GENERAL INFORMATION ON DYES

Dyes are substances, natural or synthetic, used to colour various materials, especially textiles, leather and foods. Natural dyes are so called because they are obtained from plants (e.g., Alizarin, Catechu, Indigo and Logwood), from animals(e.g., Cochineal, Kermes and Tyrian Purple) and from certain naturally occurring materials (e.g., Ochre and Prussian Blue). They have been almost entirely replaced in modern dyeing with synthetic dyeing by synthetic dyes. Most of these are prepared from coal tar, being formed from an aromatic hydrocarbon such as benzene, from which indigo is derived, or anthracene, which yields alizarin. Some materials e.g., cotton, silk and wood can be coloured simply by being dipped in the dye in a heated environment and so the dyes are consequently called direct dyes.

Dyes may also be classified according to the medium required in the dyeing process. Fibre reactive dyes may be classified as, either acidic, basic or bi-functional depending upon what environment they require to work in. TINTEX Low Temp dyes are basic reactive and require a caustic environment provided by the Setting Agent in which to operate.

The most common commercial method of dyeing is vat dyeing (e.g., Indigo) whereby the dye is treated so that it becomes soluble and is then introduced to material bathed in a vat. On Removal from the vat, the dyestuff returns to its insoluble form. Jeans are dyed in this manner.
The process by which a dye becomes attached to the material it colours is not definitely known. One theory is that a chemical reaction takes place between the dye and the fibre; another proposes that the fibre absorbs the dye.

Dyeing is an ancient industry. The Chinese, Persians and Indians used natural dyes many centuries ago, including Indigo, the oldest dye in use and Tyrian Purple, derived from a species of snail. In the 13th and 14th centuries, dyeing assumed importance in Italy and the methods employed were carried to other parts of Europe. New Dyes were developed constantly from this time onwards, (e.g., Cochineal was introduced from Mexico.) until finally in the 19th Century the first synthetic dyes were produced by W.H. Perkin and Adolf von Baeyer.
 

SIMPLE HINTS ON SUCCESSFUL DYEING WITH
TINTEX HIGH AND LOW TEMP FABRIC DYES

1. Use rubber or plastic gloves to protect hands from stains.

2. Weigh, wash, rinse and spin garment, unfold and leave damp. Remove all stains.

3. Choose container large enough to allow article to be well spread and to be moved about freely. Use sufficient water to immerse article completely.

4. Dissolve the dye in a small container with hot water, at the rate recommended on the instructions for either High Temp or Low Temp Fabric Dyes. Stir well and strain through a clean old handkerchief or similar, to remove any undissolved dye.

5. The depth of colour obtained depends on the amount of dye used. FABRICS APPEAR DARKER WHEN WET. Add a small quantity of dye solution to the water and test the colour with scrap cloth. Continue to add more dye solution to the dye bath until the resulting shade is as required.

6. Remove the article from the dye bath before adding extra dye solution.

7. Dyeing one colour over another will produce a blend of the two.

8. A handful of common salt (about 250 gm) added to the dye bath when dyeing cottons helps to “fix” the colour.

9. Any garment liable to shrinkage should be measured or traced in outline before dyeing, so that it can be restored to original shape and size when pressed damp dry.

10. Shrinkage of woollens when using High Temp Dye is reduced by the addition of 1 tablespoon of vinegar per litre of dye solution.

11. When dyeing cotton or linen in hard water, the addition of a little washing soda will assist dye penetration.

12.  Stains, faded areas and bleach marks will not be covered by the dye. Most stains can be removed with TINTEX Fabric Stripper.

13. Materials with special finishes; e.g., waterproofing or “scotch guard” stain repellent will not accept dye. Garments carrying the instructions “dry clean only” usually are finished with a crease resistant dressing and this would limit the even absorption of dye.

Use as many packs of dye as are required for the weight of the fabric to be dyed. The whole amount of material should be dyed together using the full amount of dye necessary. Dyeing in batches may result in slight colour variations as it is unlikely that the individual batches will be exactly the same. There may even be a slight variation in dye batches in production. Mixing all packs together eliminates this possibility.

TINTEX FABRIC DYES:

TINTEX Dyes are universal dyes, made specifically for Wool, Cotton, Nylon, Silk, Viscose Rayon, Linen and Hemp.

They are NOT suitable for Orlon, Terylene, Polyester, Pleated Tricel, Acrilan, Dacron and Cellanese, although light shade may be obtained in some instances.

Mixtures of suitable fibres with unsuitable fibres will colour to the extent of the fibre capable of dyeing e.g., a blend of 35% Cotton and 65% Polyester will only produce 35% colour strength. (Refer to the Fabric Suitability Chart).

Certain types of materials are treated to produce drip-dry and other special finishes. These finishes may hinder penetration of the dye and in such cases it is advisable to try first on a small cutting from the hem or similar, before proceeding with the dyeing.

TINTEX Hot Water Dyes are suitable for both dyeing in hot water tinting in cold water.

Simmering fabric when dyeing will produce the best colour and wash fastness.

REMEMBER, IN TINTING AND DYEING, DRYING AND PRESSING, ANY INSTRUCTIONS SUPPLIED BY TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS REGARDING THE CARE OF THE MATERIAL IN LAUNDERING MUST BE STRICTLY OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE DYEING PROCESS.

As a general principle, anything that can be laundered at a certain temperature can be dyed at that temperature.

TINTEX HOT WATER DYE

• Best results obtained by simmering or boiling

• Suitable for cotton, linen, hemp, tencel and viscose rayon

• Also suitable for wool, silk, feathers and nylon with the addition of vinegar or mild formic acid

• Available in 50 standard colours

• Individual colours blended for dyers in commercial quantities

• Resealable containers for safe storage

• Packs available from 10gm up to 20kg

TINTEX WASHING MACHINE DYE

• Suitable for top loading washing machines

• Modified formulation of hot water dye for use in washing machines

• Packs contain 50gm dye and 50gm setting agent

• Convenient method for dyeing larger items.

• 1 Pack dyes up to 2.5kg of fabric

TINTEX LOW TEMPERATURE DYE

• Basic reactive dye, setting requires soda ash which is included in the smaller packs

• No boiling required, best results in water between 45° and 60°

• Suitable for cotton, linen, hemp, tencel, jute and viscose rayon

• Ideal for fabric painting, tie dyeing, dip and batic dyeing

• Soda ash dye fix is available separately in this dye range.

TINTEX SILK DYE

• Acid reactive dye, setting requires acidic dye bath

• Specially formulate for silk, also effective on wool, feathers and nylon

• Range of 24 colours

• Acid salt included in pack

TINTEX DYE STRIPPER

• Colour remover for hot water dye. (requires boiling)

• Removes colour “runs” caused by migration of dye from coloureds during laundering (hot water wash)

• Removes body stains and cosmetic colourants. Renews whites (hot water wash)