African waxprints
African Waxprints or Waxstoffe are in Africa, especially West Africa, ubiquitous and often common clothing fabrics. It is industrially manufactured colorful cotton fabrics with batik print. A hallmark feature of these materials is the lack of distinction in the color intensity on the front and back. Due to the different manufacturing processes, the Waxstoffe can be divided into different quality categories.
Normally, the substances in 12 yards "full piece " or 6 yards are "half piece " sold. The colors depend on the local preference of the customers. This garments for festive occasions are mainly manufactured.
The Waxprints are part of the nonverbal communication of African women and they carry their message out with this. In some Waxprints it is possible that they are named after personalities, cities, buildings, proverbs or occasions. To protect the design of the producer, the product name and registration number of the designs are printed on the selvedge, to her can be read off the fabric quality. The Waxstoffe provide assets for African women dar. Accordingly, these are collected in response to the financial possibilities.
Batik
Javanese the expression denotes a batik Reservefärbetechnik, the coloring with an ink- repellent liquid or a paste, such as wax, resin, or the starch is carried out. The reserve material is applied, recorded or stamped on the fabric so that these pieces of fabric ( = pattern ) are protected in the dye bath and a bright pattern appears after the removal of reserve material.
Manufacturer
Four suppliers of Waxstoffen dominate the market in West Africa:
- Akosombo Textiles Limited ( ATL), production in Ghana
- ABC Wax (also known as London Wax), production Akosombo Textiles Limited in Ghana
- Vlisco (also known as Dutch Wax), production in the Netherlands
- Hitarget, production China
History
In the late 16th century, the Dutch brought the Javanese batik to Europe and sold them among other things, to the English. Dutch producers began to produce in 1880 the Waxstoffe. The English factories in Manchester developed their own styles, colors as well as special equipment and techniques for an industrialized version of the Indonesian batiks. The sale took place in their colonies in West Africa.
Fancy
The Waxstoffe consuming produced are increasingly imitated by alternative manufacturing methods. These so-called Fancystoffe be produced in a printing process. Intricate designs are made in digital printing.
Fancystoffe are essentially cheap industrially produced imitations of Waxstoffe and based on industry pressure. Fancystoffe are also referred to as imiwax, java print, print roller, le le fancy or Legos. These substances are produced for mass consumption and are available for ephemerality and transience. Fancystoffe are intense in color and full color as Waxstoffe and printed only on one side.
The producer, the product name and registration number of the designs are also printed on the selvedge of Fancystoffe As with Waxstoffen. The Fancystoffe subject to a certain fashion. The fabrics are limited quantity and design moderately and partially distributed exclusively in its own shops.