Dyes and Dyeing Supplies for a wide range of fibres and hand dyeing techniques
George Weil has been supplying dyes and dyeing materials for textile artists and makers for many years. In this section you will find textile dyes, mordants and chemicals for all fibres and hand dyeing techniques, including Batik, Natural Dyeing and Discharge Dyeing.
Choose from small pots of Jacquard Procion MX dyes or Jacquard Acid dyes, or opt for the larger pots of Fibrecrafts Procion MX fibre reactive dyes and Acid dyes. If you are looking for liquid dyes, H Dupont Classic dyes have always been a popular option for silk painting. You will also find Solar Fast sunlight dyes and cyanotype printing chemicals in our printmaking section.
WHICH DYE DO I NEED? The fabric dye you order should be determined by the fibre content of the material you wish to dye plus the technique you will be using.
Continue reading for help with choosing the correct dye for the job...- DYES FOR COTTON, VISCOSE, LINEN & OTHER CELLULOSE PLANT FIBRES: Fibre reactive Procion MX dyes are for cellulose fibres such as cotton, viscose and linen. These fabric dyes are used in cold water and especially useful for Batik and other resist techniques.
- DYES FOR WOOL, SILK & OTHER PROTEIN ANIMAL FIBRES, PLUS NYLON: Acid Dyes work best on protein fibres such as silk and wool, and can also be used on some synthetics such as nylon. There are also the Acid Discharge dyes, which can be removed from fabric with discharge paste, and the Acid Illuminating dyes, which can be combined with the discharge paste to replace the colour removed. Acid dyes require a hot water dye bath. The liquid H Dupont Classique Steam Fix dyes are used by silk painters and batik artists and can also be used to dye wool.
- DYES FOR POLYESTER: Fibrecrafts Disperse Dyes are used for dyeing polyester, PVA and plastics and they can also be made into a heat transfer paint for the fabric. The “no mess” Jacquard iDye Poly is supplied in convenient 14g sachets of disperse dye that dissolve in water when dyeing polyester, nylon and other synthetics.
In this section you will also find a wide range of traditional and popular natural dyestuffs, and the best-known natural dye of all time – indigo.
The various dyeing aids and mediums include thickeners such as Manutex to give dyes more viscosity for painting, printing and screen printing, resists such as waxes for Batik techniques, discharge pastes for removing colour from dyed fabrics, soda ash to help set some of the dyes and to improve their washfastness, as well as a number of other mediums for enhancing colours or improving the solubility.
Simple recipes for natural dyeing and synthetic dyes, and further information about all our dyes can be found in Blog FAQs and our Glossary of Dyes and Dyeing Terms may help you become familiar with words used in recipes and the description of dyeing techniques.
Colour Charts
We have included colour charts to help you make your selection when ordering dye colours. The charts are provided as an indication of colour and although we have tried to present them as accurately as possible, there will be variations depending on your monitor settings. The brightness, contrast and lighting conditions of your surroundings will all affect the colour you see.
PFD - Prepared for Dyeing? Before hand dyeing your yarn, fabric or fibre, it is important to check whether the item is 'Prepared for Dyeing' (PFD) or requires scouring to remove any grease, oil or starch which may have soiled the material during manufacture and handling. Although many undyed items are sold as 'Prepared for Dyeing' (PFD) it is good practice to ensure that the item is thoroughly clean because certain soiling will repel dye or hinder the dyes ability to absorb into the fibres. As it is necessary to wet fabric before adding it to a dye bath, cleaning the fabric is just one additional step to ensuring a satisfying result. To remove starches, size and oils, add 5mls of Synthrapol (a non-ionic detergent) along with 2-3 litres of water for each 100g of material. Stir gently over a 15 minute period, and then rinse thoroughly in warm water. As an alternative, it is possible to use household detergent. Be aware that some brands will leave an alkaline residue which can affect the final colour or wash fastness.