Procion Liquid H Series Dye Instructions

*NOTE: For various reasons, Dharma no longer carries this product. As an alternative see: Vinyl Sulphon Liquid Reactive Dye Concentrates

Use For: Silk painting (Serti, watercolor, etc.), handpainting, screening and printing, tie-dye, shibori, etc.

Use on: All natural fibers, especially Silk

Quite economical for the production artist. Two ounces of concentrate can yield up to 40 ounces of medium shades.

Primaries: Brilliant Yellow, Fuschia, Turquoise, Deep Black

Instructions

On Silk and Cotton (or other natural fibers):

For painting, people who have used this product for years dilute dye with chemical water (1 cup Urea dissolved in 1 cup very hot water, 1 tablespoon baking soda, more water to make 1 quart). Per 4 oz chemical water, use 1/8 tsp to 3 tbsp dye concentrate depending on dye color being used and intensity desired. Or, instead of making your own chemical water, use our Print Base Kit to which you just add water.

If thickening is desired (as with screen printing), use Sodium Alginate (1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons, depending on thickness desired) sprinkled over chemical water, then stirred constantly until smooth. Let mixture stand for up to 1 hour to thicken. (The Print Base Kit includes this.) Can be stored in a cool, dark place for about 3 weeks.

To fix, let thoroughly dry and steam in a steamer 30–45 minutes for silk, longer for thicker fabrics (up to an hour). Some folks have even experimented with microwaving as an alternative to steaming, for small pieces, especially with tie-dye or scrunch dye effects. Rinse under running tepid water until clear; wash in hot water and Dharma Dyers Detergent; rinse.

On Silk Only:

The manufacturer has been giving out newer, simpler directions: dilute the concentrate with just water (use distilled if your water is hard) to shade desired. Paint on silk. Let thoroughly dry. To fix, steam 45 minutes–1 hour. Rinse under tepid running water until water runs clear. Wash in tepid water and Dharma Dyers Detergent; rinse.

*Always test your colors and steam times as well as wash-out procedure on a sample piece first, as we have had both positive and negative feedback about these simpler directions!

On Cotton (or Rayon and other cellulose fibers):

If you don't want to steam, or can't, you can use Soda Ash Fixer as a direct substitute for the baking soda in the chemical water instructions above and cure the fabric damp just like you do the powdered Fiber Reactive dyes — 12–24 hours. Rinse and wash out as above. We don't think Procion Liquid H comes out nearly as brilliantly on cotton as the powdered Fiber Reactive Procion MX dyes, but it is a great alternative for folks who can't or don't want to work with powders.

On Rayon/Silk Velvet or Other Devore Fabrics:

Basically, follow any of the instructions above. The advantage of Procion H on these types of protein/cellulose fabric blends is that it will dye both types of fibers the same color, which is not always the case with Fiber Reactive MX dyes. Acid dye will only dye the silk and barely stain the Rayon.

Storing Dye Stock Solutions

Dye and water for silk, and dye, urea and water (leave out the baking soda for storage!) for cotton can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a few months. We have a number of containers you can use for storing dye.

Color Mixing Guidelines

The following guidelines can be used to mix color blends from the standard Liquid Procion H colors. Since color names are subject to personal perception, these mixtures are guidelines only. In order to reproduce exact colors, careful notes need to be kept on precise amounts used. We encourage you to take the time to test sample color mixtures before starting a large-scale project so you can gain a better understanding of how the colors react when mixed together.

To mix bright, clear colors, use Brilliant Yellow, Fuchsia, Turquoise and Blue Violet. To mix subdued colors, use Gold Yellow, True Red and Royal Blue.

Greens & Teals

• Pale Green: 1 pt Brilliant Yellow + 1 pt Royal Blue
• Chartreuse: 4 pts Brilliant Yellow + 1 pt Turquoise
• Bright True Green: 1 pt Brilliant Yellow + 1 pt Gold Yellow
• Dull Olive: 1 pt Deep Black + 1 pt Gold Yellow
• Rich Olive Green: 1 pt Gold Yellow + 1 pt Turquoise + 1 pt Brown
• Bronze Green: 2 pts Gold Yellow + 1 pt Royal Blue + 1 pt Brown
• Celadon: 1 pt Royal Blue + 1/2 pt Toning Black + 1 pt Brilliant Yellow
• Dark Teal: 1 pt Brilliant Yellow + 3 pts Royal Blue + 1 pt Toning Black

Pinks, Purples & Violets

• Dusty Rose: 1 pt True Red + 1/4 pt Brown + 1/4 pt Toning Black
• Lilac: 2 pts True Red + 1 pt Royal Blue
• Cranberry: 2 pts Brown + 1 pt True Red
• Red Violet: 4 pts Fuchsia + 1 pt Blue Violet
• Purple: 1 pt Fuchsia + 1 pt Blue Violet
• Bright Purple: 2 pts Fuchsia + 1 pt Turquoise
• Periwinkle: 2 pts Turquoise + 1 pt Fuchsia
• Grape: 1 pt Fuchsia + 2 pts Blue Violet
• Eggplant: 3 pts Blue Violet + 1 pt Toning Black + 2 pts Fuchsia

Neutrals, Browns & Oranges

• Ecru: 1/2 pt Gold Yellow + 1/2 pt Brown
• Camel: 1 pt Gold Yellow + 1 pt Brilliant Yellow + 1 pt Brown
• Pale Warm Tan: 1/2 pt Gold Yellow + 1 pt Brown
• Light Beige: 1 pt Brown + 1/2 pt Gold Yellow
• Warm Gold Brown: 1 pt Gold Yellow + 1 pt Brown
• Bright Orange: 2 pts Brilliant Yellow + 2 pts Gold Yellow + 1 pt True Red
• Amber: 5 pts Brilliant Yellow + 1 pt True Red
• Pumpkin: 2 pts Brilliant Yellow + 2 pts Gold Yellow + 1 pt True Red + 1 pt Brown

We also carry a number of products like mixing cups, color wheels, and other tools that can help when creating your own dye colors.