Acid Dyes
USE FOR: Tub Dyeing or direct application (with steaming)
USE ON: Silk, wool, hair (fur), nylon, feathers and other protein fibers
QUICK LINKS
Acid dyes are made for dyeing wool, silk and other protein fibers, and nylon, and nothing does it better. If you have skeins of yarn or yards of fabric to dye, you've come to the right place. These powdered dyes are intended for tub-dyeing yardage, yarns or clothing. Directions are also available for using it in direct application methods (like painting) and steam-setting. These dyes are bright, economical, and they exhaust well. Because of that and the fact that you only use them with Vinegar, they are considered a "low impact" dye.
Available Colors
NameSizesQuant½ oz.8 oz.1 lb.
600 Ecru
 3.55 4.95 9.38
601 Sun Yellow (Primary)
 3.55 9.10 17.31
602 Bright Yellow
 3.55 7.67 14.57
603 Golden Yellow
 3.55 7.52 14.29
604 Burnt Orange
 3.55 8.78 16.69
605 Pumpkin Orange
 3.55 11.45 21.74
606 Deep Orange
 3.55 13.53 25.72
607 Salmon
 3.55 5.78 10.97
608 Pink (Primary)
 3.55 12.57 23.88
NameSizesQuant½ oz.8 oz.1 lb.
609 Bright Scarlet
 3.55 9.66 18.34
610 Burgundy
 3.55 9.67 18.40
611 Vermilion
 3.55 17.17 32.62
612 Lilac
 3.55 14.50 27.55
613 Purple
 3.55 19.36 36.78
614 Violet
 3.55 18.38 34.93
615 Periwinkle
 3.55 13.40 25.43
616 Russet
 3.55 19.34 36.78
617 Cherry Red (Primary)
 3.55 15.34 29.14
618 Fire Red
 3.55 15.34 29.14
NameSizesQuant½ oz.8 oz.1 lb.
619 Crimson
 3.55 19.38 36.83
620 Hot Fuschia
 3.55 16.74 31.79
621 Sky Blue (Primary)
 3.55 10.86 20.64
622 Sapphire Blue
 3.55 18.38 34.93
623 Brilliant Blue
 3.55 19.36 36.78
624 Turquoise (Primary)
 3.55 16.45 31.24
625 Royal Blue
 3.55 18.97 36.03
626 Navy Blue
 3.55 9.02 17.14
627 Brilliant Kelly Green
 3.55 22.26 42.29
628 Chartreuse
 3.55 23.24 44.14
NameSizesQuant½ oz.8 oz.1 lb.
629 Emerald
 3.55 11.84 22.48
630 Spruce
 3.55 19.16 36.40
631 Teal
 3.55 15.33 29.12
632 Chestnut
 3.55 12.52 23.78
633 Aztec Gold
 3.55 6.74 12.81
634 Olive Green
 3.55 11.45 21.74
635 Brown
 3.55 16.00 30.40
636 Golden Ochre
 3.55 11.93 22.66
637 Gun Metal
 3.55 12.02 22.83
638 Silver
 3.55 5.78 10.97
NameSizesQuant½ oz.8 oz.1 lb.
639 Jet Black
 3.55 9.66 18.34
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Product Description

Acid dyes are made for dyeing wool, silk and nylon and nothing does it better. If you have skeins of yarn or yards of fabric to dye, you've come to the right place. These powdered dyes are intended for tub-dyeing yardage, yarns or clothing. They can also be used for painting but they're not our first choice. If you intend to paint on silk or wool, you can choose one of our other silk dyes from the website, or see the manufacturers directions for painting it on and steaming it. 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. The only other thing needed is a little white vinegar from your pantry. Acid dyes are very economical, as they react fast, they exhaust well and the results are Very Permanent- light and wash fast! Because they exhaust so well and are only used with vinegar, they could also be considered to be a "low impact" dye.

1/2 oz. dyes up to 2 lbs. of dry fabric, depending on the depth of shade desired. If going for a specific shade depth, test!

For Acid Dye instructions Click here.

