PROCEEDINGS
Proceedings of a Symposium held at the University of Sheffield, 12-14 September 1979
Value Analysis of Dyes - A New Method
Based on Colour Measurement
Alan N. Derbyshire and William J. Marshall
Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
Organics Division
Hexagon House
BIac k Iey
Manchester M9 3DA
Mr A N Derbyshire joined the then Dyestuffs Division of ICI Ltd
in 1950, and worked initially in the Dyeing Research Section of
Application Research and Technical Service Department, on the
fundamentals of dyeing processes and on colour measurement.
Successively Manager of the Wool Dyeing Section, New Fibres
Dyeing Section and the Wool and Synthetics Dyeing Section.
Now Deputy Manager of the Textiles Group and Manager of the
Dyeing Research Section, with responsibility for colour measure-
ment work again.
Mr W J Marshall joined the then Dyestuffs Division of ICI Ltd in
1943, and worked in the Dyeing Research Section of Application
Research and Technical Service Department, on the fundamentals
of dyeing processes and on colour measurement. Transferred to
Cellulosics Dyeing Section, subsequently becoming Deputy
Manager of that Section and being made a technological Associate
in recognition of his contributions to dyeing technology.
Retired from ICI Ltd in 1978.
A surface in Colour Space representing equal depth at all
points (a Control Depth) is defined by a constant value o f
lnteg - an integration o f a weighted function of the
measured reflectance values o f a dyeing throughout the
166 JSDC Volume96 April 1980
range o f visible wavelengths. The amount o f a dye that must
be applied to a particular substrate by a specified dyeing
method t o give this lnteg value may be determined by
experiment, and is called the Control Strength of the dye.
Extensive checks made by matching colours with various
ternary combinations of dyes have shown that Control
Strengths give a reliable indication of the relative
strengths of different dyes, even when these differ very
widely in colour.
The position of dyeings at a Control Depth in ANLAB
40 Colour Space may be projected on to the A, B plane to
produce the ICI Colour Map. This indicates quantitatively
the relative hue and brightness of the dyeings, and displays
the total gamut o f shades attainable by combinations of
dyes at the Control Depth.
By combining this information from the Colour Map with
Control Strength and selling price data, a very complete and
quantitative description is obtained of the coloristic value
o f different dyes. This is a powerful tool i n the selection of
dyes for particular purposes.
1. INTRODUCTION
The selection of dyes by a dyer or a printer, either for a
particular job or to stock for general use, requires a complex
series of decisions. Some of the factors which influence these
decisions, such as the reliability of different suppliers for
delivery and quality, and the provision of technical and
commercial service by suppliers, do not relate to the
properties of individual dyes and are outside the scope of the
present paper. Others are directly related to the dyes
themselves, and these may be grouped under four main
headings, viz.
(a) Fastness properties. The dyer will be concerned to
choose dyes which have adequate fastness properties
to meet any specification set on the dyed material.
(b) Application properties. The dyer will choose dyes
which can be applied in a level and reproducible
manner to the substrate he is dyeing on the equip-
ment he must use.
(c) Colour. The dyer must use dyes which cover the total
gamut of colours he is required to produce.
(d) Strength/Price. Consistent with meeting the require-
ments of (a), (b) and (c) above, the dyer will choose
dyes which offer the best value; that is, which are a t
the lowest price after allowing for strength differ-
ences.
We may now consider how far existing methods for
characterizing the properties of dyes serve to give useful
information under each of these headings. So far as fastness
properties are concerned, there are internationally agreed
tests for determining fastness to most of the important
agencies [ l I , which permit a quantitative assessment of
fastness to be made. All reputable dye suppliers publish data
for their products in terms of these tests, and the same tests
may be used by the dyer’s customer to specify the fastness
that he requires. Consequently, it is possible t o select dyes
which meet requirements in this respect on a quantitative
basis. The position with respect to application properties is
less exact than this. Nevertheless, dyes are broadly classified
for suitability according to substrate types, and within each
broad class of dye there are established sub-divisions which
characterize the behaviour of individual products much more
exactly. Most dyers have learned through experience the
significance of these sub-divisions in relation to behaviour on
their own equipment, so that here again a choice can be
made on a rational and fairly exact basis.
The position regarding the colour and strength of a dye is
less well defined by traditional, visual methods. Colour of
individual dyes i s illustrated in Pattern Cards, usually over a
range of depths, and these illustrations also give some
impression of strength, since the amount of dye used to
produce each illustration is specified. A more exact compari-
son of the colour and strength of two or more dyes requires
these to be dyed side-by-side under standardized conditions,
to eliminate as far as possible substrate and application
method differences. Where this i s done, a very accurate
comparison of strength is possible by a trained visual
assessor, for dyes which are the same colour. For those which
differ only slightly, an experienced assessor will s t i l l be able
to judge the strength fairly accurately, and will also give a
verbal description of differences in hue and brightness that
he sees. As the difference increases, the accuracy of visual
assessment decreases. It will become very unreliable in
assessing, for example, the strength of a scarlet against a
bluish-red, although either of these dyes may be a sensible
choice as the red component in formulations for ternary
colours, and the strength comparison then becomes a vital
factor in deciding their relative value. In the same choice
situation, the dyer wilkknow that where the yellow and blue
dye are common, the scarlet will give brighter colours than
the bluish-red in the orange area, and the converse will be
true in the violet area, but the extent of these brightness
advantages and disadvantages is not well defined.
The work described in the present paper is concerned
with the possibility of specifying colour and strength of dyes
in a quantitative way, which will maintain i t s accuracy over a
wide range, of shade differences, and so will provide a
convenient and reliable guide to the relative value of
different dyes from the colouristic point of view. The
method that we have developed is based on measurement of
the reflectance of dyeings over the range of visible wave-
lengths, and so is free from the subjective judgement inherent
in visual assessments. However, the method must (and does)
accord with visual judgement of colour-matching recipes, and
numerous checks on this aspect have been made in the course
of the work described.
2. THE CONCEPT OF A CONTROL DEPTH AND OF
CONTROL STRENGTHS OF INDIVIDUAL DYES
This method is based on the concept of defining a surface in
colour space which represents equal depth a t all points,
designated a Control Depth surface. If such a surface can be
defined, it i s then possible to determine by experiment the
amount of an individual dye which must be applied to a
particular substrate by a specified method, to produce a
dyeing that lies on the Control Depth surface. This amount
of dye (expressed in the conventional way as a percentage by
weight of dye on the weight of the fibre) we call the Control
Strength of the dye under these application conditions.
Then, if the Control Depth surface has been correctly
defined, the Control Strength values of different dyes should
give a quantitative indication of the strength comparison
