Batik parang pattern generator

Diagonal waves from Java

Parang is one of the classic batik patterns of Java. Its name is often linked to a word for rock or cliff, and its rows of curving S-shaped ribbons are sometimes compared to waves breaking on a shore. The ribbons run along diagonal bands at a steady slant, and the pattern is associated with the royal courts of Java.

In the cloth, neighboring bands lean in opposite directions, so that the diagonals seem to flow against each other. Fine lines between the bands, and small dots, give the rhythm a quiet accent.

How the generator builds them

Ornamatic lays slanted bands across the square tile and draws a row of S-shaped ribbons along each. The ribbons are curves with a thick round stroke, and a thinner line is cut along the inside of each ribbon, like a vein. Every second band is mirrored.

The classic angle is 45 degrees, but any angle at which the bands close up exactly on a square tile can be chosen: 0, 18, 27, 34, 45, 56, 63, 72 or 90 degrees. The number of ribbons along a band and the number of bands are chosen so that the tile repeats exactly. Fine lines can be drawn between the bands, and a small dot can mark the end of each ribbon.

What you can adjust

• Angle — the slant of the bands, from horizontal to vertical, in the steps that repeat exactly.
• Units along — how many ribbons run along a band: 2, 4, 6 or 8 (more on slanted bands).
• Bands — how many bands cross the tile: 2, 4 or 6.
• Ribbon thickness — from slender to heavy.
• Engraved line — the thin line cut inside each ribbon.
• Lines and Dots — separators and accents, on or off.
• Colors — up to three colors on a ground; any palette.

Export and use

Download the seamless tile as PNG or SVG, or copy a ready CSS background. The patterns you create are free to use, personally or commercially.