Batik designs with best quality handmade are very expensive and the production of such works is very limited. However, in a world that is dominated by machines there is an increasing interest in materials that have been handmade. 

Batik designs utilize patterns handed down over the generations. Batik Designs are traced from stencils or patterns called pola. Another method of tracing a pattern onto a cloth is by laying the cloth on a glass table that is illuminated from below which casts a shadow of the pattern onto the cloth. The shadow is then traced with a pencil. In large batik factories today, men usually are in charge of drawing the patterns onto the cloth

In general, there are two categories of batik design: geometric motifs (which tend to be the earlier designs) and free form designs, which are based on stylized patterns of natural forms or imitations of a woven texture.

Although there are thousands of different batik designs, particular designs have traditionally been associated with traditional festivals and specific religious ceremonies.

Batik designs from the north coast of Java, near Pekalongan and Cirebon, have been greatly influenced by Chinese culture and effect brighter colors and more intricate flower and cloud designs.

High fashion batik designs drawn on silk are very popular with wealthy Indonesians.

Modern batik designs, although having strong ties to traditional batik, utilizes linear treatment of leaves, flowers and birds. These batiks tend to be more dependent on the dictates of the designer rather than the stiff guidelines that have guided traditional craftsmen.

Indonesian Batik designers have aggressively introduced batik into the world fashion scene. They have done much to promote the Indonesian art of batik designs, in its traditional and modern forms.