between them, and this should be valid irrespective of the
shades of the dyes.
The concept of dyeings of equal depth but differing
widely in colour is not a new one. The best known examples
are the I S 0 Standard Depths [2], produced initially for
testing the fastness properties of dyes a t approximately the
same depth. These were developed many years ago by
producing a series of dyeings through the hue circle which,
on a consensus of visual judgement, represented roughly
equal depth at each hue illustrated. One such series a t a
particular depth i s designated as 1/1 Standard Depth, and
weaker and stronger depths are also specified by sub-multip-
les and multiples, such as 1/25 Standard Depth, 1/3 Standard
Depth, 2/1 Standard Depth. It is obvious that the judgement
that the dyeings in such a series are of equal depth must be a
highly subjective one. Perhaps for this reason, they have
never been used to form an accepted basis to compare the
strength and value of different dyes, although they are
widely used t o compare the fastness properties a t roughly the
same depth, and in some cases the application properties [3],
of dyes which may be very different from each other in
strength. The latter type of application, of course, depends
much less critically on the true equality of depth of the
Standard Depth series than does i ts use to compare dyes for
strength.
It is pertinent to ask a t this stage what criterion can be
used to t e s t the true equality in depth of dyeings of very
different colours, other than subjective visual judgement. The
answer must lie, for practical purposes, in the use that i s
made of the data on strengths of individual dyes, which can
be deduced from the presumption of equal depth. This use
will be essentially to consider the replacement of one dye by
another in combination recipes, and experiments involving
such replacements must be the basis for testing the validity
of the Control Strength values and hence the true equality of
the Control Depth surface from which they are derived. This
can be done by colour matching, where the eye i s used only
as a nu1 indicator for acceptability of match. The general
requirement for an internally consistent set of Control
Strength values for a range of dyes can be stated as follows.
Let us suppose that a de-saturated colour (e.g. a grey), which
lies on the Control Depth surface, is produced by dyeing a
combination of Dyes 1, 2 and 3, for each of which the
Control Strength has been determined. Then the criterion to
be met is:
where X 1 , X , and X3 are the concentrations of each of the
dyes in the recipe required to produce the colour, and S1 S2
and S3 are the Control Strengths of each of the dyes. If the
same colour i s then matched with other combinations of
dyes, Eqn 1 should similarly hold for each combination,
with the experimentally-determinedX values for the match-
ing recipes and the appropriate S values for the dyes in
question. By an extension of this principle, a colour of any
depth can be matched with different combinations of dyes,
when the criterion will become that
for each matching recipe. The extent to which Eqn 2 is
found to hold in experiments of this kind, in several different
dyeing systems, will be reported later in this paper, after the
method of defining the Control Depth surface has been
considered.
JSDC Volume 96 April 1980 167
3. DEFINITION OF CONTROL DEPTH AND CONTROL
STRENGTHS OF INDIVIDUAL DYES
The Control Depth surfaces used in this work are defined by
way of a function of the reflectance values of dyeings. It i s a
well-established practice in the instrumental prediction of
dye recipes needed to match a particular colour, to use a
Kubelka-Munk-type function [4] as being approximately
linear with the concentration of a single dye a t each
wavelength. In our own work on colour match prediction
surface reflectance by the substrate a t very high dye
concentrations is allowed for by the expression -
FA = [I - (RA- R O P - [I - (R, - ~ o ) l z (3)
~ ( R-
A Ro) 2(R, - R o )
Here R A i s the fractional reflectance of the dyeing a t
wavelength h, R, is the fractional reflectance of the undyed
substrate at that wavelength, and Ro i s a small constant. In
theory, this constant represents the surface reflectance with
an infinitely high concentration of dye 06 the fibre: in
practice, it i s treated as a disposable constant to give the best
linearity between F A and the applied concentration of dye,
for a particular substrate and dyeing system.
In a paper concerned mainly with the spectral analysis of
dye solutions, using complementary tristimulus colorimetry,
Garland [51 has suggested that the complementary tristimu-
lus values of a dyeing can be calculated using a Kubelka-
Munk-type function, and that the sum of these three values is
proportional to the depth of the dyeing. This suggestion has
been adopted by defining what we call the lnteg value of a
dyeing as -
x=700
Here F A i s as defined in Eqn 3, / A i s the spectral energy
distribution of llluminant C and %A, and 2~ are the
colour-matching functions based on the 2" Standard Obser-
ver data. It is then postulated that the lnteg value is directly
proportional to the depth of the dyeing, and that a particular
lnteg value represents equal depth for all shades: a Control
Depth surface.
Assuming for a moment that this fundamental postulate
is correct, it is then possible to produce dyeings of a
particular dye over a range of applied concentrations, on a
particular substrate by a defined method, and determine the
lnteg value of each. By interpolation in the Integ/
concentration relationship so obtained, the concentration of
the dye needed t o give the lnteg value chosen to represent
the Control Depth may be determined. This i s the Control
Strength of the dye. These experiments may be repeated
with a range of dyes to give Control Strengths for each. The
validity of the fundamental postulate may then be checked
by matching experiments, as already discussed in principle in
Section 2 of this paper.
It i s clear that the choice of a particular lnteg value to
represent the Control Depth is arbitrary, and that by analogy
with the series of Standard Depths already discussed, a
number of different values could be chosen t o represent
different depths. In the application of this technique as an
aid to dye selection for particular outlets, this is frequently a
convenience, so that a Control Depth of similar order to that
a t which the dyes will be used in practice can be chosen a t
which to make the comparisons. Therefore, the 1/1 Control
Depth a t a particular lnteg value in a dyeing system has been
defined as a primary reference point, to give dyeings which
are on average visually similar in depth to the I S 0 1 / 1
Standard Depth. Multiples and sub-multiples of this lnteg
value are then used to define 2/1 Control Depth, 1/2 Control
Depth and so on. The corresponding 2/1 Control Strength,
1/2 Control Strength, etc. values for individual dyes can
168 JSDC Volume 96 April 1980
similarly be determined by experiment. Examples of Control
Depths, lnteg values and Ro values used in various dyeing
systems that have been studied are given in the table below.
lnteg Value for
Dyeing System Ro Value 1/2 1/1 2/1
Control Control Control
Depth Depth Depth
Reactive and vat dyes
on cotton 0.010 14 28 56
Disperse dyes on
texturised polyester 0.005 12 24 48
Acid dyes on nylon 0.005 12 24 48
Modified basic dyes on
acrylic fibres 0.005 12 24 48
It is clear from the form of F A that the lnteg value is
dependent on the R o value chosen, particularly in the heavier
depths. This explains why different values of lnteg are
chosen to give the same Control Depth, in dyeing systems
where different values of Ro are found by experiment to be
the most appropriate. This serves to make the 1/1 Control
Depth in, for example, the dyeing of cotton with reactive
dyes and the dyeing of texturized polyester with disperse
dyes more nearly equal visually. In the practical use of the
method, however, this equality is not very important, since
accurate comparisons of strength and value between reactive
and disperse dyes are seldom required.
