Basic Textiles V
Dyeing and Dyestuffs
Materials dyed
Dyeing: the application of color to the whole body of a textile material with some degree
of fastness.
Materials dyed:
o Fibers
o Yarns
o Fabrics
o Garments/piece dyeing
Fibers
Color can be added by: stock dyeing or dope/solution dyeing.
Stock dyeing
Dyeing in fiber form. Needed: perforated baskets (to hold fiber bundle and penetration of
dye bath), scour or bleach fiber prior to dyeing.
Dope/solution dyeing
Colored pigments are put into the polymer melt or solution prior to extrusion of the fiber.
Only synthetic fibers – only way for polypropylene.
Good fastness properties. Limits changing of color (because applied so early in process).
Heather style: 2+ fiber types are dyed different colors, blended into a yarn. Some fibers
are even un-dyed. Grey sweater blending black and white fiber components.
Yarns
Yarn dyeing is chosen for design purposes (to create striped shirt). Produces high color
quality (higher than printing).
Skein dyeing
Used for bulky yarns (wool/acrylic). Skein enters the dye bath.
Dye tube (package)
Packages are wound on perforated dye tubes that are placed on perforated spindles in
the machine. Key variables: yarn tension and consistency of density.
The dye flows through the yarn package in both directions, resulting in complete
penetration.
Fabrics
Beam dyeing
Fabric is wound in open-width on a large perforated beam, dye flows from inside to
outside of the fabric, and reversed.
1
, Basic Textiles V
Good for: fabrics that crease, wrinkle or stretch easily. Mostly used! Consistent color
quality and high production!
Tie dyeing is a special technique used on garments. Tied in knots, dipped in dye bath,
repeated until desired pattern is produced.
Garments
Pro’s: Dyeing in garment form delays color selection until the end product. Faster
response time to changes in the color or fashion market.
Cons:
o Color quality and reproducibility not as good as fabric dyeing.
o Sewing thread must be same fiber as garment, or it will dye differently or not at
all.
o Buttons, zippers, etc. must be able to withstand the dyeing process.
o Seams, pleats, etc. must dye to the same color level as the body.
o Low production outputs.
Dyeing objectives
1. To match the desired shade
2. To achieve the required color fastness properties
3. To meet these objectives in the most cost-saving manner as possible
SHADE
Necessary to have color: a light source, an observer, an object (incl. surroundings).
Variation will change the observed color.
COLOR FASTNESS
The necessary fastness properties depend on its end use.
Lightfastness affected by dye’s molecular structure
Other: dye class used, dye application, mechanism by which the dye is held in the fiber.
Keys to good quality
o Consistency (color is uniformly distributed, penetrated through each fiber).
Otherwise: ring-dyeing.
o Uniformity
o Knits – low tensions (fiber stretch on molecular level under applied tension. End
product shrinkage can be minimized by preventing tension on fabric during wet
processing).
o Wovens – penetration (contact points of interlacing can hinder penetration).
Types of dyeing
Exhaustion/batch dyeing
Dyeing a set amount of fabric, yarn or fiber. The dye gradually enters the fabric. This
takes time and a gradual increase in temperature to open up the fiber structure so dye
2
Dyeing and Dyestuffs
Materials dyed
Dyeing: the application of color to the whole body of a textile material with some degree
of fastness.
Materials dyed:
o Fibers
o Yarns
o Fabrics
o Garments/piece dyeing
Fibers
Color can be added by: stock dyeing or dope/solution dyeing.
Stock dyeing
Dyeing in fiber form. Needed: perforated baskets (to hold fiber bundle and penetration of
dye bath), scour or bleach fiber prior to dyeing.
Dope/solution dyeing
Colored pigments are put into the polymer melt or solution prior to extrusion of the fiber.
Only synthetic fibers – only way for polypropylene.
Good fastness properties. Limits changing of color (because applied so early in process).
Heather style: 2+ fiber types are dyed different colors, blended into a yarn. Some fibers
are even un-dyed. Grey sweater blending black and white fiber components.
Yarns
Yarn dyeing is chosen for design purposes (to create striped shirt). Produces high color
quality (higher than printing).
Skein dyeing
Used for bulky yarns (wool/acrylic). Skein enters the dye bath.
Dye tube (package)
Packages are wound on perforated dye tubes that are placed on perforated spindles in
the machine. Key variables: yarn tension and consistency of density.
The dye flows through the yarn package in both directions, resulting in complete
penetration.
Fabrics
Beam dyeing
Fabric is wound in open-width on a large perforated beam, dye flows from inside to
outside of the fabric, and reversed.
1
, Basic Textiles V
Good for: fabrics that crease, wrinkle or stretch easily. Mostly used! Consistent color
quality and high production!
Tie dyeing is a special technique used on garments. Tied in knots, dipped in dye bath,
repeated until desired pattern is produced.
Garments
Pro’s: Dyeing in garment form delays color selection until the end product. Faster
response time to changes in the color or fashion market.
Cons:
o Color quality and reproducibility not as good as fabric dyeing.
o Sewing thread must be same fiber as garment, or it will dye differently or not at
all.
o Buttons, zippers, etc. must be able to withstand the dyeing process.
o Seams, pleats, etc. must dye to the same color level as the body.
o Low production outputs.
Dyeing objectives
1. To match the desired shade
2. To achieve the required color fastness properties
3. To meet these objectives in the most cost-saving manner as possible
SHADE
Necessary to have color: a light source, an observer, an object (incl. surroundings).
Variation will change the observed color.
COLOR FASTNESS
The necessary fastness properties depend on its end use.
Lightfastness affected by dye’s molecular structure
Other: dye class used, dye application, mechanism by which the dye is held in the fiber.
Keys to good quality
o Consistency (color is uniformly distributed, penetrated through each fiber).
Otherwise: ring-dyeing.
o Uniformity
o Knits – low tensions (fiber stretch on molecular level under applied tension. End
product shrinkage can be minimized by preventing tension on fabric during wet
processing).
o Wovens – penetration (contact points of interlacing can hinder penetration).
Types of dyeing
Exhaustion/batch dyeing
Dyeing a set amount of fabric, yarn or fiber. The dye gradually enters the fabric. This
takes time and a gradual increase in temperature to open up the fiber structure so dye
2
