nope you can use either side you want the beauty of batiks is their versatality, just look at both sides and use the side you like best there are always some differences that add to the character. and remember, all fabrics have 2 sides and either one can be used at any time, you are paying for both sides of the fabric. if you check out watercolor quilts quite often some of the squares used are considered by some as the wrong side but they work perfectly in the application being used turning them to the (wrong) side helps them blend in with the adjacent fabrics.