DYES, PRINTS AND FINISHES

APPLICATION OF COLOUR

Dyeing Pigments Dope Dyeing or

Solution Dyeing

CLASSIFICATION OF DYES

Synthetic Dyes
Natural Dyes

 Vegetable Direct
 Animal Azoic or Naphthol
 Mineral Sulphur
 Vat
 Reactive
 Pigment
 Disperse
 Basic
 Acid
 Aniline

Colour Fastness: Ability of a dye to remain unchanged

Different Types of Colour Fastness:

 Washing Fastness
 Rubbing Fastness or crocking ( Dry Wet )
 Prespiration Fastness ( Acidic & Alkaline)
 Dry Cleaning Fastness
 Fastness to Hot Pressing
 Fastness to Chlorine Bleaching
 Fastness to Sea Water
 Fastness to Light
 Fastness to Saliva
Vegetable Dyes: These are extracted from natural sources, primarily plant leaves, flowers, roots, can
also be from animal source. Does not have direct affinity for the fibres & therefore the fabric has to be
mordanted first. Mordants are chemicals medium used for attaching or binding the dye stuff into the
molecular construction of the fibre & therefore create an affinity for the dye. There is limited color range
& normally earthy colors are popular.

Direct Dyes: Used primarily for cotton goods. These dyestuffs are generally soluble in water & hence
can be applied on cellulosic fibres through a process of absorption. Upon drying the dye is trapped in the
fibres. Complete colour range, popular for bright colours but poor washing fastness properties. Dyes are
popular because they are cheap.

Azoic Dyes: Used primarily for cottons & silks also. Bright shades at moderate cost. The fabric is treated
with cold caustic solution of beta naphthol which causes a chemical reaction between the dye& the
naphthol to form a colour compound that is insoluble in water. The after treatment of boiling the fabric in
soap solution permanently fixes the dye.

Vat Dyes: Most expensive dyes. They have the best fastness properties. These dyes are insoluble in
water. They are reduced by the action of caustic & sodium hydrosulphite. This reduced dye the leuco
form of the dye is soluble in alkaline water & in this form it is applied to cotton. Its subsequently oxidised,
this turns the reduced dye into the original insoluble vat dye. They give dull but attractive colors.

Reactive dyes: Reactive dyes can be applied on cellulosic & protein fibres. React dyes chemically react
with the fibre & therefore they have excellent wash fastness. They have solubilising groups & therefore
are highly soluble in cold water.
Procion H (Hot type): 60 degree
Procion M (COLD type): 30 degree
High Exhaust Type (HE)
Medium Exhaust (ME)
Remazol: used for discharge printing
Hydrolysed dye is dye which has reacted with water and gives poor washing fastness.

Disperse Dyes: These are used on hydrophobic fibres especially polyester. These dyes are insoluble in
water. They give suspension in water. Dyes have excellent fastness properties & dyed on jet dyeing
machines (High Temperature & High Pressure HTHP )
Pigment Dyes :
Generally organic coloring materials & insoluble in water with no affinity for fibre. Applied with the help
of resinous binders & cured at high temperature (150 degree/3min). Complete shade range & most
versatile (Can be printed on any fibre). They are cheap & widely used for printing. Used for fine line
designs but not for blotch prints.

PIGMENT PRINTS
 Metallic Prints: Gold, Silver, Copper.
 Pearlescent Prints
 Iridescent Prints
 Luminescence
 Glitter
 Thermocolor Printing
 Foil Printing
 Foam or Rubber Printing

Aniline Black: Used for resist style of printing, block, & screen printing. Applied only on cotton & not on
rayon. Good all around fastness properties.

Acid Dyes: Applied on silk fibres. Poor washing fastness but moderate rubbing fastness. Mainly used for
nylon.

Basic Dyes: Used for acrylic fibres

Metal complex dyes: used for silks

CLASSIFICATION OF DYEING MACHINES:

 Fibre dyeing or top or stock dyeing

 Yarn dyeing machines or package dyeing machines
 Fabric or piece dyeing machines
 Garment dyeing machines

SECOND CLASSIFICATION:

 Dyeing machines in which the material is stationary but the liquor is moving (e.g. Fibre dyeing, yarn
dyeing, beam dyeing machines
 Dyeing machines in which the material is moving but the liquor is stationary (e.g. Winch, Jigger, &
Padding Mangle dyeing machines)

 Dyeing machines in which the material is moving & the liquor is also moving (e.g. Jet & garment
dyeing machines.

