"IF" your eyes are good enough to see up close :wink: , the weave is usually more pronounced on the front and flatter on the back.
It's a little harder to tell on batiks, but the front is often a little brighter and the edges of the pattern a little more spread out on the back. It's hard to tell sometimes. But if you put 2 pieces side by side and flip one back and forth can help you decide.
I usually take my chalk pencil and mark the back before I cut...I just draw lines across the whole piece a few inches apart. I usually catch a line after I've cut...it makes it easier to pick it out once rather than to check every cut piece. :)