4. VERIFICATION OF THE VALIDITY OF CONTROL
STRENGTHS
It is obviously essential t o confirm experimentally the
validity of the Control Strengths derived in this way, before
the system can be used with confidence. Such verification
has been obtained in each of the dyeing systems investigated
by this technique, by the method of matching colours with a
number of alternative dye combinations. The results of
typical matching experiments of this kind are summarized in
Tables 1 and 2. The matching recipes t o each colour are
quoted as the fraction of the 111 Control Strength for each
dye used, and these fractions are summed for the total
recipe. This sum should be identical for each recipe to a given
colour, if the fundamental postulate is correct, if the dyes
build up linearly to the depths a t which they are used, and if
all errors of measurement and of matching can be ignored.
The most extensive series of tests was made with Procion
(ICI) dyes on cotton fabric (Table l ) , which was the first
dyeing system studied using this approach. In this case, each
of the target shades was chosen as being approximately a t
1/2 Control Depth, which is well within the range of linear
build-up of the dyes used. The coefficient of variation of
individual recipe sums from the mean sum for the colour in
question is about 4%of the mean, and in only one case in the
sixty-seven matchings does the sum for an individual recipe
deviate from the mean by significantly more than 10%.Tests
with Nylomine (ICl) dyes (Table 2) have been made to target
colours of about 1/2 Control Depth for the Nylomine A and
B dyes and of about 1 / 1 Control Depth for the Nylomine C
dyes. Again these depths are within the range of linear
build-up of the dyes used. Coefficients of variation of about
5% of the mean are found for both sets of matchings, and no
individual deviation exceeds 10%of the mean.
This order of accuracy has been found in all dyeing
systems which have been investigated by laboratory match-
ings of this kind. It is also borne out by much experience in
applying the method to practical problems of dye selection.
Compared with visual methods of assessment of dye strength,
the method offers no advantages i n accuracy when dyes
which are very close in colour are compared, but i s much
more precise when there are large shade differences between
the dyes. Limitations found are of three kinds -
(a) The method becomes inaccurate in very heavy
depths, because of the difficulty of measuring reflect-
ance values with sufficient precision a t very low
reflectance levels. A detailedstudy of the accuracy of
determination of lnteg values as a function of depth
has been made with Dispersol (ICI) dyes on textur-
ized polyester fabric. This shows, as expected, that
the precision decreases as the depth increases, and
indicates an upper limit of lnteg of about 80 for an
expected accuracy of 5% for a single dye (i.e. of 10%
in the comparison of lnteg values for two dyes).
However, errors in lnteg are magnified a t these levels,
by non-linearity of the Integ/concentration of dye
applied relationship, when translated into strength
comparisons. Taking this factor into account, it i s
found that strength comparisons to an accuracy of
10% or better are obtained up to about 2/1 Control
Depth for relatively achromatic dyes of good build-
up, but only to about 111 Control Depth for bright
yellows of relatively poor build-up. The depths for an
accuracy of 10% or better for dyes of intermediate
brightness and build-up lie between these limits.
(b) A few instances have been found where the compari-
son of strength between two dyes depends on the
colour area within which the comparison is made.
These relate to yellow dyes, where it is sometimes
found that the strength comparison between two
dyes determined in bright green dyeings can differ by
up to 50% when the same dyes are used a t similar
depths as alternative components in, e.g., greys,
browns and dull maroons. This anomaly has been
investigated in some detail, and found to be due to
differences in reflectance curve shape over rather
narrow wavebands. Further discussion of this effect is
outside the scope of the present paper. Clearly,
however, with those few dyes which behave in this
way, neither Control Strength values nor any other
single-number indication of relative strength will
adequately describe their behaviour in all colour
areas.
(c) The method is not suitable for dyes which are highly
f I uorescent.
5. THE POSITION OF THE 1/1 CONTROL DEPTH
SURFACE IN COLOUR SPACE
The position of the 1/1 Control Depth surface can be
displayed in any of the established, trichromatic colour
spaces. It has been found convenient to use the ANLAB 40
colour system [6] in this work. This transforms the X, Y, 2
tristimulus values of the CIE System [71 into three new
variables - L, A, B. The L variable represents the lightness of
the measured pattern, and the L-axis represents achromatic
colours from black, of very low L values, through neutral
greys, of decreasing depth, to white, for high L values. The A
and B variables together represent the hue and chroma of the
pattern. These two axes are conventionally represented a t
right angles to each other and to the L axis. The A-axis runs
from green, for negative A values, to red, for positive A
values, and the B-axis from blue, for negative B values, to
yellow, for positive B values. The conventional representa-
tion of a colour solid, using these variables, is with the origin
of coordinates and the A, B axes in the base and the L-axis
vertically through the centre of the colour solid. The ANLAB
40 colour system was designed primarily to be much more
visually uniform than the X, Y, 2 tristimulus values from
which it is derived, but it is also a convenient lay-out for
display and comparison purposes.
The 1/1 Control Depth surface in ANLAB 40 colour
3? 30
Figure 1 - Contour diagram of 1/1 Control Depth surface in
ANLAB 40 Colour Space
space is a complex one: non-planar and a t a rather steep
angle to the horizontal (A, B) plane. It i s shown in Figure 1
as a contour diagram (contours of constant L ) in an A, B
diagram. The ends of the contours show approximately the
limits of chroma attainable with non-fluorescent dyes. The
highest values of L occur in the greenish-yellow region, and
the lowest values in the reddish-blue area. As the spacing of
the contour lines shows, the surface is convex to the A, B
plane a t the base of the colour solid. Surfaces a t other levels
of Control Depth are similar to this in general shape, but
with higher L values in the paler depths and lower L values in
the heavier depths.
6. THE ICI COLOUR MAP
A three-dimensional representation of this kind is not very
convenient for display and comparison purposes. Since one
variable has been effectively fixed, by defining constant
depth, it is possible to use a two-dimensional representation
a t this constant depth without loss of accuracy. In the ICI
Colour Map this is done by projecting the position of dyeings
at a defined Control Depth on to the A, B plane of the
ANLAB 40 colour solid.
A typical Colour Map is shown in Figure 2. This gives the
position of dyeings of six Dispersol dyes on texturized
polyester fabric t o 1/2 Control Depth. It also shows the
position of binary combinations of these dyes in different
proportions, also a t 1/2 Control Depth. These binary
combination lines may be determined by dyeing and colour
measurement of appropriate combination recipes, or by
calculation using the methods of colour match prediction
based on data for the component dyes from dyeings made to
determine their Control Strengths. It is easy to see from
Figure 2 how the dyer’s other two variables (apart from
depth) of hue and brightness are represented in the Colour
Map. Looking first a t the lines defining the position of binary
combinations of Dispersol Yellow C-5G, ((2.1. Disperse
Yellow 1191, Red B-2B (C.1. Disperse Red 60) and Blue
B-R (C.I. Disperse Blue 561, it can be seen that hue is
represented by the angular position about the neutral point.
To formalize this, the convention is that zero hue angle is
JSDC Volume 96 April 1980 169
TABLE 1

