What is Dyeing?

What is Dyeing

How many of you have ever wondered about the history of dyeing? You are in luck! Dyeing has been around for centuries, and there’s still plenty to learn about it, so I’m going to do my best to tell you everything I know about dyeing. 

Facts about Dyeing

The first dyes were probably based on colorings from plants and insects, but other natural materials such as soil, clay, cow dung, and urine have been used to dye fabric. Some of these early dyestuffs have been traced back to civilizations in China, India, and Egypt. The earliest evidence of textile dyeing dates back to Neolithic times (about 6000 BCE) in Southwest Asia at a site called Hallan Cemi in Turkey. Archaeological evidence indicates that Egyptians were producing colored fabrics—specifically blue wool—by 3000 BCE.

History of Dyeing

A rainbow of colors has always been a way to attract attention and show off one’s status. Even before humans figured out how to make clothing, they knew that dyeing a darker color would enhance their appearance, as well as their standing among their peers. The need for colored garments was likely one of humanity’s first motivations for domesticating plants and animals.The origins of dye are impossible to trace back with any certainty, but we can deduce that our earliest ancestors probably discovered some form of dyes or pigments through trial and error.

Evolution of Dyestuff

Humans have been dyeing their textiles since at least 5,000 B.C., when a jar of red ochre powder was discovered in a Neolithic cave in France. The first synthetic dye was made by accident in 1856 by an English chemist named William Henry Perkin; as he mixed chemicals to create quinine for malaria treatment, he also created mauveine (aka aniline purple). This accidental discovery started what’s known as the chemical industry and kick-started a race to discover more synthetic dyes that’s never stopped.

Types of Dyeing

The three most common methods of dyeing are batik, tie-dye and direct application. Batik requires that fabrics be waxed prior to applying dye; Tie-dye involves folding or twisting fabric and binding it with rubber bands before applying dye; direct application involves dipping fabrics into buckets or vats of dye. While these are basic descriptions, you’ll also find variations such as spray painting textiles with dyes or using color directly from a tube.

 batik

The word batiq derives from Arabic language, which means to write. Batik was often used to record a message or signature on a textile. The process of batik is more complex than many other forms of dying. Silk and cotton are normally used in batik dying because they hold dye very well. Batik can be printed onto fabric by hand or machine; each method produces different results. Hand-dying with wax and resist dyeing are two forms of batik processes that make use of dyes that resist absorption into fabric during application but become absorbed after heat setting.

tie-dye 

Create tie-dye pieces by applying dye to strips of fabric and securing them together with rubber bands or sewing thread. Once the piece has dried, remove it from its form and put it in a pot of boiling water for about three minutes. The boiling water will help set and shape your tie-dye design. Rinse out any excess dye once you’ve removed your tie-dye design from the boiling water, and then either hang it up to dry or lay it flat on a towel. If your project is large enough, you can also set some weights on top to make sure that all parts are exposed to even pressure while drying. You can use household items like books or mason jars filled with sand as weights.

direct application

The simplest method of dyeing involves simply immersing a woolen or synthetic cloth in a dye bath. This technique is known as direct application and produces fairly reliable results. Many fabric dyes, such as those made by Jacquard Products and Tulip are designed for direct application; instructions for their use can be found on their respective websites. The Direct Application method also has little room for error, as there are fewer steps involved to actually dye a piece of clothing or fabric than there are with other methods; however, some fabrics will not take direct application dye well at all and so it can be hit-or-miss with some types of cloth.

Garment Dyeing

Not all fabrics can be dyed with acid dyes. To achieve solid, even color across an entire garment, it's necessary to use so-called direct dyes like Procion MX (the most popular dye in our shop), Fiber Reactive Procion, or Cibacron F®; these require a mordant and a milder heat to set them than acid dyes. They work on protein fibers like wool and silk; therefore they are not appropriate for cellulose fibers like cotton, linen or synthetics. Applying dye directly to fabric allows you to see exactly what you're doing; because colors don't bleed onto neighboring garments or threads of fabric. And that makes garment dyeing a big hit with crafters!

FABRIC PRINTING

Once you’ve selected a color for your garment, what’s next? What do you need to know about dyeing fabric? Well, in order to determine how many garments can be dyed a certain color at one time, you must take into account such factors as brightness of dye, opacity or transparency of design on fabric and number of colors used. On high speed machines like Jurisdyne or Shurtape it is possible to print up to eight different colors at one time but always test on swatches first. If screen work has been done with opaque or transparent dyes remember that after printing some of these may lighten when printed again even if they are very strong prints when applied by hand.

Dyeing Process

The dyeing process typically consists of four steps: preparing, applying, developing and fixing. The process itself varies based on different types of dye, with fabric type also impacting a given process. For example, in some cases you’ll want to use an acid or alkaline fixative. Before diving into these processes though, it’s important to note that preparation is key; be sure to wash and rinse your fabric prior to dyeing—this will help remove any residual oils that could mess with color later on.