SELECTION OF MACHINE :

 Winch: For delicate fabrics like georgette, mosscrepe, chiffon, lightweight knits etc. The fabric is
treated in rope for.
 Jigger: The fabric is treated in open width. For regular medium/heavy weight cottons & polyester
blends
 Padding Mangle: Generally used for reactive dyes & finishing with softeners
 Jet dyeing Machine: Dyeing of polyester & polyester blends
 Stentering Machine: Align the grain of the fabric
 Yarn Dyeing machines: for dyeing of yarn for threads, knits, woven (checks & stripes)
 Fibre dyeing machines: For producing mélange fabric & also dyeing of wool fibres
 Sanforizing Machine: For giving zero finish. Also called compressive shrinkage
 Drying Range: For final padding &drying of the fabric
 Mercerizing Range: For mercerization of cotton fabrics
 Continuous Dyeing Range (CDR): Dyeing fabric in continuous
 Garment dyeing Machines: For dyeing & Enzyme washing of denims and non denims

Preprocessing Defects

1. Pinholes: Iron particles from the rusted water pipes

2. Bleaching Spots
3. Water Marks: An unwanted rippled effect/light mark due to surface pressure of one layer of
fabric on the other

Dyeing Defects

1. Tailing Effects: Gradual Lightening of the color, defect on jigger

2. Pattas: Lengthwise strips darker & lighter in colour, carded yarn
3. Patchy dyeing: Patches of colours not even. Could occur due to improper preprocessing
4. Centre selvedge variation: Improper pick of the dye, vat & sulphur because of oxidation. It is also
called listing or shading.
5. Face back variation: Improper absorption especially in heavy weight fabrics like twills & drills, satins
6. Colour spots: Improper mixing of the dye
7. Bronziness: Inherent defect in sulphur dyes
8. Off shade: Sample not matching with the original sample
9. Shade Variation: Shade not matched properly
10. Photochromy
11. Metamerism: color not matching in different light sources
12. Staining or tinting in yarn dyed or color bleeding
13. Streaky dyeing in yarn dyed-carded yarn
14. Dead Cotton: Because of poor mercerization. Remedy is remercerise the fabric & dye again
15. Crease Marks: Can come from the padding mangle or winch dyeing machine
16. Nail Marks: Poorly de-sized polyester fabric, because of PVA size.
17. White spots: The mixture of dyes used in dyeing are not compatible.

Printing Defects

1. Shade variation: Improper shade matching. Should be carried out on a small sample, dried & then
matched.
2. Halo: Also referred to as haziness, fine white ring around the design in coloured discharge.
3. Cut print: Improper laying of the fabric on the table.
4. Skewed prints: Fabric improperly stentered printed.
5. Overlap: Unnecessary overlap not a part of the design
6. Off shade: Sample not matching with the original sample
7. Small specks: Pin holes in the screen
8. Ground out
9. Staining or tinting
10. Blurred or a dark patch-Due to improper scouring

Finishing Defects

1. Skewed Fabric: Improper stretching during scouring, dyeing or finishing & uneven tension during
weaving or processing
 2. Bowing 3. Damaged fabric from stentering machine

CLASSIFICATION OF DYES ON THE BASIC OF THEIR DYEING PROPERTIES (OR ACCORDING TO

THEN MODE OF APPLICATIONS)

Direct dyes
Most of the direct dyes are azocompounds. They are sodium salts of sulphonic acids they have a direct
affinity for cotton and other cellulosic fibres. They are also called substantive dyes. They dyes protein fibres,
but all the direct dyes are not useful for protein fibres. Only a very few can be used. Also called direct cotton
dyes. Acid dyes also unusually sodium salts of sulphonic acid, and in a few cases, of carboxylic acid most of
them have no affinity for cellulosic fibres, but there are some exceptions.
Thus the distinction between acid dyes and direct dyes is often ill defined as for example C.I. direct red 37
may be applied as a direct to cotton or as an acid dye to protein fibres.