Matching Experiments with Proaon Dyes on Cotton Fabric

'The figures in the recipe column are the fraction of the 1/1 Control Strength of each dye used t o make the matching

1 "Recipe Number 2 3 4
Procion C. I. Reactive 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5
Yellow MX-GR Yellow 7 0.19 0.48 0.41
Yellow M X 4 R Orange 14 0.10 0.17 0.33 0.40 0.04 0.05
Orange MX-2R Orange 4 0.13
Brown MX-GR Brown 23 0.07
Brown MX-5BR Brown 10
Scarlet MX-G Red 8
Red MX-5B Red 2 0.07 0.03 0.02 0.09 0.03
Red MX-8B Red 11 0.06
Navy MX-RB Blue 82 0.30 0.05 0.46
Blue MX-2G Blue 109 0.30 0.28 0.1 2 0.05 0.04 0.40

Yellow H-E4R Yellow 84 0.17 0.13 0.06 0.14 0.31 0.32 0.41 0.39 0.04 0.02
Brown H-3R Brown 7
Brown H-4RD Brown 17
Brown H-5R Brown 26 0.25 0.08 0.05
Red H-E3B Red 120 0.04 0.13 0.07 0.02 0.04 0.15
Red H-E7B Red 141 0.14
Red H-8BN Red 58
Navy H-4R Blue 40 0.34 0.33 0.13 0.05 0.49
Green H-MBD Green 19 0.26 0.21 0.10 0.04 0.38 0.35

Sum of Components 0.53 0.52 0.55 0.55 0.52 0.52 0.55 0.48 0.48 0.50 0.45 0.54 0.53 0.46 0.45 0.53 0.54 0.57 0.53 0.51

