Ikat is a woven fabric in which the threads are tie-dyed before they are woven, and the pattern emerges in the weaving. The dyed threads are woven in only one direction, and the ensuing fabric, single ikat, is common and found as both hand-woven and machine-woven cloth.

In one small spot on earth, the Balinese village of Tenganan, double ikat, in which the threads of both the warp and the weft are tie-dyed, is produced, in very small quantities and at a very high price. A single piece of woven cloth may take years to produce and is a treasure among Balinese crafts.