Instructions
Instructions for Acid Dyes

GENERAL INFORMATION AND USE

Acid dyes are made for dyeing wool, silk and nylon These powdered dyes are intended for tub-dyeing yardage, yarns or clothing. 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 consistent results. The only other thing needed is a little white vinegar. Acid dyes are very economical, as they react fast, they exhaust well and the results are very permanent - light and wash fast! For tub dyeing wool, silk and nylon solid colors, this is the best dye. The end color depends on your temperature, how much dye you use, how long the fabric is in the dye, and how much fabric you have. Jacquard acid dye is non-toxic when handled properly. Common sense and good housekeeping should be used when handling any dye or chemical.

INSTRUCTIONS

Immersion Dyeing in a Washing Machine with Jacquard Acid Dyes

(Not for wool. Wool will felt in a washing machine. Use the stove top method for wool.)

These directions are for top loading washing machines only.

  1. Set the washing machine to the hot wash/cool rinse and longest wash cycle. Fill water to the lowest level appropriate for the amount of fabric being dyed.
  2. Get fabric wet then pull out and set aside.
  3. Add dye powder and agitate until dissolved. See chart below.
  4. Add clean wet fiber and agitate for a few minutes.
  5. Add one cup of vinegar being careful not to pour directly onto fabric. Let agitate a few more minutes.
  6. Let machine run through cycle OR for maximum washfastness, stop and reset washer to maximum cycle length. Do not let the washing machine drain or start a new wash cycle. You just want to lengthen the time the fabric is in the dyebath. After resetting, let washer run through cycle.
  7. Remove fabric from washing machine. To ensure that all of the excess dye has been removed, you may want to run the fabric through another wash cycle with cool water and some Synthrapol.
  8. Run washer through a large rinse cycle to remove any excess dye in the washing machine.

Stove Top Immersion Dyeing with Jacquard Acid Dyes

  1. Fill a stainless steel or enamel pot with just enough hot or warm water for the fabric to swim freely, turn on the heat.
  2. Add the dye powder to the pot and stir. Normally, in this procedure you would add 2 to 4% of the dry weight of the fabric in dye powder. For example, if you are dyeing 1 pound of fabric, use 1/3 to 2/3 of an ounce of dye.
  3. Add the fabric that has been thoroughly wetted to the dyepot.
  4. Raise the temperature to 185 to 200 degrees, just below boiling. Stir frequently.
  5. Add ¼ cup of vinegar per pound of fabric. Try not to pour directly onto the fabric.
  6. Maintain temperature and stir frequently for ½ hour. Wash in Synthrapol and warm water.

Note: If you are dyeing wool, a gradual heating and gradual cooling of the dyebath is important so as not to shock and felt the wool.

Silk Painting with Jacquard Acid Dyes

For professional silk painters who steam set, liquid acid dyes provide the brightest, most intense colors. To make your own liquid acid dyes for silk painting, use the following recipe:

  1. Stock Solution
    • Add 8 oz. (1 cup) of very hot water to one .5 oz. jar of Jacquard Acid Dye powder.
    • Stir until dissolved. This will yield a very concentrated dye stock solution. Most colors require further dilution. Note: Every color has a different solubility. Some colors are difficult to dissolve, but most are easily dissolved. A small amount of alcohol (about 1 tablespoon) can be added to the dye solution as a wetting agent.
  2. The final concentration of the dye solution for painting should be between 4 and 8%. Start by adding 4 oz. (1/2 cup) of water to the 8 ounces of stock solution you have, test the color and continue adding water until desired shade is achieved.

Keep in mind that the color intensity really develops in the steam setting process. Most colors will remain stable in solution for a long period of time. However, some colors will fall out of solution upon cooling or from sitting for a matter of weeks. To restore them simply heat them on the stove.

Screen Printing, Stamping & Painting with Jacquard Acid Dyes

The traditional method of printing with dye is to add the dye to a thickener paste. This method can be used for screen printing, hand-painting, and stamping and many other direct application techniques. It is important to prepare the fiber by washing to remove the sizing.