5 6 7
5.1 5.25.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 6.1 6.2 6.3 7.1 7.2 7.3
Yellow MX-GR Yellow 7 0.1 5 0.25 0.04 0.38
Yellow MX-4R Orange 14 0.16 0.25 0.26 0.35 0.08 0.09
Orange MX-2R Orange 4 0.44 0.35
Brown MX-GR Brown 23
Brown MX-5BR Brown 10 0.35 0.32
Scarlet MX-G Red 8 0.24
Red MX-58 Red 2 0.17 0.13 0.17 0.02 0.08 0.11 0.32
Red MX-8B Red 11 0.32 0.1 5
Navy MX-RB Blue 82 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.1 5
Blue MX-2G Blue 109 0.03 0.10 0.1 3 0.05 0.05 0.11 0.09 0.02
Table 1 continued
5 6 7
5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 6.1 6.2 6.3 7.1 7.2 7.3
Yellow H-E4R Yellow 84 0.24 0.22 0.26 0.25 0.14 0.12 0.26 0.01 0.08 0.33
&own H-3R Brown 7 0.35
Brown H-4RD Brown 17 0.53
Brown H-5R Brown 26 0.32 0.39
Red H-E3B Red 120 0.15 0.22 0.1 1
Red H-E7B Red 141 0.19 0.13
Red H-8BN Red 58 0.16
Navy H-4R Blue 40 0.14 0.12 0.07 0.13 0.01 0.10
Green H-E4BD Green 19 0.09 0.08 0.03 0.05

Sum of Components 0.54 0.52 0.52 0.52 0.54 0.59 0.54 0.53 0.53 0.54 0.52 0.53 0.54 0.52 0.55 0.53 0.48 0.54 0.49 0.51 0.50 0.49

7 8 9
7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.6 8.7 8.8 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6
Yellow MX-GR Yellow 7
Yellow MX-4R Orange 14 0.27 0.38 0.17 0.36
Orange MX-2R Orange 4 0.19 0.16 0.29
Brown MX-GR Brown 23 0.33 0.28
Brown MX-5BR Brown 10 0.1 5 0.06
Scarlet MX-G Red 8
Red MX-56 Red 2 0.16 0.12 0.04 0.06 0.03
Red MX-8B Red 11 0.18 0.32
Navy MX-RB Blue 82 0.13
Blue MX-2G Blue 109 0.1 1 0.04 0.03 0.01 0.02

Yellow H-E4R Yellow 84 0.07 0.05 0.09 0.10 0.09 0.26 0.25 0.17 0.28 0.09 0.37 0.29 0.35
Brown H-3R Brown 7 0.21 0.37 0.1 5
Brown H-4RD Brown 17 0.20
Brown H-5R Brown 26 0.29 0.31 0.31 0.08
Red H-E3B Red 120 0.30 0.39 0.16 0.20 0.07
Red H-E7B Red 141 0.21 0.17 0.33 0.12 0.26 0.1 6 0.02
Red H-8BN Red 58 0.1 5 0.31
Navy H - 4 R Blue 40 0.09 0.14 0.12 0.07 0.08 0.13 0.11 0.05 0.01
Green H-E4BD Green 19 0.09 0.08 0.03 0.03 0.01

Sum of Components 0.50 0.59 0.50 0.51 0.50 0.53 0.51 0.50 0.51 0.49 0.51 0.47 0.48 0.47 0.47 0.48 0.48 0.47 0.47 0.45 0.48 0.45 0.45 0.44 0.45
TABLE 2

Matching Experiments with Nylomine Dyes on Nylon Fabric

'The figures in the recipe column are the fraction of the 1/1 Control Strength of each dye used to make the matching

SHADE NUMBER
1 2 3 4
Recipe Number
Nylomine C.I. Acid 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
Yellow A-4R Yellow 199 0.30 0.09 0.12 0.1 7
Yellow A-G Yellow 135 0.27 0.07 0.09 0.13
Red A-2B 100 Red 266 0.10 0.19 0.33 0.40 0.13 0.18 0.17 0.22
Blue A-G Blue 25 0.10 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.25 0.22 0.17 0.16
Yellow B-3G Yellow 29 0.27 0.05 0.09 0.13
Yellow B-RD Orange 3 0.27 0.06 0.08 0.14
Red 6-36 Red 57 0.18 0.13 0.36 0.36 0.19 0.18 0.22 0.20
Blue B-B Blue 41 0.10 0.09 0.27 0.1 9
Blue B-3G Blue 40 -0.09 0.08 0.24 0.16

Sum of Components 0.50 0.55 0.55 0.49 0.50 0.55 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.49 0.55 0.50 0.51 0.51 0.54 0.50

SHADE NUMBER
5 6 7 8
Recipe Number
Nylomine C.I. Acid 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 6.3 7.1 7.2 7.3 8.1 8.2 8.3
Orange C-2G Yellow 64 0.66 0.33 0.1 7 0.16
Orange C-G Orange 67 0.84 0.53 0.53 0.34
Yellow C-3G Yellow 72 0.65 0.50 0.54 0.27
Brown C-R Orange 51 0.17 0.33 0.67 0.33
Red C-8B Red 299 0.11 0.28 0.46 0.34
Red C-2B Red 138 0.09 0.17 0.30 0.14
Navy C-2R Blue 113 0.1 7 0.33 0.1 7 0.44
Blue C-G Blue 138 0.15 0.23 0.06 0.33
Blue C-3R Blue 140 0.1 7 0.36 0.1 9 0.47

Sum of Components 1.00 1.10 0.91 0.99 1.04 1.03 1.01 1.05 1.03 0.93 1.01 0.88

+B along the +A axis (a bluish-red), the hue angle ( H ) i s

measured anticlockwise from here and tan H = B/A. Looking
Yellow C-5G a t the position of Dispersol Orange B-2R (C.I. Disperse
Orange 25), it i s seen that this dye is equal in hue to the
appropriate mixture of Dispersol Yellow C-5G and Red
B-2B. It is visually brighter than such a binary combination,
and this additional brightness is indicated in the Colour Map
by a greater radial distance from the neutral point. Exactly
the same is true for a dyeing of Dispersol Red 8-36 (C.I.
Disperse Red 111, in comparison with the appropriate binary
combination of Dispersol Red 8-28 and Blue B-R. Simi-
larly, the range of green dyeings produced by combinations
of Dispersol Turquoise C-G (C.I. Disperse Blue 87) with
Dispersol Yellow C-5G is found visually to be much brighter
than greens of the same hues produced by Dispersol Blue
B-R with the same yellow dye, and this greater brightness is
-A shown in the Colour Map by the greater radial distance from
the neutral point of the first binary gamut line compared
with the second. This distance is normally designated as
chroma ( C ) in colorimetric terminology where

