This is a general information page. For a complete guide please visit our "Dharma Acid Dye Instructions" page.
General Information & Use for Dharma Acid Dyes
Applicable to any brand of Acid Dyes
Acid Dyes are the dye of choice for dyeing all protein fibers, like wool and other animal hair like alpaca, angora, mohair, etc., silk, feathers, and also they dye nylon. They are even used on leather sometimes. These concentrated powdered dyes are used primarily for tub-dyeing yardage or clothing, or tub dyeing or painting on protein yarns & roving. You can use these dyes either on top of your stove or in a washing machine but they do require very hot water to work properly. Washing machines don't get as hot, but do maintain consistent time, temperature and agitation, yielding more even results. If you are using them for direct application you would steam or microwave them. The only other thing needed (as a fixative) is household white vinegar or a mild powdered acid like Citric Acid which is actually more economical and eliminates the Vinegar smell. Textbooks and commercial dyers also talk about adding leveling agents to get the most even solid colors, like Glauber's Salt to Leveling Acid Dyes and using Ammonium Sulfate (used also for fertilizing plants) first, before the vinegar or citric, with Milling and Pre-metallized Acid Dyes, especially when dyeing paler colors. If you're a serious wool or silk dyer and want to dive deeper into the chemistry of acid dyes and the different types available, be sure to read our article, "Did You Know How Acid Dyes Work?" You can also visit our full page, "Dharma Acid Dye Instructions". Under the Dharma Acid Dye Properties heading, we've identified each pure color by its dye type, though please note that information available elsewhere can sometimes be conflicting. Basically, the ones marked with an M or a P need a little more work and possibly Ammonium Sulfate to get more even "level" dye jobs. For low immersion dyeing, where you want lots of color separation (sometimes called "breaking", our mixes marked P are great! Also keep in mind that Milling and Pre-metallized Acid Dyes, while more difficult to work with, are more wash-fast and often more light-fast than Leveling Acid Dyes. Colors marked with a + on the full instructions page chart are pre-metallized mixes, and they tend to "split" the most, even more so than pure pre-metallized colors.
Acid dyes are very economical, as they are very concentrated, react fast, and the results are very permanent for most colors (see chart below) - light and wash fast! The end color depends on your temperature, how much dye you use, how acid the dye-bath is, how long the fabric is in the dye, and how much fabric you have. Monitors and printed color charts can vary. Also, our color chart was done with a basic wool yarn. Silks sometimes come out lighter, sometimes even a different shade, so as with all dyes, it is important to test, test, test! If you have any problems after following the instructions, we have a "Dissolving and Trouble Shooting" segment we have written for you after much research. And as with all dye powders, you should handle them carefully. Common sense and good housekeeping (dust mask, gloves, proper ventilation, etc.) should always be used when handling any dye or chemicals. Keep out of reach of children and pets.
Stove Top Immersion Dyeing with Dharma Acid Dyes
We recommend always to pre-wash your fabric in hot water and Dharma Dyer's Detergent to remove oils, dirt, silkworm gum, etc., even fingerprints, that will hinder an even dye job. Some wools require scouring. Yarns vary. But everything does need to be thoroughly wet before adding to dye-bath.
Fill a stainless steel or enamel pot with enough hot or warm water for the fabric to swim freely, turn on the heat.
Pre-dissolve the proper amount of dye powder for the weight of the fabric/yarn you are dyeing in about a cup of hot water (pyrex with a spout is great!), then add to the pot and stir. If a color seems hard to dissolve, try a little boiling water. To get most of the colors on our dye color chart, we used 1/4-1/3 oz per lb of fabric (1.5-2% of the weight of the fabric - %OWG), which is approximately 2 1/4 - 3 level teaspoons (depending on the color - densities vary, so this is not an accurate method). To get a really dark Navy or a good Black, we used 2/3 oz/lb fiber (4% of the weight of the fabric or approximately 6 level teaspoons). For lighter colors, use less, for even darker than our color chart, use more.
Add the fabric that has been thoroughly wetted to the dye pot.
Raise the temperature to 185 for silk or up to 200 degrees for wool, just below boiling. Stir frequently for a few minutes to evenly distribute the dye.
Add 1/4 cup of vinegar per pound of fabric. Try not to pour directly onto the fabric. Or add 1 Tbs. of Citric Acid per lb of dry fabric if you don't like the smell of vinegar. If you do a lot of dyeing, Citric Acid is also more economical. Again, for the Milling and Pre-metallized colors, try using 1 Tbs./lb of fabric of Ammonium Sulfate, which makes the bath go acid much more gradually, especially when trying to get level, even colors. Dissolve before adding to the dye bath. Add leveling agents like Glauber's Salt to the Leveling colors at this time also if you are going to use them. Then gradually add citric acid or vinegar towards the end to exhaust the dye more fully.
Maintain temperature and stir frequently for 1/2 hour up to an hour for really dark colors. Regular stirring is even more important with the Pre-metallized and Milling colors. If a color isn't exhausting well, try adding more vinegar or citric acid. Some say a bit of plain salt in the dye bath also helps it to exhaust better. If you still have a lot of color left, take a note that you could try using less dye next time on that particular color.
Wash in Dharma Dyer's Detergent and warm water to get out the excess dye. Never wash fibers dyed with acid dyes in hot water as it can break the bonds, which are not as strong as say, fiber reactive dye on cellulose fibers. Inform folks who buy your acid dyed silks and wools to dry clean or use cold water.
Note: If you are dyeing wool, a gradual heating and gradual cooling of the dye--bath is important so as not to shock and felt the wool.
DHARMA COMMENTS:
Acid dyes will work on other things besides silk and wool. Basically anything protein, like feathers, fur, leather, etc. You just have to come up with a way to use it that won't ruin the substrate you are using it on - for example, leather doesn't like being simmered in a pot, it will just dry out. With feathers or leather, some folks paint it on, then steam it. These dyes also work on Nylon as it has a similar chemical structure. With Nylon, as with all fabrics, you must be sure there is no surface treatment that will interfere with the dye bonding with the fabric, i.e.: water repellents, stain resistance. So called PFP (prepared for printing) Nylon works best.
Dye Quantities
The quantities recommended are for the deepest color saturation in one pound of fabric. For pastels and lighter colors, use less dye. For darker colors, use more dye.
To get the colors on our color chart, we generally used between 1.5% & 2% OWG (of weight of goods), except for #413 True Black, #476 Toner Black and #409 Dark Navy. These colors have an * next to their names on our color charts and jar labels. For the blacks, we used 4%. For the Navy we got a nice Navy at 2%, and a dark "to dye for" Navy at 4%. 1.5% worked well for the light colors and 2% worked well for all the darker colors with the three exceptions above. That translates to 1/4 oz to 1/3 oz (or ~2.25-3 tsp) of dye per pound of fabric for most colors, and 2/3 oz (~6 tsp) of dye per pound of fabric for black and the deepest of Navies. You have to play with it as silk and wool uptake differently, so if the dye bath isn't exhausting all the way, even if you add more vinegar or citric acid, make yourself a note to use less dye next time for that color. These are very concentrated dyes.
There is a wealth of information and techniques for Acid Dyes.
For more methods please visit our full Acid Dye Instruction page, Here
