Although batik art can look very intricate, the tools used to make batik clothes are used are still very simple.

The first and most important tool of the Batik artisan is the canting.

The canting (pronounced “tjanting”) is a small spouted copper container that is connected to a short bamboo handle. The copper container is filled with melted wax. The artisan holds the canting like a stylus (the canting is sometimes called a wax pen), and uses it to draw designs on the cloth.

While being approximately 11 cm. in length, cantings can have different numbers and sizes of spouts, allowing a certain amount of wax to flow from the reservoir to achieve varied design effects. Each spout can vary from 1 mm in diameter to achieve very fine detailed work to wider spouts used to fill in large design areas.

To begin work the batik artisan holds the canting in the hot wax for a little while to heat it up. Then he/she fills it appropriately, takes it out the wax, wipes the excess from the outside of the copper bowl and usually blows on the tip of the spout to remove any excess wax.
Then, everything must happen quickly and precisely when applying the wax to the cloth. Any hesitation may result in a blob of wax and spoil the work.
The main elements of the design are usually penciled onto the fabric, but many of the details are added freehand. Experienced artisans wax designs directly to the cloth from memory.
Once applied the wax cools down rapidly. After a minute or so the artisan must dip the canting in the wax and begin again.
The process takes a great deal of patience and concentration.

The canting is believed to be a purely Javanese invention.