In the particular circumstance of the I C I Colour Map, where

depth has been fixed a t a constant value, chroma equates
-B with the dyer's variable of brightness. It i s important to note
that this i s not the case i f dyeings of different depths are
Figure 2 - ICI Colour Map: 3ispersol dyes on texturized being compared.
polyester fabric at 1/2 Control Depth Thus the Colour Map gives a quantitative indication of

172 JSDC Volume 96 April 1980

differences in hue and brightness between dyes, or between +6
combinations of dyes. When taken in conjunction with the
quantitative strength indication given by the Control
Strength figures, this provides a very complete statement
about the colouristic value of different dyes.

7. USE OF THE COLOUR MAP TO DEFINE COLOUR

GAMUTS
It i s apparent from Figure 2 that the Colour Map gives an
indication of the total gamut of colours that can be covered
by a combination of three or more dyes. Thus the binary
combination lines for pairs of dyes from Dispersol Yellow
C-5G, Red 8-28 and Blue B-R enclose an area which
represents the total gamut of colours a t this depth attainable
by these three dyes when used together. The extension to
this gamut obtained by the three additional dyes is also
indicated.
Figure 3 is based on four Nylomine A (ICI) dyes dyed to
1/2 Control Depth on nylon fabric. Here, the information
from the Colour Map is combined with that from 1/2
Control Strength and selling price data for the individual
dyes. Multiplication of the 1/2 Control Strength by the
selling price gives what may be called the 1/2 Control Price
for each dye. The lower this figure, the more economical in
use will the dye be. The figures for each dye are given in
parentheses in Figure 3, based on current UK l i s t prices. This 1-B
shows the outstanding economy of Nylomine Yellow A-4R
(C.I. Acid Yellow 199) compared with the other three dyes, Figure 3 - ICI Colour Map: Nylomine A dyes on nylon
and particularly in comparison with the much greener fabric at 1/2 Control Depth
Nylomine Yellow A-G (C.I. Acid Yellow 135). The cost of a
combination recipe a t a Control Depth is the average of the
Control Prices of the component dyes, weighted according to I +BI
the proportion of each present in the recipe. It i s obvious
from the Colour Map, taken in conjunction with these
Control Price figures, that all colours to the right of the
Nylomine Yellow A--QR/Nylomine Blue A-G (C.I. Acid
Blue 25) combination line are most cheaply attained by use
of these two dyes with Nylomine Red A-2B (C.I. Acid Red
266). The shade limitation of this trichromatic combination
is clearly in the brighter green area of the Colour Map, where
the more expensive Nylomine Yellow A-G must be used.
However, for those colours t o the left of the Yellow
A-4R/Blue A-G combination line, the conventional
approach of using this greenish-yellow dye with the red and
the blue dyes will be much less economical than using it with
the blue, and with Nylomine Yellow A-4R as the "red"
component in these cases. In other words, this combined use
of the Colour Map and Control Price data shows that for all
colours within the total gamut of these four dyes, the most
economical recipes will be based on combinations of Nylom-
ine Yellow A-4R and Blue A-G, with either Nylomine
Yellow A-G or Nylomine Red A-2B, according t o the
colour area in which they fall. Because of the outstanding
economy of Nylomine Yellow A 4 R , this approach will be
much cheaper than the conventional one of using a greenish-
yellow/red/blue combination for all colours within i t s gamut,
and is likely to justify the cost of stocking an additional dye
and the procedure, unfamiliar to many dyers, of matching
suitable colours with a greenish-yellow, a reddish-yellowand Figure 4 - ICI Colour Map: Nylomine C dyes on nylon
a blue. fabric at 1/1 Control Depth
Figure 4 illustrates the difference in approach to selec-
tion of Nylomine C dyes for dull colours on the one hand bright dyes illustrated, according t o the hue required, and the
and bright colours on the other. For the former it is use of a particular trichromatic combination is not appropri-
preferable to use an economical combination of three ate in these cases.
compatible dyes of limited brightness, like the Nylomine
Orange C-G (C.I. Acid Orange 67)/Red C-8B ((2.1. Acid 8. USE O f THE TECHNIQUE TO QUANTIFY BRIGHT-
Red 299)lBlue C-G (C.I. Acid Blue 138) combination whose NESS-COST RELATIONSHIPS
gamut is illustrated by the shaded area of Figure 4. For It is often found that the production of the brighter colours
colours outside this gamut, up to the limiting brightness of in a range requires the use of more expensive dyes than are
this range of dyes, the recipe will normally be based on the needed for the duller colours. By combining Control Price

JSDC Volume 96 April 1980 173

 r
-A ...
45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5

Figure 5 - ICI Colour Map: Equal hue green dyeings on texturized polyester fabric at 1/1 Control Depth (using the
Dispersol “‘blue” dyes shown with Dispersol Yellow C-5G)

data with the indication of brightness provided by the Colour -- I

Map, these relationships can be expressed in a quantitative

way. A good example of this approach is afforded by an
examination of the cost of producing green dyeings on
40 - f
Turquoise C-G

polyester fibre, using different disperse blue dyes with a

35 -
common greenish-yellow dye. The results described below
were obtained to establish the technico-commercial position
of Dispersol Green C-66 (C.I. Disperse Green 9), a t the time 30 -
this dye was being added to the range, but they make the
general point about the brightness/cost relationship as well as 25 -
some specific points about this particular dye.
The approach adopted was to produce a family of
20 -
mid-green dyeings, all a t 1/1 Control Depth and all a t the
same hue angle, with a common yellow dye (Dispersol
Yellow C-5G) and a number of different ”blue” dyes
including Dispersol Green C-6B. The position of each green
15 - / 0
Green C-66