Basic dyes
They are hydrochlorides or salts of organic bases. The chromophore is found in the cation and therefore they
are some times called cationic dyes. They have direct affinity for silk wool, nylon, acrylic fibres, regenerated
protein fibres, jute & vegetable tanned leather. Nitrocellulose & acetate rayon also have some affinity for
many basic dyes. Cotton linen & regenerated cellulosic rayon should be mordanted first then only they can
be dyed with basic dyes.

Acid Dyes
They are usually sodium salts of sulphonic acids and in a few cases of carboxylic acid. Most of them have no
affinity for cellulosic fibres, but there are exceptions. They are used mainly for protein fibres and for
polyamide nylon also they have direct affinity for jute & for certain acrylic fibres.

Mordant dyes
Many natural dyes are mordant dyes & there are many synthetic dyes also which are mordant dyes. Those
synthetic dyes which are mordant dyes are usually anthracine dyes. They have no affinity for textile fibres &
in order to dye cellulosic or protein fibres first of all the fibres are to be mordanted with a suitable mordant,
generally some metallic oxide is used as a mordant, and then the fibres are dyed with mordant dyes. On
dyeing it gives insoluble compounds with the metallic salt. These compounds are known as lakes.

Acid mordant dyes are special class of dyes applied to wools or nylons as if they were acid dyes and then
give very high wet fastness by subsequent mordanting. It is not always necessary to mordant the fibres first
it can be done first, or simultaneously or after ward.
Sulphur dyes
They are complex organic compounds containing sulphur. They are cheap dyes. They give shades of high
wet fastness on cellulosic fibres. The shades are not bright. They are dull. Sulphur dyes are not soluble in
water, they are reduced by the action of sodium Sulphur that is (Na 2s), the reduced dye that is the leuco
form is soluble in alkaline water, it is from this solution that it is applied to cotton or other cellulosic fibres.
Sulphonic dyes have over all good fastness properties, but they are not fast to bleaching.

Azoic dyes
Azo dyes which are actually produced within the fibre that is insoluble pigments are produced within the fibre
or inside the firbe. Insoluble particles have been produced inside the fibres, stay in the amorphous region
hence any no washings will not remove it. The fibre is treated with one component of the dye that is with in
hydroxy derivative called as naphthol and then it is and then it is treated with diazosoln of the other
component because for diazotization reaction then it is treated with diazo solution of the other component.
Azoic dyes are also sometime as called Ice colour. Azoic dyes are used for cotton & other cellulosic fibres.
They give bright shades of good wet fastness at a reasonable cost. They can be applied on protein fibres
also, but they are not suitable on these fibres.

Vat dyes
Most expensive dyes. These have best fastness properties. These dyes are insoluble in water. They are
reduced by the action of caustic soda & sodium hydrosulphite and this reduced dye that is leuco form of the
dye is soluble in alkaline water & from this solution it is applied to cotton & other cellulosic fibres. After the
fibre absorbs the leuco, it is subsequently oxidized, this turns the reduced dye into the original insoluble vat
dye inside the fibre that is the insoluble pigment of vat dye this is produced inside the fibre. These dyes have
extremely good fastness properties and they are most expensive dyes. They give dull but attractive shades.
It can be used in extremely small quantity also that is 0.1% shade or 0.5% shade or even less than that.

Dyes produced on the fibre by the oxidation of coaltar products

The most important dye with this class is aniline black. It is produced on the fibre by oxidation of aniline oil
or aninile salt. It is extremely fast to light, washing & bleaching, this it is comparable to black vat dyes in
fastness properties. Aniline black is extremely fast to light. Like sulphur black is not fast to bleaching. To dye
aniline black is difficult and it requires expert knowledge experience because if not done properly the fibre
usually gets tendered. This is big risk in the dyeing of aniline black

Reactive dyes
This class as appeared more recently that is the first reactive dye was introduced in 1956. Reactive dyes
react chemically with cellulose and therefore, they give excellent wet fastness. They are anonic in character.
The molecular weight of these dyes is low. They have solubilizing groups and therefore they are highly
soluble in cold water they have very good wet fastness including wash fastness and preparation and they
have general high light fastness even in pale shades. Besides the reactive dyes for cotton there are reactive
dyes for wool and silk and also there are reactive dyes for nylon but these dyes are very few.

