Textiles: Dyes, Dyeing, and Designs

Dyes

Soluble substances which penetrate into the fabric and are fixed by a chemical action, heat or other treatment.

Pigments

Insoluble color particles which are held on the surface of the fabric by a binding agent.

Acid Dyes

Colored water-soluble organic compounds, mainly salts of sulphuric acid. These possess a great affinity for wool, silk/nylon, and casein.

Basic Dyes

The oldest among artificial dyes and they differ from acid dyes in that they are basic in character and have the power of neutralizing acids.

Direct of Salt Dyes

These dyes form a very important group of coloring matters since they will color both protein and cellulosic fibers. It is not fast to washing.

Disperse Dyes

Formerly called acetate dyes; they were originally developed for acetate fibers. These dyes are now used for coloring acetate, polyester and acrylic and nylon fibers.

Developed Dyes

A classification of dyes used for cotton, linen, and viscose rayon; color developed by additional treatment which also makes the dye fast to washing but not fast to light; used for women's apparel that must withstand frequent washings.

Reactive Dyes

Water-soluble organic dyes which have affinity for cellulose in an alkaline bath. Done in two ways, by padding and by thermosol process.

Sulphur Dyes

Dye made by reaction of the sulfur with organic compounds, they are not soluble in water. Used for fabrics that requires frequent and hard washing. These are injurious to protein fibers and can only be used on vegetable materials. Produces a range of rather dull colors.

Vat Dyes

Considered the most satisfactory of all dyestuffs. Fastest dyes for cotton, linen and viscose and cuprammonium rayon. They may be used for some man-made fibers with the use of a mordant.

Mordant

A substance used to set (i.e. bind) dyes on fabrics.

Solution Dye

A method of dyeing where the man-made fiber is dyed in a solution before the filament is formed. It produces excellent colorfastness but does not allow flexibility in deciding for the final design if the color is made later in the process.

Fiber Dye

Also called stock dye. The fibers are dyed before the yearns are spun and woven into a fabric. In felts, the fibers are dyed before they are felted.

Yarn Dye

A method of dyeing fabrics wherein yarns are dyed before they are woven into checks, plaids, striped, or herringbone designs.

Piece Dye

The cloth is dyed after fabrication. Also known as dip-dyeing.

Jig Dyeing

The open fabric passes back and forth through a stationary dye bath.

Winch, Reel, or Beck Dyeing

The fabric is continuously immersed without strain to the fabric.

Pad Dyeing

The fabric is run through the dye bath and then between rollers which squeeze the dye deeper into the yarns of the fabric.

Cross Dye

Fabric of two or more fibers is placed in a dye bath containing two or more different dyes.

Solid Dye

Fabric from one fiber is dyed one color.

Union Dye

This technique mixes dyes for fabrics made from two or more fibers so that the fibers will dye the same color.

Structural Designs

Those of which result or are produced in the process of making the fabric. Made through either yarn type and arrangement or weaves, knits, and variations.

Applied Designs

Those which are placed on the fabrics after they have been made. These n be classified into two: printing, and applied designs other than printing.

Printing

It is done to add color and designs to the fabric surface, making the fabric more appealing to the consumers. It can be achieved through different processes.

Block Printing

The oldest method of printing designs on fabrics. It consists of first carving the design on a wooden, rubber or metal block. Th color is applied in paste form to the design on face of the block

Stencil Printing

In this printing method, the design is cut on a cardboard, wood, or metal. The color is then applied, penetrating only the cut portions. This is often used for printing narrow fabrics.

Burn-out Printing

Acids are used in this type of printing. One of the fibers used In the fabric is burned, leaving a lacy or shear and heavy design. Eyelets can also be made through this process..

Discharge or Extract Printing

The color is discharged or removed from the fabric, thus creating a design. Chemicals are used to remove the colors. this method is usually employed where a light design is required against a dark background.

Roller Printing

Also known as cylinder printing, this type of printing can be considered the machine counterpart of hand-block. Printing designs are engraved on rollers.

Duplex Printing

Printing type which creates a design, appearing on the face and back of the fabric, simulating a weaving pattern.

Resist Printing

A resist paste is stamped on the fabric creating a design. The fabric is the immersed in a dye batch leaving the design unaffected.

resin paste

A resinous substance which cannot be penetrated when the fabric is immersed in a dye bath.

Batik

An example of resist printing. First used in Indonesia, where the fabric is pile-spread with paraffin or wax.

Photo printing

This method of fabric printing is almost the same as developing a photograph. The effect is the same as when printing photographs on paper.

Plisse printing

Type of printing wherein chemicals are used to produce the puckered design. The fabric passes between roller which permit a caustic solution to contract certain areas of the fabric.

Warp printing

Printing type wherein warp yarns are printed before they are woven into fabric. Used for expensive cretonnes and upholstery fabrics.

Screen printing

A widely used method of fabric printing; A screen is put on top of the fabric to be printed and the dye or the printing paste is sprayed, painted or rubbed back and forth with a squeegee.

Rotary printing

Printing named as such because it uses a cylindrical screen that rotates in a fixed position. Designed for roll-to-roll printing on fabric ranging from narrow to wide-format textiles.

Transfer printing

The process of transferring prints from pre-printed release papers to fabrics. Papers are printed with disperse dyestuffs which when heated, transfer their color the fabric.

Free-hand painting

The simplest method of fabric designing. The designs are put in the fabric by painting the color directly to cloth with the use of a brush.

Appliqué

This is applying one piece of fabric to a larger piece of material. The motif may be a single piece of fabric or numerous pieces forming a design when stitched down

Embossed design

Raised designs found on the surface of the fabric. Produced by the use of special machines that pressed the design in the fabric.

Flocked designs

Tiny pieces of fiber, called flocks are made to stick to the fabric. To do this, the fabric is first printed with an adhesive after the flocks are dusted to it making them adhere to the adhesive to form the design.

Glued or pasted designs

Cut out designs held to the fabric surface by the use of glue or adhesive.

Moiré design

Often referred to as having a "watered appearance". This can be made possible through the use of a special machine which produces this effect.