Blue B-G /Blue D-4G

dyeing is shown in the Colour Map in Figure 5. The 10 -
brightness of the green dyeing produced depends on the Blue C-3G

greenness and brightness of the blue dye used, and i s indicated

by the radial distance (C) from the neutral point.
The 1/1 Control Price of each green dyeing can be
It Brightness ( C )
calculated (using UK l i s t prices for the dyes concerned);
5 10 $5 20 25 30 35 40 5
these Control Prices are plotted in Figure 6 against the I

measured brightness (C) of the dyeings. It is clear that for the

established blue dyes there i s a relationship between the cost
of producing a green dyeing and i t s brightness, the cost
increasing slightly with brightness in the duller greens and
then quite sharply as the limiting brightness from existing
dyes is approached. The position of Dispersol Green C-6B in
Figure 6 demonstrates that
(a) this dye produces a green dyeing which is marginally
brighter than the brightest green obtainable with
existing Dispersol dyes, but a t much lower cost.
(b) in spite of i t s outstanding economy for the produc-
tion of bright greens, the dye is not a sensible choice
on cost grounds for the production of dull greens, or
as a general purpose blue for use in ternary recipes,
since other blue dyes are available which are cheaper
s t i l l for these purposes.
For the production of bright greenish-blue and bright
green dyeings on polyester, the optimum use of Dispersol
Turquoise C-G, Turquoise C-R (C.I. Disperse Blue 185) and
Green C-66 can be demonstrated by the Colour Map of
Figure 7, with the 1/1 Control Price of each dye added. For
all bright green dyeings to the yellow side of Dispersol Green
C-66, the use of this dye with a suitable greenish-yellow
(Dispersol Yellow C-5G i s again used in the illustration) will
Figure 6 - Cost/brightness relationship for green dyeings on
texturized polyester fabric at 1/1 Control Depth (using the
Dispersol ’blue” dyes shown with Dispersol Yellow C-5GI
clearly be the cheapest combination. For the brightest
colours between Dispersol Green C-66 and Dispersol
Turquoise C-G, the use of these two dyes as a binary
combination will be much cheaper than shading Dispersol
Turquoise C-G with a small amount of a greenish-yellow.
Finally, for slightly duller colours in this greenish-blue area,
the use of Dispersol Turquoise C-R with Dispersol Green
C-66 will offer additional economy.
9. USE OF THE TECHNIQUE TO SELECT DYES TO
STOCK FOR A PARTICULAR OUTLET SEGMENT
All of the foregoing examples are comparatively simple ones,
chosen to illustrate particular features of this technique. By
an extension of these processes, however, it i s possible to use
the method to make an optimum selection of dyes to stock
to meet all requirements for a particular outlet segment. This
may be done for the dyes of a single supplier, by first listing
all the dyes on his range which have suitable application and

