Jacquard Acid Dye FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Jacquard Acid Dyes, including how they work, suitable fibers, fluorescent colors, and dyeing methods for wool, silk, and nylon.
What are Acid Dyes and how do they work?
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!
We want to dye silk scarves to fluoresce under black light for a scarf dance on stage. Are there any acid dyes that would work for this?
Yes, actually 4 colors of the Acid Dye coincidentally do fluoresce (seem to brightly glow)under black light. Those would be #608 Pink, #620 Hot Fuchsia, #627 Kelly Green, and #628 Chartreuse, with #620 & #628 being the most popular. Great for dyeing the scarves a solid color. Otherwise, you would have to use one of our fluorescent Pigment Dyes or Paints, which have to be sprayed or painted on, and would not give such a nice even effect as dyeing with the Acid Dye.
If I mix the Acid Dyes with Soda Ash instead of Vinegar, can I use them on cellulose fibers like cotton and Rayon?
Sorry, no. These are not like our Fiber Reactive Dyes, which will dye any natural fiber depending on how it is used. Acid Dyes were developed specifically for silk, wool and other protein fibers. Therefore they dye feathers, hair and leather too, as long as they can endure the simmering on the stove with the vinegar or citric acid, which you should always test if you are dyeing something unusual, or expensive. They also coincidentally dye Nylon, because it has a similar molecular structure to silk, but also with vinegar or citric acid. They will NOT dye cellulose fibers, because they are not chemically made to do that. They may stain those fibers, but not very strongly.