Disperse Dyes
They are used for hydrophllic fibres such as secondary acetate & polyester. These dyes are insoluble in water
or say the solubility is extremely low. Thus they give suspension in water and in order to get good
suspensions the particles of the dye should be in the form of very fine powder the fastness to light &
washing are quite good. Disperse dyes are unsulphonated component containing free basic groups and are
insoluble in water, that is they are very slightly soluble. The most important point is the degree of dispersion
of these dyes in water that is it must be in the optimum state. This is done by prolonged grinding of the dye
powder during the manufacture of the dye
Commercial dye names: The name consists unusually of the following:

i) A brand name: This denotes the class of dye & often it is an indication of the manufacturer as for
eg chlorazol, chloramine, caledon manufactured by ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries of U.K.).
These are all direct dyes Chlorozol, Chlorozol Caledon - Vat dyes
Ciba yellow - CIBA Company
Indanthrne - Vat dyes - manufactured by IG of Germany
ii) Name of the hue red, green, blue etc. chlorazol blue
iii) One or more suffix letters are used and figures also often Germany in origin
Chlorazol sky blue FFS
Chlorazol blue 12
ICI direct chlorazol blue 2R

a) The tone of the use - thus B blau-blue

G Means gelb yellow
R rot-red
R- Reddish 2 R more reddish
4R - Still more reddish
if G is applied to yellow dyes - means greenish

b) Special quality eg.

 FF means very bright
F - means fine
LL - fast to light

c) Strength - Chlorazol yellow G: 200 or 200%

denoted 250%, 200%, 150%. This denotes a brand of increased dye strength that is containing less
salt or other dilutant formal brand is taken as 100% strength or 100 common salt is generally used
called a dilutaent.
 STYLES OF PRINTING

 DIRECT STYLE
 DISCHARGE STYLE
 RESIST STYLE

TYPES OF PRINTS

 Direct Prints
 Discharge Prints
 Resist Prints
 Pigment Prints

Direct Prints

A direct print is also called an application print, is one in which the design is directly printed on to a white
cloth or over a previously dyed fabric. The latter is called an over print and ofcourse, the printed design
must be darker than the dyed background. For darker backgrounds generally pigments have to be used
like White khadi.

 One can recognize a direct print if the background is white, or has large portions
of white & the printed design is lighter shade on the back of the fabric than the
face.
 The fabric is an overprint if the background color is same the same shade on the
face & the back (piece dyed), & the print design is substantially darker than the
background.

DISCHARGE PRINT

Are produced through a two-step process. In the first step, the fabric is piece dyed in a solid color with a
dischargeable dye (Remazol dyes ). In the second step, the fabric design is printed onto the fabric. The
print paste for the second step contains a powerful bleaching agent (Sodium formaldehyde Sulphoxylate
or Rongolite) that destroys the color of the background dye. Thus a white polka dot on a navy blue
background can be produced. It is called a white discharge.
Discharge printing is of two types:

 White Discharge
 Colored Discharge

A colored discharge can be produced when a bleaching agent & a dye that does not react with a bleach
are mixed in the same print paste (vat dyes are in this category or pigments can be used ).

Identification of discharge prints:

 Look for the background color. It is same shade on the face & the back of the fabric (piece
dyed)

 Reveals traces of the original background color, as the chemicals do not completely penetrate
through the back of the fabric.

 As the selvedges are denser traces of background color cannot destroyed the back can be
seen.
 In colored discharges a whit ring around the design can be seen referred to as Halo.
Variables that can affect the appearance of discharge print:

 The strength & the choice of reducing agent

 The length of time a discharge paste has been left before printing & fixing

 The humidity conditions while steaming

 Final wash off

Resist Print

Resist prints are of two types:

 Chemical Resist
 Mechanical Resist

Chemical Resist is of two types:

 White Resist
 Colored Resist

Mechanical Resist is of three types:

 Tie & Dye
 Ikat
 Batik

Chemical Resist

The technique involves wide range of chemicals such as alkalies, & acids. The fabric is first printed with
acid or alkaline paste & then dyed in a padding mangle. The color will develop wherever the chemical
was present, therefore the choice of the dye is important. There are ways of producing this resist but one
of the ways is through acid resistant pigment illuminating color in the resist paste for colored resist.

