Purple 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. ”

“ Taupe is a gray thrown off, usually with purple, but sometimes with red or yellow or blue.
Salmon is formed by adding to yellow some orange and a tinge of brown.
Any dyeing over old color must be considered as a mixing of the new color with the old, which manner of thinking will help in choosing the dye necessary for a desired effect. For example, a green cloth is to be dyed black. There should be two dyeings, the first a red to neutralize the green, the second a black to intensify the neutrality. Likewise a red cloth becomes black by dyeing first green and then black. ”

“ Now I will mention a process for dyeing felt a deep dead black with a coal-tar black dye which alone would not give a deep pure black, but one with a bluish-purple shade. To neutralise this purple effect, a small quantity of a yellow dyestuff and a trifle of indigotin are added. A deep black is thus produced, faster to light than logwood black it is stated, and one that goes on the fibre with the greatest ease. But I have referred to the use of small quantities of differently coloured dyes for the purpose of neutralising or destroying certain shades in the predominating colour. ”

“ The real Byzantine books which are written on purple vellum give you some, at least, of its shades. The ancients, you must remember, used words for colours in a way that seems vague to us, because they{209} were generally thinking of the tone rather than the tint. When they wanted to specify a red dye they would not use the word purpureus, but coccineus, i.e. scarlet of kermes.
The art of dyeing, I am bound to say, is a difficult one, needing for its practice a good craftsman, with plenty of experience. Matching a colour by means of it is an agreeable but somewhat anxious game to play. ”

“ The lichens thus treated acquire gradually a deep purple colour, and form the products called "cudbear." This dye works best in a neutral bath, but it will do what not many dyes will, namely, dye in either a slightly alkaline or slightly acid bath as well. Orchil is not applicable in cotton dyeing. Being a substantive colour no mordants are needed in dyeing silk and wool with it. The colour produced on wool and silk is a bright magenta-red with bluish shade. ”

“ The flowers and spots are purple, the leaves and stems blue.
Spraying liquid dye with an atomizer permits not only of the usual direct coloring of the design areas, but also of resist stenciling, in which a light design is produced on a dark background. A small dark design on a large light background is stringy and thin. The light seems to eat into the edge of the design and minimize its importance. On the other hand, a small light design on a large dark background is magnified in importance. ”

“ Referring first to the wool patterns and to the "direct dyes," we find that the only really fast colors are Prussian blue and Vat indigo blue. Turmeric, orchil, catechu, and indigo carmine are all extremely fugitive.
As to the "mordant dyes," some yield fast colors with all the usual mordants, e.g., madder, cochineal, lac dye, kermes, viz., reds with tin and aluminum, claret browns with copper and chromium, and dull violets with iron. ”

“ Coal tar dyes have come to stay, vegetable dyes for the most part have gone and will not return, and there is no sadness in the word. It is rather for us to rise to the challenge that has come, to recognize our greater heritage, and by pains, patience and intelligence in our work to ply the art worthily.
COLOR MIXING
The following general principles of color mixing apply to dyeing, both when colors are mixed in a dye-bath and when they are dyed one color over another:
Red is grayed by small amounts of yellow and blue or by any color containing both of these, as green, brown or gray. ”

“ While some of the blue colouring matters possess no great powers of resistance to light, air, washing, etc., the great majority are remarkable for their fastness to those destructive agencies.
There are but two natural dye-stuffs, indigo and logwood, from which blue tints can be dyed. With the former, a great variety of shades can be dyed of a satisfactory character as regards (p. 137) fastness; with the latter, only dark blues can be dyed, these are fairly fast to milling, but only moderately so to light. ”

“ The greater number of red shades are now dyed by means of the artificial dye-stuffs, as these are much easier to dye than are the natural dyes, and they give, on the whole, more even and brilliant shades, while as regards fastness to milling, acids, and light they are fully equal, and in most cases superior, to the natural dyes.
The Direct Red Dyes.--Of this group of red dye-stuffs, Benzopurpurine, Titan Scarlet, Diamine Fast Red F, and Benzo Fast Red are types; many of them have been found to be very serviceable in wool dyeing. ”

“ The artificial blues derived from coal tar are very numerous, and representatives of all classes, direct, basic, acid and mordant of dye-stuffs may be found among them. The direct blue dyes do not work very well on wool. They are apt to dye very red, and somewhat dull shades, which are, however, fairly fast to washing and light. The basic blue dyes are fairly numerous, and may be used to dye from pale sky to deep navy tints. They are apt to work somewhat unevenly on to wool, owing to their great affinity for the fibre. ”

