<\/span><\/h2>\nChoosing the best dye among different brands and their numerous products can be seemed difficult naturally. But if you research a little, consider your fabric and your demands, the list will be very short.<\/p>\n
If you ask which will be the best dye for you, it will not be possible to say. Because all dyes are not for all fabric types. There are many dyes that will not impart dyes to some fabrics at the least. So at first consider which fabric you are using. On all the dyes you will find the manufacturer\u2019s instruction on which fabric or material they work best and where they will not work at all.<\/p>\n
Here I am discussing some of the most used dyes for your convenience-<\/p>\n
Acid Dyes<\/h4>\n
Acid dyes are especially for protein fibres such as silk, wool, nylon, acid dyeable acrylics, etc. They come as a concentrated powder which is used in very hot water. It is colourfast and needs acetic acid and synthrapol (for wash) for producing the most vibrant colours.<\/p>\n
All-Purpose Dyes<\/h4>\n
These dyes work on almost all fabric and fabric blends. Comes in powder and liquid form and you can use it in your washer to avoid a mess. They are versatile if you need to work with more fabric types at once, but they will give you less vibrant colours.<\/p>\n
They are also less colourfast. So if you want brilliant colours and if the fabrics or materials are regularly washed, you would better opt for a specific purpose dye. This dye only needs salt to fix the dye onto the fibres.<\/p>\n
Fibre Reactive Dyes<\/h4>\n
Unlike all-purpose dyes, these are super colourfast. They are for natural fibres like cotton, linen, ramie, viscose cotton, etc. They can work on fabrics at room temperature.<\/p>\n
They need soda ash(to bond the dyes), salt(to fix them), and synthrapol( at first for removing any finishes or dirt from the fibre and excess dye).<\/p>\n
Direct Dyes<\/h4>\n
For natural fibres like cotton, linen, silk, wool, rayon, etc. Comes in the dissolvable packet which is mixed with hot water or tossed in the washing machine. For achieving brilliant colour and avoiding color bleeding, salt (for plant fibres) or vinegar (for protein fibre) is used. These dyes are less colourfast than acid and fibre reactive dyes.<\/p>\n
Disperse Dyes<\/h4>\n
For synthetic fibers only (polyester, nylon, etc.). These dyes also come as dissolvable packets. Require a very hot temperature through the process. Comes in limited colors. For a brilliant color, you have to use a color intensifier. They are less colorfast but you can minimize color bleeding using dye fixatives. Less lightfast than fiber reactive dyes. Inexpensive than the other dyes.<\/p>\n
Basic Dyes<\/h4>\n
Basic dyes are applied to substrates that have anionic characters. They are mainly for acrylic fibres. They are not water-soluble but can be made soluble treating with alcohol. These dyes are normally used with a mordant to set dyes on fabrics. They work as bases and actually they are aniline dyes. Basic dyes are also used for cotton, linen, acetate, nylon, polyesters, etc. But it does not work best for them.<\/p>\n
Vat Dyes<\/h4>\n
Vat dyes are chemical dyes that work on cellulose fibers using a redox reaction. They are insoluble in water. The process is somewhat difficult than the other dyes. The fabric is submerged into a bucket or vat, they are named so for the working method. Wool can’t be dyed in this process because of the caustic soda and the very high pH of the dye bath.<\/p>\n
So, now we can come to a decision which dye we should use on which fabric. We can sum up the result here-<\/p>\n
1. Natural fibers<\/b>
\na) Cellulose fibers (cotton, linen, rayon, hemp, ramie, bamboo fibers)
\ni. Fiber-reactive dyes
\nii. Direct Dyes
\niii. All-purpose dyes
\niv. Vat dyes
\nb) Protein fibre (wool, cashmere, silk)
\ni. Acid Dyes
\nii. Natural Dyes
\niii. Vat dyes
\niv. All-purposes
\n2. Synthetic fibre<\/b>
\na)Polyester, Acetate, Acrylic
\nDisperse Dyes
\nSome other things which you should consider about a dye are-<\/p>\nAcid Dyes<\/h4>\n
Different dyes have different dyeing methods. Some dyes have to be used on the stovetop for maintaining a constant temperature. Some dyes can be mixed with hot or normal water in a bucket or vat. There are also some dyes that you can simply toss in your washing machine to work with it. All dyes will not allow the washing machine method. So you should better check the manufacturer\u2019s instruction which method it supports.<\/p>\n
Colour and light fastness<\/h4>\n
It is one of the most important considerations to buy a dye. If the fabric dye is not colourfast, it will bleed onto white and other fabrics. Most of the dyes are said to be colourfast or having minimal colour bleeding. Colour bleeding can be reduced using fabric dye fixatives.<\/p>\n
Lightfastness is also important if the dyed item is exposed to the light once and again. If the dye is not lightfast, sunlight or artificial light breaks or changes the chemical bonds of the dye.<\/p>\n
Amount<\/h4>\n
If you have many items to dye, the amount is an important consideration there. Again if you need only 1 or 2 items to dye, why will you buy a larger package? Sometimes you will only, need one colour to hide a stain or darken the item. In that case, buy a specific colour only.<\/p>\n
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