Mechanical Resist

Tie & Dye: The dye is resisted by tying the fabric before it is immersed in the dye solution for dyeing.
Partial penetration might occur as the dye might penetrate through capillary action. This gives a
characterised blurred or mottled effect, the result of the dyes running into each other. Interesting
designs & patterns can be created although the technique is expensive. In Japan the technique is
referred to as Shibori. Different effects can be produced:

 Marble effect
 Striped effect
 Checkered effect

Ikat: An ancient method of fabric coloration by tie-dyeing bundles of warp or weft yarns prior to weaving.
Ikat is skilled art form. When the fabric is woven the edges of the fabric are blurred or shimmering effect
is created. This is due to the slight penetration of the dye that may occur beyond the tie & stretching of
the yarns on the loom during weaving.
Batik: The process by which the designs are made with wax on the fabric which is subsequently
immersed in a dye to absorb the color on the unwaxed portions. The application of wax must be done on
both sides of the fabric. The hand method of making the design is more expensive & slow. After the dye
is fixed the cloth is washed in boiling water to remove the wax. This procedure is repeated many times to
completely remove the wax. Cold dyes can only be used.

Special Types Prints

1. Blotch Prints
2. Flock Prints
3. Burnt out Prints
4. Duplex Prints
5. Engineered Prints

Blotch Prints

A Blotch Print is one in which the background color has been created by printing rather than piece
dyeing. It is a special variety of direct prints. Sometimes blotch prints are designed to imitate more costly
discharge or resist print effects. The blotch print background color is lighter on the fabric back. One of
the problems with blotch pints is that sometimes the large background color areas of the prints are not
covered with the full depth of the color especially with roller prints.

Flock Prints
Flock printing in which tiny particles of fibres called fibre flock (1/10 th to 1/4th inch ), are made to adhere
to a fabric surface in conformance to a particular design. The process consists of first printing the design
onto the fabric with an adhesive rather than a dye or a pigment & then exposing the fibre flock to the
fabric. The flock is held to the surface only in those portions where the adhesive was first applied.
In electrostatic flocking, the flock particles are given an electrostatic charge, which results in nearly all
the fibres being oriented in an upright position when they adhere to the fabric. In most instances, the
flock fibre id dyed prior to its application to the fabric.

Burnt out Prints

Burnt out prints involve printing with a chemical substance that destroys the fibre in the pattern design
print area. Another type of burnt out print involves fabrics that are made from blended yarns, core-spun
yarns or fabric mixtures of two types of fibres. The burnt-out print chemical, which contains an acid,
destroys one fibre (the cellulosic ) & leaves the other undamaged. The result is gauge like print portion of
polyester & the unprinted portion of original polyester/rayon or cotton blend.
Duplex prints

Duplex prints are fabrics in which both sides of the fabric are printed. Interesting effects can be achieved
with reversible fabrics.

Engineered Prints
Engineered prints are prints that have two are more distinct designs, each located in separate areas of
the fabric, & each design is to become a specific part of the garment. Another type of engineered print
consists of printing on already cut garment parts such as a pocket or garment collar.
 Classification of finishes

 Temporary Finishes (Non Durable Finishes)

 Permanent Finishes (Durable Finishes)

Classification of finishes

 Chemical Finishes

 Mechanical Finishes

Chemical Finishes are of two types:

 Basic Finishes

 Acidic Finishes

Basic Finishes

 Mercerisation

 Plisse Effect

 Caustic Wash

 Enzyme Wash

Acid Finish

 Parchmentisation

 Carbonisation

 Acid Wash

 Enzyme Wash

Mechanical Finishes

 Calendering

 Schrenerising

 Moireing
 Stentering

 Heat Setting

 Embossing

 Puckering

 Pleating

 Emerising or Peach Finish

 Zero Zero Finish (Sanforising or Compressive Shrinkage)

 Beetling

Special Finishes

 Antistatic Finishes

 Anti Microbial Finishes

 Microencapsulated Finishes

 Soil Resistant & Stain release Finishes

 Moth Proof Finishes

 Water proof & Water repellent Finishes

 Fire proof & Fire retardant Finishes