Dye

“ You must be especially careful in picking out a dye that will suit your material. White, of course, can be dyed any color. Pale shades can be dyed darker or changed into other slightly deeper colors. A material of one color dyed with a dye of a second color will emerge from the fray an entirely different shade from either. For instance, if you dye a yellow material with a light blue dye, you will get green; while the same light blue over light red makes purple, and over light green makes peacock. ”

“ The beginner is apt to think that to get a full color requires a concentrated dye-bath. Experience will teach him that, when the dyes are properly chosen for his fabric, a full color is obtained better by a longer treatment in a dilute bath, with additions of dye as mentioned above. In this way nearly if not all of the color put into the bath is absorbed by the cloth. This serves for economy of color, makes observation and control of the process easier, simplifies the problem of rinsing, and improves the quality of the dyeing. It is the only way dyeing to shade can be accomplished. ”

“ The art of dyeing consists in impregnating flexible fibres with any color which may be desired, in such a manner, that it will remain permanent, under the common exposures to which it may be liable.
2. The union of the coloring matter with the fibres receiving the dye, is purely chemical, and not mechanical, as in the case of the application of paints. Wool has the greatest attraction for coloring substances; silk comes next to it; then cotton; and, lastly, hemp and flax. These materials, also, absorb dye-stuffs in different proportions. ”

“ Let me first direct your attention to the diagram containing the natural coloring matters—those dyestuffs which were in use previous to 1856. Broadly speaking, they are of two kinds; those which dye textile materials "direct," and those which give no useful color without the aid of certain metallic salts, called "mordants."
Now, among the natural coloring matters, these "mordant dyes," as they may be conveniently termed, are much more numerous than the "direct dyes;" but be it observed, we have fast and fugitive colors in both classes. ”

“ This group of colouring matters comprises dye-stuffs of both natural and artificial origin, the latter of which are getting very numerous and valuable, and bid fair to displace the natural members of the group. With but few exceptions the adjective dye-stuffs are not colouring matters of themselves, i.e., they will not dye wool or other fibres by themselves. Some are coloured bodies, such as fustic, logwood, Persian berries, Anthracene yellow, etc., but many are not so, and some possess but little colour, which, moreover, gives no clue to the colours that can be developed therefrom. ”

“ It will be convenient to point out here that a very large proportion of the shades dyed on wool and other fabrics are obtained, not by the use of a single dye-stuff, although this should always be done, whenever possible, but by the combination of two or more dye-stuffs together in various proportions. It is truly astonishing what a great range of shades can thus be dyed by using two or three dyes suitably mixed together, and one of the things which go to making a successful dyer and colourist is the grasping of this fact by careful observation, and working accordingly. ”

“ If a blue dye is to be used first, the following suggestions may help. Accordingly as the blue used is strong or weak, it will appear in the resulting combination strongly or weakly. The top dye used over it will equally of course count in the resulting combination according as it is strong or weak. Having these two points in mind we can say:
Red over blue will give purple. Violet over blue will give blue violet. Green over blue will give blue green. Yellow over blue will give green. Brown over blue will give dark brown. Black over blue will give blue black.
[53] ”

“ TESTING OF THE COLOUR OF DYED FABRICS.
It is frequently desirable that dyers should be able to ascertain with some degree of accuracy what dyes have been used to dye any particular sample of dyed cloth that has been offered to them to match. In these days of the thousand-and-one different dyes that are known it is by no means an easy thing to do, and when, as is most often the case, two or three dye-stuffs have been used in the production of a shade, the difficulty is materially increased. ”

“ When dyeing wool with acid colours which are all absorbed from the dye-liquor, or the bath is exhausted, it is a good plan to run the pieces several more ends so as to ensure thorough fixation of the dye on the cloth. ”

“ Care should be taken that the skeins of yarn or swatches of cloth are exactly equal in weight, that the same volume of water is placed in each of the dye-pots, that the same amounts of sulphate of soda or other dye assistants are added, that the quantities of dye-stuffs and solutions used are equal, in fact that in all respects the conditions of dyeing are exactly the same, such in fact being the vital conditions in making comparative dye-tests of the actual dyeing strength of several samples of dyes. ”

“ EXPERIMENTAL DYEING AND COMPARATIVE DYE TESTING.
Every dyer ought to be able to make experiments in the mordanting and dyeing of textile fibres for the purpose of ascertaining the best methods of applying mordants or dye-stuffs, the best methods of obtaining any desired shade, and for the purpose of making comparative tests of dyes or mordanting materials with the object of determining their strength and value. ”

“ The moderns have obtained from the New World several dye-drugs unknown to the antients; such as cochineal, quercitron, Brazil wood, logwood, annatto; and they have [413] discovered the art of using indigo as a dye, which the Romans knew only as a pigment. But the vast superiority of our dyes over those of former times must be ascribed principally to the employment of pure alum and solution of tin as mordants, either alone or mixed with other bases; substances which give to our common dye-stuffs remarkable depth, durability, and lustre. ”

“ Here we must take special steps to get the dye well into the fiber and secure the results obtained from the large dye-bath in all-over dyeing.
The fabric must be prepared for pattern dyeing in the same manner as for all-over dyeing. It is just as essential that it be clean, free of sizing, with its fibers soft and absorbent. Attention has been called to the pains taken by the Orientals in the preparation of their fabrics for decoration. We must not jeopardize our success by omitting to boil out new raw material and to clean old material. ”

“ It is therefore important to use as little water as possible in making up the dye-bath, indeed, for anything like good results to be obtained with some dyes, especially those of the sulphur series like Vidal black, Immedial blacks, Katigen browns, Cross-dye blacks, Amidazol blacks, etc., it is necessary to employ what is called a short bath, that is making it as strong as possible. ”