“ It has been ascertained, however, that some of the direct dyes, e.g., Benzo azurine, Chicago blue, Catechu browns, Diamine blues, Diamine browns, etc., are capable of uniting with metallic bodies to form insoluble colour lakes, and this combination can take place on the fibre. Fast shades may be dyed with the dye-stuffs named above, and with others of this group, by first dyeing them in the usual way, then passing through a boiling bath containing bichromate of potash or copper sulphate, either together or separately. ”

“ Another important condition of obtaining a level dyeing is to proceed slowly, beginning with a weak bath at a moderate temperature, and rising gradually to a boil. If necessary to retard the dyeing from the commencement, then an assistant mordant is added to the dye-bath, in the shape of soda crystals or phosphate of soda for the (p. 081) benzidine colours on cotton; bisulphate of soda or Glauber's salt in dyeing with azo colours or acid colours on wool; or tartar may be used in most cases with good effect, causing the wool to have a softer feel. ”

“ Many recipes can be given for the dyeing of basic dyes on cotton; for the range of tints and shades of all colours [Pg 151] that can be produced by their means is truly great. Typical recipes will be given showing what basic dyes are available and how they can be combined together. The dyer, however, who knows how to produce shades by combining one dye-stuff with another is able to get many more shades than space will permit to be given here.
Sky Blue.—Mordant with 1 lb. tannic acid and 1⁄2 lb. tartar emetic, then dye with 21⁄2 oz. Victoria blue B, and 1⁄2 oz. ”

“ 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. ”

“ A slow dyeing is generally more level and successful in every way. In cases where the fiber absorbs the color greedily the dyer sometimes puts other ingredients called “assistants” into the bath to retard this absorption.
[Pg 41] Frequently the craftsman does shaded dyeing, such as a scarf with deep blue ends grading to a light blue center. The following directions will accomplish this: Hold the scarf in the middle with one hand, dip the ends into the dye-bath and work them thoroughly with the other hand. Then lower the scarf into the bath very gradually without interrupting the working. ”

“ By the chloring of the wool the intensity of the shade dyed is increased to such a degree that when dyeing with Acid black, Naphthol black, Naphthol green, Nigrosine, Fast blue, Water blue, and some others dyed in an acid bath, but little more than half the dye used on unchlored wool is required, while with Induline, more even and intense shades are obtained than is otherwise possible. ”

“ It is somewhat interesting to notice that, notwithstanding the great prevalence of green in Nature, the dyer has at his command no natural green dye-stuff, but must, if he prefers to adopt natural dye-stuffs, use a mixture of blue and yellow dye-stuffs to produce green shades. There are but few green colouring (p. 127) matters derived from coal tar: Gambine, Dinitroso-resorcine, Alizarine Green, Brilliant Green, Malachite Green, Azo Green, Fast Green, Naphthol Green, Acid Green, Diamine Green, Benzo Green almost exhaust the list. ”

“ The art of modern dyeing very greatly consists in the proper use of what are called mordants, that is, substances which, although they do not of themselves produce colour, so act upon the dyes as to cause them to give an intenser hue to the fabric, and also serve to make the colour permanent. The modern dyers have obtained several dye drugs unknown to the ancients, such as cochineal, quercitron, Brazil and logwood, arnotts, and indigo, which was only known to the Romans as a paint ”

“ Among these are Ladies Bedstraw, whortleberry, yellow iris, bracken, bramble, meadow sweet, alder, heather and many others. The yellow dyes are the most plentiful, and many of these are good fast colours. Practically no good red, in quantity, is obtainable. Madder is the only reliable red dye among plants, and that is no longer indigenous in England. Most of the dye plants require a preparation of the material to be dyed, with alum, or some other mordant, but a few, such as Barberry, and some of the lichens, are substantive dyes, and require no mordant. ”

“ This can only be done in those cases where the colour lake that is formed is somewhat soluble in dye-liquors, which usually have slightly acid properties; or (p. 077) where the affinity between the two bodies (colouring matter and mordant) is too great. This method can be carried out in, for instance, dyeing a cochineal scarlet with tin crystals, a yellow from fustic and alum, a black from logwood and copperas and bluestone, a red from madder and bichrome, and the dyeing of the Alizarine colours by the use of chrome fluoride, etc. ”

“ 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. ”

“ It however happens that in the pure aniline colors discovered in recent years a line of purples and violets has been found so much purer than the other pigments that we cannot with our red and violet make a perfect imitation of the brightest aniline purples used in some of the goods now in the market. Purple is a general name for the several modifications of violet, red-violet and violet-red as Peacock Blue is a name given to the beautiful hues of blue-green and green-blue. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”