Jacquard SolarFast

How much do the bottles cover?

1. It varies by what technique you are doing and how much you want to thin it. For printing photos, you can use it straight out of the bottle or thin it some. For tie-dye, you want to thin it 50% or more, depending on how deep of color you want to get. 2. For printing photos, a 4 oz bottle should be enough to make at least 4 - 12"x12" prints, more if diluted. 3. For tie-dye, you are squirting onto a dry shirt that sucks a lot up. You don't want the tie-dye dripping wet though, as you have to untie it . Normally with a wet adult large t-shirt it takes 4 oz of dye to soak it. So 4 oz of DILUTED SolarFast should be more than enough on a dry shirt. Use less if you dont' mind a lot of white areas and want the project to be more economical. And of course, kids t-shirts will take way less, 1 - 2 oz of diluted dye.

Is the SolarFast Wash any different than Synthrapol or Dharma's Textile Detergent?

Yes! It is much more cationic, for you chemistry buffs. It has a charge that is opposite to the charge on the dye molecules, so it magnetically bonds to them and keeps them away from the fabric, so your white areas don't get muddied by the residual dye being washed off. Works great for tie-dye with Fiber Reactive dye too!

Can I use artificial light to make SolarFast prints?

SolarFast develops with UV light. The sun is the ultimate source of UV, but there are many bulbs on the market that can be used indoors that output sufficient UV to make a good print. Exposure units like they use in screen printing shops, for example, work well. Sun lamps, grow lights and high energy black lights may also work well. Exposure times will depend on the bulb’s UV output. Always test first!

Do I have to wash my prints immediately after making my exposure, or can I wait until I have a pile of them and wash them all at once?

We recommend washing your prints as soon as you take them out of the sun. This will produce the best results. Be sure to bring your prints inside, away from sunlight, before removing your negative. If you let your print sit for too long before washing, you may lose some of your highlights. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will become to remove the undeveloped dye. If you do decide to wait, be sure to keep your print someplace dry and out of the light. Alternatively, you can submerge your prints in a bucket of water, away from light, until you are ready to wash them.

Can I wash more than one print at a time?

If you are planning on washing several prints at once, or if you are washing prints of different colors simultaneously, you may want to hand rinse before washing. This can help reduce back staining.

What materials can I use with SolarFast?

SolarFast is permanent on any natural fiber, including cotton, linen, hemp, wool, silk, canvas, leather, bamboo and wood. It will not work on synthetic fabrics, plastic or rubber, or non-absorbent surfaces such as sealed wood, glass or metal. Being a true dye, you may find that the same color can look markedly different on different fabrics. This is normal and is to be expected from any dye system.

Can I make photographic prints on silk?

If printing on silk, SolarFast Wash and HOT water are highly recommended. Silk is a highly magnetic fiber and it is particularly difficult to remove undeveloped dye from silk fabric. Wash diligently and test first.

Can I mix SolarFast Colors?

All the SolarFast colors are intermixable. You may mix them together before application, or you may mix them directly on the substrate (multi-color prints look pretty neat!). SolarFast develops its final color with exposure to light, so mixing a desired color may be challenging. For consistent results, measure carefully and test first. For paler shades, dilute with water.

Are SolarFast dyes supposed to be colorless in the bottle or not?

Each color is different. Most SolarFast colors are essentially colorless in the bottle. Many are slightly tinted, and some appear more opaque or “milky” than others. That said, there are few colors that exhibit color before exposure. This is normal: if used properly, this color will wash out, leaving white wherever development is blocked by an object or negative. The SolarFast colors you can expect NOT to be colorless in the bottle are: Golden Yellow, Green, Teal, Avocado, Sepia and Black. All these colors are yellowish in the bottle and may require extra diligence when washing.

Do all the SolarFast colors behave the same?

Yes and no. Different colors require different exposure times. Each color also looks different in the bottle: some are colorless, some are milky, some are colored, and some are transparent. Some colors look different after washing, while some colors develop completely during exposure. Aside from these incidental differences, all the SolarFast colors have identical properties.

What is the shelf life of SolarFast dyes?

SolarFast has a shelf life of up to two years when stored in a cool, dark environment. Once opened, the dyes last 6 months. Refrigeration is an effective way of prolonging the shelf life of SolarFast dyes, but avoid freezing. Exposure to heat, light and air may decrease the shelf life of SolarFast dyes. Over their usable life time, SolarFast dyes will not dull or weaken: the colors will always be bright and intense.