174 JSDC Volume 96 April 1980


+B1
C-5G
-..
+A
1 1 1
Turquoise C- R
Turquoise C-G (35.0)
(75.8) 1 respectively, from which the examples of use of the method
Figure 7 - ICI Colour Map: Dispersol dyes on texturized
polyester fabric at 1/1 Control Depth
fastness properties for the outlet in question. These can be
plotted in a Colour Map, and the Control Price of each
tabulated. It is then possible to make a selection on
cost-effectiveness grounds of the most suitable dyes to cover
different colour areas, and to eliminate a number of dyes
which give no additional gamut coverage to justify their
higher cost. In some instances, of course, the decisions
involved are not completely clear cut. For example, a bright
greenish-yellow dye will give a large extension of gamut
compared with a reddish-yellow dye as the yellow comp-
onent of a trichromatic combination. If it also has a lower
Control Price, it is clearly the preferred product on a
cost-effectiveness basis. If, however, it has a higher Control
Price, there is a judgement to be made about this additional
cost in relation to the convenience of using one dye for all
purposes in place of two dyes. The method will not make
this judgement, but it will provide quantitative data on costs
and gamut coverage which are a valuable aid in making this
type of decision. By applying this approach t o our own
ranges of dyes, we believe that we have improved our dye
recommendations for particular outlets, and have certainly
been able to explain these recommendations t o potential
users on a more rational basis than has hitherto been
possible.
The technique, of course, is equally applicable to dyes
from all sources, provided the necessary dyeings and
measurements are made to characterize these products.
Consequently, we have used the approach with a number of
customers to rationalize their dye usage for particular
outlets, which has entailed comparingcompetitors' products
as well as our own. This kind of exercise has generally shown
benefits to the user in terms of a saving in total dye costs and
in the number of dyes stocked, and to ourselves in obtaining
a greater share of the.available business.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Control Strengths of dyes derived from a Control
Depth surface, defined by a constant lnteg value,
accord well with the amounts of each dye needed to
match a wide range of colours with different dye
combinations.
2. Control Strengths of dyes provide a reliable means
for comparing their strengths even when they differ
very widely in hue and/or brightness.
3. The I C I Colour Map - a projection on to the A, B
plane of ANLAB 40 colour space - provides a
convenient and quantitative means of comparing
dyeings for hue and brightness, a t a Control Depth.
4. The Colour Map provides a means for displaying the
total gamut of colours attainable with combinations
of three or more dyes a t a Control Depth.
5. By combining the information from Control Strength
and selling price data with that from the Colour Map,
a very complete and quantitative comparison is
obtained of the colouristic value of different dyes.
This is a valuable aid to the selection of dyes for
particular outlets.
* * I
The writers are indebted to Dr P Bunkall for advice
which led to the adoption of the lnteg formula used to
define Control Depths, and to Mr K J Smith and Mr K
Brierley for detailed work on Dispersol and Nylomine dyes,
with these dyes were drawn.
REFERENCES
1. Standard Methods for the Determination of the Colour
Fastness of Textiles and Leather (Bradford: Society of
Dyers and Colourists, 4th Edn, 1978).
2. British Standards Institution, BS2661:SDM: 1961.
3. Report of the Committee on the Dyeing Properties of
Disperse Dyes I V - Disperse Dyes on Polyester, J.S.D.C.,
93 (1977) 228.
4. Kubelka and Munk, Z. techn. Physik, 12 (1931) 593.
5. Garland, Text. Chem. Colorist, 5 (1973) 227.
6. Nickerson & Stultz, J. Opt. SOC. Amer., 34 (1944) 550.
7. CIE, Proceedings of the Eight Session, Cambridge, 1931.
DISCUSSION
-
Mr H R Hadfield ICl, Organics Division
Mr Derbyshire stated that, in the case of yellows, anomalous
results are produced. Can he comment on this point?
Mr Derbyshire:
In the great majority of cases, matching experiments of the
kind described in the paper show good agreement between
the Control Strength values of the dyes involved and their
concentrations in matching recipes. In the comparison
between certain yellow dyes, however, this agreement is not
found. Examples occur with disperse dyes on polyester fibre,
acid dyes on nylon and modified basic dyes on acrylic fibre.
In all cases the relative strength of the dyes can vary by up to
50% according to the colour area in which the matching is
made. Factors such as differences in build-up and differential
interaction between dyes in mixture recipes have been
investigated and discounted as possible reasons. The explana-
tion appears t o lie in differences in reflectance curve shape
over rather narrow wavebands. The effect of these differ-
ences on the apparent strengths of the dyes varies according
to the light absorption characteristics of the other dyes in the
recipe over these wavebands. It i s hoped to publish a more
detailed account of our findings a t a later date.
Mr K McLaren -Instrumental Colour Systems
If two dyes, A and B,each contain the same amount of a
JSDC Volume 96 April 1980 175
chromatic dye but 6, in addition, contains a small amount of
a dulling component, and equal amounts of each are used,
the resultant dyeings are, by definition, equal in depth but B
is flatter (duller) than A. Waters [ 11, in the first investigation
into the relationship between the dyer's variables and
colorimetric values, found that untrained observers would
describe the dyeing made with B as being stronger, i.e. of
greater depth, than A, but most professional colourists would
tend to over-correct for dullness and would therefore
describe it as weaker or thinner. The first colorimetric
method of quantifying differences in depth which ICI
developed - that for splitting colour differences into
components of hue, brightness and strength [21 which is
used by many quality control laboratories - attempted to
follow this long-established principle, but the lnteg method
clearly uses the untrained observer's concept of depth.
References: 1. Waters, J.S.D.C., 56 (1943) 261.
2. Cooper and McLaren, ibid., 89 ( 1973)41.
Mr Derbyshire:
It is true, as Mr McLaren indicates, that if two dyeings are
made containing a certain concentration of a chromatic dye
in dyeing A and the same concentration of the chromatic dye
together with a small amount of a dulling component in
dyeing 6, the lnteg value of dyeing B will be slightly higher
than that of dyeing A. This must be so, since the dulling
component will somewhat reduce the reflectance a t all
wavelengths if it is a near-neutral colour, or mainly in the
area of maximum reflectance of the chromatic dye if it is a
near-complementary colour. Consequently, the strength of
dyeing B will be calculated as slightly higher than dyeing A.
At the same time these modifications to the reflectance curve
shape will also reduce the chroma of dyeing B compared with
dyeing A. There may also be a slight change of hue,
depending on the dulling component used, but this is
irrelevant to the present discussion. Thus, the combined use
of lnteg as a strength indicator and the Colour Map to show
hue and brightness, will indicate that dyeing B is slightly
stronger than dyeing A, but also duller, This description of
the colour difference between the two dyeings seems to be a
reasonable one in relation to the postulated recipes. Mr
McLaren says that the two dyeings are, by dedinition, equal
176 jSDC Volume96 April 1980
in depth, but it is hard to see the logic of the definition when
it is postulated that dyeing B contains the same amount of
one dye as dyeing A, plus an additional amount of a second
dye.
The translation of colour difference expressed in colori-
metric terms into the dyer's terminology of hue, brightness
and strength differences, t o which Mr McLaren refers, has
recently been revised to take into account the lnteg concept.
This produces a slightly different assignment between
strength and brightness from that used previously, and it
permits a more quantitative expression of strength differ-
ences than was hitherto possible. Use of this new assignment
in our day-to-day work has not so far shown serious
discrepancies between instrumental values and trained visual
assessment.
-
Mr D Blackburn Yorkshire Chemicals Ltd
(1) Does the shape of the lnteg plane arise directly from the
Integ, formula or is it empirically obtained?
(2) Do the authors believe that the concept of "Control
Strength" enables accurate cost comparisons to be made
independently of other dyes which may be used to match a
particular shade?
Mr Derbyshire:
(1) The shape of the Control Depth surface in ANLAB
colour space derives from the lnteg formula used, taken in
conjunction with typical reflectance curve shapes of dyeings
a t different points in colour space.
(2) The cost of a combination recipe is dependent on the
costs of all the component dyes. If the replacement of one
dye by another in such a recipe i s being considered, the
control prices of the two dyes will give a first approximation
of the economics of such a substitution. If the two dyes
differ in colour, then the amounts of the other dyes in the
recipe will also have to be altered to maintain a colour match
when the substitution is made. If the control prices of these
other dyes differ markedly from those of the dyes being
compared, then the use of different amounts of these other
dyes will also affect the total cost. This last factor should
always be borne in mind, particularly when the difference in
control price of the two dyes being compared is small.