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Opulence Acid Dye Immersion Instruction
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Use Them For…
Dyeing all protein fibers, fabrics and washable garments. Silk, wools (cashmere, angora, mohair, alpaca), feathers and most nylons.
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Product Information...
As alarming as the name acid dye sounds, they contain no dangerous chemicals. The only acid involved is the white vinegar added to bond the colour to the fiber. The
concentrated powders are packaged in convenient re-closeable 15 gram or 50 gram jars. The basic colours may be combined for an infinite variety. They may be measured as powders or made into a liquid
stock solution for easy accurate colour mixing. They may be used in a washing machine or on the stove top. The dyes exhaust in the dye bath, meaning the less dye you see in the water the more you
will have in the fiber.
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How To Fix Them…
Probably the easiest immersion dyes to use. They require only hot water and household distilled white vinegar for fixation.
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Great Because…
Opulence acid dyes offer exceptionally clean, strong colour, both brilliant and colourfast. They are very versatile and amenable to variations in procedure. The dyes may be used with simple basic
procedures for casual dyeing or with technically controlled procedures for repeated predictable results. Casual dyeing of garments or fabric may be done in a washing machine. The dyes are economical,
a 15 gram (1/2 oz) package will dye over 2 pounds of fabric.
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What You Need…
Opulence Acid Dyes, our Pure Water Softener for hard water only, plain distilled white household vinegar and TNA Detergent for the final washout.
For the stove top method a non reactive pot, stainless steel or enamel. Do not use aluminum, copper or galvanized metal.
Mask and gloves.
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Safety...
Acid dyes are not harmful if used properly. Handle the dye powders carefully, measure them in a well ventilated
area away from the kitchen. Avoid contact with skin and eyes, wear gloves, eye protection and a dust mask. Avoid skin contact with liquid dyes, wear gloves and use implements for stirring. Do not
cross contaminate with cooking pots or utensils. Keep from reach of children and pets. Use common sense and good housekeeping. MSDS available upon request.
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Which Method To Use…
The washing machine may be used for the casual dyeing of garments and fabrics made of silk, nylon or "superwash" wool. Using the machine is convenient. The machine maintains a consistent time,
temperature and agitation so the amount of dye, fabric and water are the only factors to be concerned with. The water must be very hot for this method, turn up the heat on your water tank if
necessary.
Although the stove top method may be used for all types of fiber it is the method of choice for wool skeins or fibers susceptible to felting. The stove top is also recommended to achieve strong
colours, especially navy, black and dark brown.
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Fabric Preparation...
Always wash fabric before dyeing to remove sizing and impurities. Always add squeezed out wet, not dry, fabric/fiber to the prepared dye bath. If the wool contains oils presoak each pound in 1/2 tsp
(2.5 mls) of TNA Soap per 2 1/2 gallons (10 liters) of warm water for about 30 minutes.
If a garment is not washable it cannot be dyed. Garments with protective finishes such as stain resistant prevent the dyes from reaching the fiber to bond. Do a quick test by placing a drop of water
on your fabric to see if it beads or absorbs, if water absorbs so will the dye.
The minerals in hard water interfere with the dyeing process. To soften all water involved in the dyeing process add about 1 tsp of our pure fabric softener per liter of water.
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Amount Of Dye To Use…
The amount of dye to use is based on the dry weight of the fabric. Use more dye for dark shades, less for pastels. More dye may be added to the dye bath to increase the colour but dye cannot be taken
away.
Colour appears darker on wet fabric. To check the true colour use a small sample piece of fabric to pull out of the dye bath. Dry it with a blow dryer to check the true colour. If necessary more dye
may be added to the dye bath.
Because the dye colours vary in volume but weigh the same, teaspoons are a general measurement.
The table below may be used for approximate teaspoon measurements.
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TO DYE 1 POUND (454 GR) OF DRY WEIGHT FABRIC
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Colour Strength
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Pastel
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1% Median
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2% Dark
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3% Black/Navy
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Silk & Wool
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1/2 tsp (1 gr)
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2 1/4 tsp (4.5 gr)
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4 1/2 tsp (9 gr)
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7 1/2 tsp (15 gr)
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Generally silk accepts colour more readily than wool. Nylon is more resistant to accepting the dye, usually a 2% depth of colour is required, refer to the table above.