“ A dyed fabric is one which has been impregnated with some colouring matter and this irrespective of the means adopted to so impregnate it. Whether the fabric once woven has been allowed to—
1o. Remain in a dye vat soaking up dye, or
2o. Whether it has been drawn through a series of troughs containing dye (Continuous or Pad-dyeing process) with a view to its absorbing the dye—
is immaterial. Where both sides of a fabric are equally coloured, and where a fabric shows that there has been thorough saturation, that fabric is said to be dyed. ”

“ It corresponds to the excess color in dyeing, which we take pains to remove by rinsing. The very purpose of the steaming, or other “setting” process, is to incorporate the dye into the fiber. This is never perfectly accomplished. There is always some excess adherent color to be removed.
OLD JAPANESE STENCILS
How often we meet the following experience: A [Pg 136] craft worker in decorating a fabric applies color until the eye is pleased, takes little or no pains to incorporate the color into the fiber, and ignores altogether the fact that some of the color is only adherent. ”

“ Colours which "come off" should be avoided, as, even if they do not come in contact with the skin, particles of them enter the body with the breath, and if the dye is poisonous they act injuriously in that way. ”

“ By adding the dye in portions this difficulty is overcome and more level shades are obtained, but it is met with in all cases of jigger dyeing. It is most common in dyeing (p. 053) wool with basic dyes like Magenta, Auramine, Methyl Violet or Brilliant Green, and with acid dyes like Acid Green, Formyl Violets, Azo Scarlet or Acid Yellow. ”

“ The dye is not really trained, of course, but for a reason which we do not entirely understand, some kinds of dye always throw back (reflect) any red that is in the light that shines on them, but they keep all other kinds of light, changing them to heat. Other dyes or coloring matter always throw back any green that is in the light that shines on them, keeping the other colors. ”

“ The dyeing is sometimes done by brushing on a table, grain-side upwards, but more usually the skins are folded closely down the back, flesh-side inwards, so as to protect it as much as possible from the influence of the colour, and then passed through the dye-bath, which is now generally of aniline colours. ”

“ It may be added that the leading firms carrying school art supplies offer dyes in suitable form especially adapted for the problems in pattern dyeing.
Perhaps a few suggestions to the less experienced of our readers will prove helpful. All of the good dyes manufactured today are in a very pure form. The use of one dye alone often gives results that are crude without any subtle beauty. It is frequently necessary to apply the principle well known to all workers in color, that colors are softened and beautified by small admixtures of their compliments ”

“ The wool can be dyed blue for green in three different ways:—1st in the Indigo vat, 2nd with Indigo Extract with Alum mordant, 3rd with logwood with Chrome mordant. For a good bright green, dye the wool a rather light blue, then wash and dry; Mordant with alum, green it with a good yellow dye, such as weld or fustic, varying the proportion of each according to the shade of green required. ”

“ The depth of shade which is dyed has some considerable influence on the degree of fastness, the deeper shades of a colour are always faster than the paler shades, particularly as regards light, a difference of 1⁄2 per cent, of dye-stuff has been known to make a very [Pg 108] appreciable degree of difference as regards the fastness of a colour to light. ”

“ Some dye wool only or silk, while others confine themselves to certain colors, such as scarlet and blue. The principal profits of the dyer, when unconnected with manufacturing establishments, arise from dyeing garments or stuffs which have been partly worn.
10. The origin of the art of dyeing is involved in great obscurity, as the ancients have not furnished even a fable, which might guide us in our researches. It is evident, however, that the art must have made considerable progress, long before authentic history begins. ”

“ The class of dye-stuffs included in the fourth group was named by Bancroft the "adjective" group, because they require the aid of a second body, named the mordant, to properly develop and to fix the colour of the dye-stuff on the wool. ”

“ Temperature plays a great part in dyeing, for if the dye bath is too hot when the cloth is introduced, the dye, having a great avidity for wool, will be absorbed unequally by the cloth, the ends and outside folds of the cloth absorbing more color than is desired, and the inner folds will have less. ”

“ These being turned black on being chromed, give various shades--blue blacks, violet blacks, and jet blacks, which have the merit of being fast to acids, strong milling, and light in a great (p. 095) degree. The blue and violet blacks may be converted to jet shades by adding to the dye-bath some yellow dye-stuff, such as Azo Yellow, Alizarine Yellow, or Gambine Yellow, which will resist the action of the bichrome in the developing bath. ”

“ It is a plant that is more extensively used for dyeing than any other in the world. For many years, until the products from petroleum began to come in, it was the only source for the red colors, because of its permanence. The dye is so powerful that it will turn the bones of animals red, if they are fed on it, and it also colors the claws and beaks of birds. ”

“ Of course cloth already colored cannot be dyed a lighter shade of the same color and the original shade must be very light to enable one to change the color, say from red to blue, etc. The original color always modifies that of the dye somewhat and it is best to experiment first with a small portion of the dye and cloth. Rather dark shades are apt to be most successful. ”

“ If greater fastness is required, and more especially if it is a case of replacing aniline black, Diaminogene diazotised and developed is a good dye-stuff. It is extensively used for dyeing umbrella cloths and linings. ”

“ THIS beautiful and fascinating art of textile decoration, applied to draperies and articles of dress, has been practiced in many countries for centuries. Old pieces have been found in South America, in Peru and Bolivia. In the Philippines and in provinces of India the work may still be seen, the art having been handed down from generations unknown.
The essential process consists in dyeing the cloth in a dye-bath after having wound parts of it more or less tightly with string or cord, which serves as a resist to prevent the color from reaching those parts of the fabric. ”