Silk dye | Instant dye | Colorhue
Instant dyes are coloring agents that bond with the fibers of the fabric right away after being applied to it. Also known in the market as “color hue instant-set dye”, instant dyes are concentrated dyes used to color silk, wool, rayon, and linen fabrics. An instant dye bonds chemically to the substrate to which it is applied, that is, what makes it different from a pigment. The best results for instant dye applications are visible on silk fabrics. . These are water-soluble dyes that don’t reside on the fabric but instead get absorbed by the fibers not affecting the feel or ‘texture’ of the fabric.
The market is overflowing with alternatives for everything. Even dyes are no stranger to surrogate options but then, why should we choose an instant dye over any other dye?
Well, instant dyes have more than just a single benefit of use.
· Due to their concentration, instant dyes can be used in a small amount to color large fabrics (generally, one part of dye is mixed into three parts of water to get standard colors).
· Instant dye works best on silk fabrics as they don’t require any prerequisite procedure (such as heat, and acids) that might also harm the fibers of the fabric. So, it’s a win-win situation for both, the fabric and the dye!
· Instant dye does not get adsorbed on the surface rather, they get absorbed because of which the texture of the fabric remains uninjured.
The best part about using an instant dye is that it doesn’t require any hassling preparations. You don’t have to gather too much equipment, you don’t have to set up a stage you can dye your fabric easily in the comfort of your homes! Just damp your fabric with water; set the dye; leave it to dry, and rinse the fabric to remove excess dye and that’s it!
There are many ways to dye a silk fabric, such as uneven dyeing method, evenly dyeing method, spritz method, bubble pack method, a plating method, and marbles method.
Following are some methods by which you can dye your fabric using instant dyes.
1. Make small preparations. Take gloves, pipettes, containers, and the fabric.
Gloves are advised to be used to save you from creating a mess of your hands! Being very concentrated, instant dyes can stain your hands in the process of coloring the fabric.
Pre-wetting the fabric is an ideal step that must be followed in every method of dyeing the fabric with an instant dye.
· Uneven dyeing method- Scrunch your fabric and hold them into place with the help of rubber bands. Dip in the dye, squeeze out the excess color, and dip again in the second color to create patterns. After dyeing is done, let the color get absorbed.
· Evenly dyeing method- place the fabric in a large container of water, let the water get soaked, and then remove the fabric. To the container of water, add the desirable dye, stir the water well and then, let the fabric get soaked in the colored water. Wait until the fabric soaks all the color. Take the fabric out and let it dry.
· Spritz method- dilute the dye with water, take it in a spray bottle. Take the fabric and cover the excluded area (the one you don’t want to dye) with plastic and on the rest of the part, spray the dye. Repeat with all the desirable colors and let it dry.
· Bubble pack method- with this method you can create beautiful effects of bubble wrap on your fabric. Place your fabric on the bubble side of the bubble wrap, brush the fabric with water and let the plastic and the fabric merge. Now, apply the diluted instant dye to the cloth, let the fabric dry and enjoy the new look to the fabric!
· Pleating method-pleat your fabric into pleats, place it on an ironing board. Use rubber bands to avoid certain areas of fabric from getting dyed. With the help of foam brushes, dye the fabric with a certain amount of colors and enjoy the results!
· Marble method- in the fabric, place marbles with the help of a rubber band. Brush the fabric with a foam brush and it is ready!
When performed carefully, instant dyeing gives a wonderful effect to the fabrics! All you need to take care of is the color of the dye. The desired color may take some trials before you are perfect at it but, that’s the fun of learning, you get to do many fun experiments before you achieve perfection!
