Wax printing is an ancient and unique manual printing art form popular among the minorities. Wax printing is the integration of encaustic and dye. Wax printing, wring printing, and bandhnu are called the three printing techniques of ancient China.
Wax printing textiles of the Chuang Nationality
Wax printing of the Chuang is mainly in the pattern of white flowers blooming on blue cloth, which is elegant and in good taste. The craftsmanship is not so difficult, but requires precise techniques. The raw materials used are mainly some local special products, such as the beeswax, white cloth, konjak, straw ash and indigo. The procedures of producing the wax printing start with bleaching the white cloth using the straw ash; then the back of the white cloth is pasted to the board; followed by the white cloth on the board rubbed down after it is dry. The needed cloth is then cut down according to certain size; and finally, colorful pictures are painted freely on the surface of the cloth using the wax spatula dipped with wax (the wax should first melt in the container using charcoal). After being painted, the waxed cloth is put into the indigo and dipped several times. The cloth is then put into boiling water to remove the beeswax. A wax printing textile is finally produced after the cloth is dry.
Wax printing textiles of the Miao nationality
The traditional way that the Miao people make wax printing textiles is by painting various pictures on pieces of white cloth of different sizes using a specific wax spatula dipped in melted beeswax. The painted white cloth is then dyed in the dye vat; the beeswax from the dyed cloth is removed in boiling water, followed by rinsing the cloth in clean water and drying it in the sun. After these procedures, the wax printing cloth is finished.