Batik is a wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile. Melted wax is applied to the cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of bees wax and paraffin wax. The bee’s wax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colors are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.
(from Wikipedia)