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The wax can be applied by hand (tulis) or it can be applied by a metal stamp (cap). On Yogyanese batik the colors on both sides are equally as vibrant because the wax is applied to both sides, whereas in cap batik the inside colors are duller because wax has been applied to one side only. A fine art has been developed by using the batik wax-resist technique. It is called batik painting. In this case, usually the wax is applied by using the traditional tool, canting, or by using a brush (as in oil painting). The quality of the cloth used is an important determinant of the price. In Yogya, Central Java, where there are over 900 batik factories, you can study under Javanese masters. For more about batik, see 'Java'. Australian duty: Batik tulis or hand-embroidered designs on natural cloth (like cotton) are duty free; they come under 'handicrafts' at the Australian customs gate. Have the seller verify the fact that they are hand-drawn on the receipt. On plain white cotton and for hand-written designs on synthetics (dacron, nylon, orlorn, etc.), you pay duty. For satin and velvet they hit you with the most duty. You can often get around paying duty on Indonesian goods by sending them in just 1 kilo packages.