Black Dyes
We have 4 black Fiber Reactive dyes, each with a different color cast. (A true black is the hardest color to get with Fiber Reactive dyes.) Three of them work well in direct application methods like tie-dye and batik where the temperatures used are cooler but the fabric is kept moist long enough for the dye to develop full depth. You will see, however, some differences depending upon which one you use and your particular situation and techniques. All four can be used for tub-dyeing (when you are dyeing a solid color shade) and here there are also some differences:- #39 Black- tub dyes with a green cast and edges are blue in tie dye.
- #44 Better Black-tub dyes with a purple-blue cast and edges are blue in tie-dye.
- #250 Jet Black-This is the most concentrated of all the blacks and gives the deepest black when used in tub (vat, bucket, washing machine, etc.) dyeing with hot tap water (130-150F degrees). Can be olive green or gray when used for direct application methods (tie dye, batik, painting, etc) unless kept very warm somehow, and edges are green in tie-dye.
- #300 New Black-tub dyes with a very blue cast and edges are blue/pink in tie-dye.
Since black is a tough color to get, you have to use a lot of dye and in tub dyeing, you need to double the salt. Some of our customers have even recommended a 1/2 and 1/2 combination of #44 and #300 for the blackest black in tie dye and batik. In tub dyeing, to make the blacks even darker, and the washout less, we also recommend adding the extra step of soaking the finished dyed garment in Dharma Dye Fixative or Retayne. (This also helps when you want darker purples, browns, blues etc.!) When the dyebath is done, drain it but don't rinse the garments/fabric. Fill tub back up with hot water and the fixative, 1 oz per lb of fabric, so 8 oz for a full washing machine load. Soak it in that, agitating occasionally, for 30 minutes, then rinse and wash in HOT water and Synthrapol as usual. Sometimes it is necessary to wash black items twice.
For re-blacking black clothes and jeans that have faded, you can get away with a lot less dye. (4 to 8 oz per machine load, depending on how badly faded - instead of a pound!) To make it worth while, gather up enough faded black stuff so you can just do a whole washing machine load (about 8 lbs. of fabric) and follow our basic tub dying directions.
