Gutta & Other Resists

The subject of resists can be confusing. What's gutta? What's a resist? Can this brand of resist be used with that brand of dye? What we know for sure is: a resist is anything that prevents dye from reaching the fabric — it resists the dye.

Types of Resists

Gutta (Solvent-Based)

Solvent-based gutta is a thick substance made from latex (supposedly derived from Indonesian rubber trees, or Gutta Percha). It is used almost exclusively for the French Serti technique of painting on silk. Gutta comes in clear, black, gold metallic, silver metallic and several colors. It has a rubbery feel to it, in contrast to the smooth drape of silk. For clothing like scarves, the gutta should be removed when the project is finished; for wall hangings, it doesn't matter. Gutta can only be removed by dry cleaning. It is thinned and cleaned up with gutta solvent.

Black & Colored (Solvent) Gutta

Black, gold and silver guttas are used when a non-white defining line is desired. Colored guttas are meant to be left on the silk, which will leave some "hand" or "feel" on the fabric. They cannot be dry cleaned — the color in the gutta will be removed along with the gutta itself. If you want the color to remain on an item that must be dry cleaned, try a water-based resist instead.

Metallic (Solvent) Gutta

Gutta also comes in metallic gold and silver. These should not be dry cleaned, as dry cleaning will remove the metallic color right along with the gutta. The metal is held onto the fabric by the gutta itself. Use them only when the gutta can remain on the fabric permanently. The metallics are bright and beautiful, but can flake off over time — particularly with heavy wear.

Water-Soluble (Gutta-Like) Resists

For some people, dry cleaning to remove the resist isn't convenient, the fumes are a problem, or shipping restrictions apply (outside the 48 states). Water-based gutta-like resists are water soluble and come out with warm water — you have to work a little to get them out, but if removal were too easy they wouldn't work as a resist. They are also fume-free. These resists work similarly to gutta and can be colored with dyes. Some can be steamed while others get too gummy, and some brands can be difficult to remove after steam-setting, though manufacturers of the current water-based resists we sell say this has been fixed through reformulating.

Some artists feel that clear water-based resists do not hold the line as well as gutta. Care must be taken to avoid flooding the line with paint, which would begin to dissolve the resist. Water-based resists work great with iron-set silk paints like Dye-na-Flow and SetaSilk. They rinse out nicely when not steamed, have no fumes, can ship by air, and are generally lower-priced than guttas.

Metallic, Black & Colored Water-Based (Gutta-Like) Resists

The big advantage with metallic water-based resists is that once fixed (through long-term air curing or ironing), they can be dry cleaned without losing their color — unlike solvent-based metallic guttas. The downside is that the metallic resists can be felt on the fabric, just like metallic solvent-based gutta. In both cases, the material holding the glittery substance is never removed, so it will always have some feel to it.

Waxes (Beeswax, Batik Wax, Soy Wax)

Wax is primarily used for batik and batik variations. It is melted and applied hot to the fabric with a brush or a tool called a tjanting. When the fabric is submerged in the dye bath, no color reaches the areas covered with wax — allowing colors and design to be controlled through a succession of waxing and dyeing.

• Beeswax by itself produces a solid resist with no dye penetration. It is generally mixed with paraffin to produce the distinctive "crackle" effect characteristic of batik — paraffin is more brittle and cracks as it dries, creating branch-like crevices through which dye seeps.
• Paraffin by itself is too brittle to use alone, as it cracks and falls right off the fabric.
• Sticky Wax is a low-cost synthetic substitute for beeswax that does the same job at less than half the cost. Some people feel beeswax works better — it's up to you.

Gutta & Resist Alert!

Of all the products Dharma carries, guttas and resists are probably the most technically difficult to use successfully. When you choose to try silk painting, you must be aware that applying gutta or resist takes practice and experimentation to learn which product will work best for you. As you change fabric, dye, or project, the way the resist behaves may also change.

Painting and fixing the dyes or paints is actually the simplest part of the process. The real difficulty lies in the application of the gutta or resist. Your success depends on many factors: your choice of silk (weight and weave affect how easily the resist penetrates), the steadiness of your hand, even pressure on the applicator bottle, the width of your line, and the absence of breaks or bubbles in the resist line that could cause leaks. Consistency matters too — if the resist is too thick it won't penetrate (thin carefully with gutta solvent, or water for water-based resists, a drop at a time). Even weather conditions affect how fast the resist flows and dries.

Steam-setting, fixative use, or heat-setting may be required depending on the gutta or resist product you choose, and how you fix the dye or paint may affect the gutta. Some issues you might encounter: guttas may be sticky (dry clean them); metallic guttas may peel if not applied correctly and should not be handled, folded or twisted when heavily applied; water-based resists may be difficult to wash out after extended steaming. Water-based resists don't hold as well as true guttas, but avoid the fumes, dry cleaning, and shipping hassles. Learn what each product can and cannot do, and design your work accordingly.

Guttas and resists are products you must learn to work with — understanding their inherent difficulties and accommodating their limitations. They are what they are.

If you're having trouble with your gutta or resist, it doesn't necessarily mean the product is bad, old, or no good. All the resists we sell have been used by artists for years and are considered the best choice by those who keep buying them. We suggest buying in small experimental quantities until you find what works for your particular situation. Take classes, read books, talk to other silk painters — silk painting has a learning curve!

The bottom line: we can't accept returns of guttas and resists because "it did not work," nor can we accept responsibility for your choice of materials. We always try to be helpful, but we can't teach silk painting over the phone or guarantee success in your particular circumstance.