drawn on with a canting, a pen-like tool, or stamped with a cap, a metal stamp.
The cap repeats the pattern across the cloth, in the manner of block printing.
After the wax is removed
The cloth is dyed after waxing, then the wax is removed. Elaborate colour work may involve repeated waxing and dyeing.
Dye entering cracks in the wax leaves fine lines in the design.
Specifying batik on a tech pack
- Garment or fabric
- State the garment and sizes, or the fabric width and metres required.
- Base cloth and GSM
- Give the composition, construction and weight. Cloth thickness influences the size and intricacy of the design. For cloth options, see cotton and poplin.
- Wax method
- Specify hand-drawn, stamped or combined work.
- Motif dimensions
- Send the artwork with its finished dimensions.
- Repeat dimensions
- Give the repeat width and height.
- Colours
- Include a reference for each colour.
- Crackle reference
- Attach a photograph showing the crackle to match.
- Placement
- Mark the motif position and measurements on the garment drawing, or specify an all-over repeat.
- Quantity per colourway
- Give garment quantities by size, or fabric quantities in metres.
- Target price
- Include the target price for the garment or fabric.
Not sure of every line? Tell us what you are planning, and we will advise on what works best.
Send this as a brief→Colourfastness tests for batik
| Test | Method | Test brief |
|---|---|---|
| Colourfastness to washing[1] | ISO 105-C06 | Colour loss and staining in a single (S) test, approximating one laundering. |
| Colourfastness to rubbing[2] | ISO 105-X12 | Separate dry and wet rubbing tests, using dry and wet rubbing cloths. |
| Colourfastness to light[3] | ISO 105-B02 | Required light-fastness grade for the garment or fabric. |
Common questions about batik
Can we buy batik fabric without ordering garments?
Yes. We supply batik fabric on its own, by the metre. Send the fabric reference, weight, width and metres required to request a similar fabric.
Is batik the same as tie-dye or bandhani?
No. Tie-dye resists dye by tying, stitching or folding the cloth. Bandhani uses fine thread ties and dyeing in stages.
Is batik the same as ikat?
No. In double ikat, the warp and weft yarns are tied and dyed before weaving.
Where is batik made in India?
Bherugarh, near Ujjain, is a batik printing centre. Ujjain Batik Print and Shantiniketan Batik are registered Geographical Indications. Ujjain Batik Print has Madhya Pradesh as its registered area.[4][5][6]
A question this does not answer? Ask us directly and we reply within 24 hours.
Developing a batik collection?
Send the garment tech packs, quantities by style and target price for a batik collection quote.
Discuss your requirement→