Textile dyeing applies color to a textile material with some degree of permanence. The relationship between the dye and the fiber helps retain that color; permanence here does not mean that the color can never change.1
This introduction explains the colorant, the material being dyed, the basic sequence, and the language used to describe the result.
Dyeing, printing, and pigments
Printing places color in a pattern. It can use either dyes or pigments, so “printed” does not identify the colorant type. In surface pigment coloration, a binder holds the pigment particles on the textile. This differs from the dye–fiber relationship involved in dyeing.12
Keep two questions separate when reading a textile description: how was the color applied, and which colorant system was used?
Why the fiber matters
Dye selection depends on the interaction between the dye and the fiber. Affinity describes their attraction. Depending on the system, retention involves chemical bonding or physical forces; one bonding mechanism does not explain every dyed textile.3
Two examples illustrate compatibility:
- Reactive dyes used on cotton can form covalent bonds with its cellulose.4
- Acid dyes are one class used to dye wool.3
These examples introduce dye–fiber relationships. They are not exclusive assignments of one dye class to each fiber or instructions for selecting a production recipe.
What is being dyed?
Dyeing can take place at different material stages. The names describe the form of the textile when the color is applied.5
| Stage | Material being dyed |
|---|---|
| Fiber dyeing | Fibers before they are made into yarn |
| Yarn dyeing | Yarn before it is made into fabric |
| Fabric or piece dyeing | Fabric that has already been formed |
| Garment dyeing | An assembled garment |
For background on the material between fiber and fabric, see Yarn Fundamentals.
A basic dyeing sequence
An illustrative bath-dyeing sequence helps separate the main functions:
- Prepare the textile. Remove impurities before applying dye.6
- Apply the dye and allow uptake. Dye reaches the fiber surface and moves into the fiber. Uptake describes this transfer into the textile.7
- Fix the dye. Establish retention through the chemical or physical mechanism appropriate to that dye–fiber system.8
- Wash off unfixed dye. Cleanup removes dye left unfixed on the surface, supporting colorfastness and shade consistency.7
Uptake and fixation describe different functions. The way they occur varies with the system; this sequence is a conceptual guide rather than a universal set of separate factory operations.78
Shade, levelness, and colorfastness
These terms answer different questions about a dyed textile:
- Shade: What particular color is being sought or obtained? It describes the color result.9
- Levelness: How uniform is that color across the material where an even shade is intended?10
- Colorfastness: How well does the textile resist color change and, where applicable, color transfer or staining under a specified exposure? Washing, light, and rubbing are different exposures, so the exposure belongs with the description.11
Use these distinctions to describe a result clearly: the color obtained, its uniformity, and its resistance to change or transfer are separate aspects of the result.91011
Citations
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- Textile Dyeing — Cotton Incorporated. Evidence locator: Section 1.1 Textile Coloration, p. 2.
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- Printing Process — Cotton Incorporated / CottonWorks. Evidence locator: Basics and Preparation of the Print Paste, pigment and binder passages.
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- Wool Dyeing Principles and Techniques — WOOL482/582, Topic 14 — Australian Wool Education Trust / University of New England (Woolwise) · 2012 educational notes · 2012. Evidence locator: Section 14.1, p. 14-2 (PDF p. 2), affinity, dye retention, and Acid dyes.
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- Dyeing Basics — Cotton Incorporated / CottonWorks. Evidence locator: Fiber-Reactive Dyes, opening paragraph.
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- Textile Dyeing — Cotton Incorporated. Evidence locator: Section 4.2 Fiber Forms Used For Dyeing, pp. 29–30.
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- Textile Dyeing — Cotton Incorporated. Evidence locator: Section 2.0 Preparation Processes, p. 5, opening paragraph.
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- Dyeing Basics — Cotton Incorporated / CottonWorks. Evidence locator: Basic Dyeing Principles, Dyeing a Substrate.
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- Wool Dyeing Principles and Techniques — WOOL482/582, Topic 14 — Australian Wool Education Trust / University of New England (Woolwise) · 2012 educational notes · 2012. Evidence locator: The phases of dyeing and Fixation, pp. 14-6–14-7 (PDF pp. 6–7).
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- Dyeing Basics — Cotton Incorporated / CottonWorks. Evidence locator: Dyes and Dye Color Perception.
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- Wool Dyeing Principles and Techniques — WOOL482/582, Topic 14 — Australian Wool Education Trust / University of New England (Woolwise) · 2012 educational notes · 2012. Evidence locator: Level dyeing, p. 14-9 (PDF p. 9), opening paragraph.
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- Wool Dyeing Principles and Techniques — WOOL482/582, Topic 14 — Australian Wool Education Trust / University of New England (Woolwise) · 2012 educational notes · 2012. Evidence locator: Section 14.1, p. 14-2, and Section 14.7 Assessment of colour fastness, p. 14-19 (PDF pp. 2 and 19).