Transfer/Disperse Dyes - How to

TRANSFER/DISPERSE DYES FOR SYNTHETIC FABRICS

Instructions for use
The required amount of dye is sprinkled and stirred into tepid water and left for a few minutes.

For full strength colours:               10gms dye per 50ml tepid water(100gms/500ml)
For pastel shades:                           10gms dye per 200ml tepid water(100gms/2 litres)

Wear gloves to avoid staining and a mask when mixing powdered dyes.

Printing Techniques
Mix Dissolved dye with manutex to thicken for printing

1. Stir 50gms Manutex into 500ml of water
2. Leave for 15 minutes until desired consistency is required.

 

Painting Technique

Apply dissolved dyes to good quality paper (cheap thin paper will buckle) using brushes, sponges etc.  Allow to dry. Place your design face down onto the fabric you wish to decorate and press using a hot dry iron and even pressure.  Keep the iron moving to avoid the shape of the iron transferring with your design.  The dyes may penetrate the fabric and colour the ironing surface so remember to cover the surface before ironing.

 

Vat Dyeing

Sprinkle the required amount of dye into a large volume of tepid water in a heatproof dish and stir in.  Add the prewashed damp polyester fabric and heat it up slowly over 30 minutes to a simmering point.  Allow it to continue simmering for a further 20 minutes.  It is important to keep the fabric submerged and to stir frequently for even dyeing.  Allow the fabric to cool and then rinse it under running water to wash off any excess.  Leave to dry. N Iron using the highest heat setting appropriate for the fabric to fix.

 

SAFTY FIRST

Please note you should take care when handling the dye powders, (they should not be inhaled) and some fixing processes require very hot temperatures.  Always allow the fabric to cool before handling it and use wooden tongs and stirring spoons where possible.

N.B. For Health and Safety reasons it is important that dying should not be carried out using utensils used to cook food.  The same rule applies to all utensils used in the dying process – only use items which are specifically kept for craft use.