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Dye Liquid Stock Solutions…
Making up stock solutions of dyes makes measuring accurate and mixing colours easy. A 15 gr jar will make 1.5 liters of 1% stock solution. It then becomes a simple matter of measuring the dyes by mls.
For a 1% depth of colour use 1 ml of stock solution per gram of fabric to be dyed or 500 mls for each 500 grams of fabric, for 2% depth of colour use 2 mls per gram of fabric to be dyed or 200 mls of
dye stock per 100 grams of dry weight fabric.
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To Make A Liquid Stock Solution...
500 mls of soft water
15 gr jar of Opulence Acid Dye
Pour 500 mls of boiling soft water into a 1 liter Pyrex measuring container. Add the dye and stir until dissolved. Add 500 mls of cold water to cool. When cool pour into a container large enough to
add another 500 mls of cool water, a 2 liter soft drink container works well. Label well so no one drinks it. Stock solutions remain usable for 6 months to 1 year. Store away from heat and direct
light.
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Casual Washing Machine Dyeing…
For the ease of machine dyeing use 1/2 a 15 gram jar (or about 3 3/4 tsp) per 1 pound (454 gr) of fabric for a median/dark colour. Adjust this down or up to reflect the weight of the fabric to be
dyed. Or weigh your fabric and choose one of the above methods of measuring the amount of dye to use.
- Wash fabric to remove dirt and sizing.
- Set the machine to the gentle cycle, hot wash/cool rinse. Fill with enough hot water to comfortably cover the fabric. Remove the fabric before proceeding.
- Add water softener if your water is hard, (about 1 tsp per liter of water), and agitate to dissolve.
- Add the dye powder or the stock solution to the machine and agitate until dissolve.
- Place the damp fabric and a colour testing sample into the machine. Agitate for 2 minutes.
- Remove the fabric and add 1 cup of white vinegar. Return fabric to machine.
- Just before wash cycle is complete turn the machine off to blow dry your fabric colour sample.
- At this point either let the machine continue through its cycle or remove fabric, add more dye and start cycle again.
- Remove fabric from washing machine. Rinse in lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Wash with TNA soap and warm water/cool rinse. It is important to remove all excess dye.
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Stove Top Dyeing...
Ideal method for silk, nylon, wool or feathers.
- Wash fabric to remove dirt and sizing.
- Fill a non-reactive metal pot with enough hot water to allow the fabric to swim freely.
- Turn on the heat and let the water get hot.
- Refer to "Amount Of Dye To Use" and add the required amount of stock solution or dye powder, stir to dissolve.
- Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar.
- Squeeze out excess water from your fabric/fiber and add it to the dye bath.
- Stir gently for about 5 minutes to uniformly distribute contents.
- Slowly raise the temperature then maintain it and stir intermittently for 45 minutes. Stir from side to side as well as from top to bottom. Stir wool gently to
prevent felting. For silks keep the temperature to just below a simmer (not over 185° F or 85°C). For wool, nylon or feathers heat to a low boil (212° F or 100°C) .
- Remove the dye pot from the heat then leave the fabric/fiber in the dye bath until it is cool.
- Remove the fabric and rinse well in lukewarm water. Wash with TNA soap and warm water/cool rinse. It is important
to remove all excess dye.
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Notes...
To avoid felting wool make all temperature changes gradual.
Tie yarns into loose skeins before dyeing.
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General Colour Mixing Notes…
It is truly easier to mix colours from our preceding stock dye solution recipe rather than powders.
Orange—Begin with yellow and add small amounts of red.
Emerald Green
—Begin with yellow and add cyan.
Grass Green—Begin with yellow and add blue.
Purples and Violets—Begin with blue or cyan and add red or magenta.
Rust
—Begin with red and add brown.
Chocolate Brown—Begin with brown and add black.
To mute colours add small amounts of black.
To make earthy colours add small amounts of brown.
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Click here for Opulence Acid Dye Colour Blending Instruction
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