  1. Wash, dry and iron the fabric.
  2. Prepare dye thickener paste (see below).
  3. Add dye, either powder or stock solution, to thickener. Proportion the dye in the container in relation to the amount of thickener paste and desired intensity.
  4. Print, paint, or stamp on fabric.
  5. Air dry. Steam set. (See Steam setting directions.)

Preparing Dye Thickener

When screen printing with dye thickened with sodium alginate, the print base should be as thin as the image will allow. Dye printed in too thick a base will halo from the image before the fabric is cured or will accumulate in the corners, altering the image. Sodium Alginate SH is a high viscosity, low solids type of alginate thickener used primarily for cotton and other cellulose fibers. It may also be used for silk when fine line definition is not required. Sodium Alginate F is a low viscosity, high solids alginate used for silks and synthetics when fine line definition is desired. Use about 2 1/2 times more of the F to equal the viscosity of SH.

  1. Mix chemical water by adding ¼ cup of urea and 1 Tablespoon of vinegar to 1 quart of water.
  2. Sprinkle sodium alginate over water and stir constantly for 10 minutes, OR mix in blender.
  3. Let stand for a few hours or overnight before using. Mixture may be stored in refrigerator for many months.

DHARMA COMMENTS:

This product consistently works well and is easy to get good results with. 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.

Acid Dye FAQ
Acid Dye FAQ

Question:

What are Acid Dyes and how do they work?

Answer:

Acid dyes are made for dyeing wool, silk and nylon and nothing does it better. If you have skeins of yarn or yards of fabric to dye, you've come to the right place. These
powdered dyes are intended for vat-dyeing yardage, yarns or clothing. They can also be
used for painting but they're not our first choice. If you intend to paint on silk or wool,
choose one of the silk dyes from elsewhere in the catalog. 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. The only other thing needed is a little white vinegar from your pantry. Acid dyes
are very economical, as they react fast, they exhaust well and the results are Very
Permanent- light and wash fast!

Related Projects
Acid Dyed Yarn
Acid Dye is one of our most popular dyes. Here is a simple tutorial showing you how to make our yarn look like the ones you see in stores.
Silk Wine Gift Bag Dyed & Embellished
Create a beautifully dyed and decorated silk gift bag to add that personal touch to gifts of wine or champagne.

Product Reviews
Average Rating:  5.00 (5 reviews)
Product Rating:
Reviewed: Mon Apr 21 10:35:10 2008
Product Review:
Lovely dyes, very easy to use -- I've even done scarves with hot tap water in mason jars using this. The only con is that the colours come out a little light at times, especially on raw silk, but predying with grey or ecru to darken the fabric solves that.
Was this review helpful to you? 1 of 1 users found this review helpful.
Product Rating:
Reviewed: Wed Apr 2 13:20:30 2008
Product Review:
So easy with very little to no wash out of excess wasted dye. I dyed some silk pajamas, a silk blouse, and silk scarves. All my dyeing came out even and in gorgeous colors. All I needed was an old enameled stock pot, some vinegar, and a new wooden paint stick. Easy. I used the #611 Vermillion for the pajamas - luscious woody raspberry color. Very happy with the results. Prewash the garment or fabric with synthrapol for best results.
Was this review helpful to you? 4 of 4 users found this review helpful.
Product Rating:
Reviewed: Sat Feb 23 10:55:45 2008
Product Review:
I am new to silk dyeing, but these dyes were very easy to use, not messy, and provided brilliant color and even saturation. (Was dyeing chiffon scarves for nuno felting.) Colors mixed well also. Would recommend to anyone!!!
Was this review helpful to you? 7 of 7 users found this review helpful.
Product Rating:
Reviewed: Thu May 8 18:55:37 2008
Product Review:
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Was this review helpful to you? 0 of 0 users found this review helpful.
Product Rating:
Reviewed: Thu Jan 17 16:18:29 2008
Product Review:
i use this dye exclusively to dye coated spinnaker nylon, a very difficult task,the dye works trough the coating,and the color saturation is brilliant.
Was this review helpful to you? 0 of 6 users found this review helpful.

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