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Stephanie has taught studio art and art history classes to audiences of all ages. She holds a master's degree in Art History.
Dyeing in textiles is a process in which color is transferred to a finished textile or textile material (like fibers and yarns) to add permanent and long-lasting color. It can be done by hand or by machine. Dyes can come as powders, crystals, pastes, or liquid dispersions, and they dissolve completely in an aqueous solution like water. When the textile and the dye come into contact, the textile is completely saturated by the dye and colored.
But what's the difference between paint and dye? Paint is a complex substance, and when you use it, you're usually coating the surface of something. Unlike paint, dyes actually change the crystal structure of substances. The details involve a long chemistry discussion, but what you really need to understand is that dyes are more saturating and more permanent. This is important because you want the fabric color to last through many wearings and washings. And yes, most dyed textile material is used to make clothing.
Humans have been dyeing textiles for a very, very long time, and in fact, scholars find early mention of dyeing textiles as far back as 2600 BCE! Dyeing can be done at any stage of the manufacturing process. Makers don't have to wait until the whole cloth has been made in order to dye it.
Before we discuss some dye types, you should know that there are many different types of dyes and we're only going to discuss a few of them. Now, let's review two primary categories before moving on to dye types. Natural dyes come from sources like plants, minerals, and animals. They have a long history, but aren't used much for commercial textiles anymore. You'll find artists and craftspeople using them for hand-made products and for traditional crafts. Synthetic dyes are made in a laboratory, and the chemicals are often derived from sources like coal tar or petroleum-based substances.
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Basic dye dissolves in water and requires a mordant. A mordant is a chemical that forms a bond with the dye to make it insoluble, which means the color stays on the textile when it's rinsed following dyeing. This process tends to be used with fabrics like nylon and polyester. Direct dyes, on the other hand, don't require a mordant, and are used to dye natural fibers like wool, cotton, and silk. Then, there are vat dyes, made of materials like indigo. Indigo is a plant that provides a deep blue color and is one of the oldest natural dyes. Substances used in vat dyes must be treated with a liquid alkaline substance (something that reduces acid) to allow them to be used as a dye.
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There are many ways to dye textile materials. In most dyeing processes, water is used with the dye and other additives to affix color to textiles. When the textile is rinsed, the color stays. A dye may also be pressed into a fabric through a thick paste, or the textile material may be immersed into a dye vat or tub. Sometimes dyeing textiles requires high temperatures, and some synthetics like polyester dye more easily at temperatures above 100 degrees. But why are there so many different kinds of dyes and ways to use them? Well, because no kind of dye effectively colors all natural and synthetic textiles. Different dyes and dyeing processes work best on different materials. Now let's explore a few processes.
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In a continuous dyeing process, long rolls of fabrics are heated and steamed as they pass through a machine that sprays or applies concentrated chemical solutions with dyes in them. In the batch dyeing process, textile material is submerged in a container with dye in it. Over time, the dye soaks into the material. In this method, the textile may go through several stages of dyeing and rinsing before it's finished. The batch process is the most common method of dyeing textiles.
Then there are methods like stock dyeing, where the fiber is dyed before anything is done with it. A similar method is top dyeing. In this case, the 'top' is combed wool and it's dyed before being spun into yarn. Finally, there's the skein or hank dyeing method, where coils of yarn are assembled on a ring or frame and dunked into a dye bath in a large vat or container.
Now you know more about dyeing textiles. The next time you wear a colorful shirt or outfit, look closely at it to see if you can figure out how the color got there.
Dyeing in textiles is a process that permanently transfers color to a textile material using a substance called a dye. It's a very old process. Natural dyes come from nature-based materials, and synthetic dyes are chemicals that have to be manufactured. Types of dyes include basic dyes, which require a mordant for them to work; direct dyes, that don't need a mordant; and vat dyes like indigo, that require preparation in order to use them. Methods of dyeing whole textiles include the continuous dyeing process and the batch dyeing process. Methods used to dye materials before they are made into fabric include stock dyeing, top dyeing, and skein or hank dyeing.
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Introduction to Textiles & the Textile Industry10 chapters | 206 lessons
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