INTRODUCTION

Dyeing is the process of adding colors to textile products like fibers, yarns and
fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular
chemical material. After dyeing, dye molecules have uncut chemical bond with fiber
molecules. The temperature and time controlling are two key factors in dyeing. There
are mainly two classes of dye, natural and man-made.
The primary source of dye, historically, has generally been nature, with the dyes
being extracted from animals or plants. Since the mid-18th century, however,
humans have produced artificial dyes to achieve a broader range of colors and to
render the dyes more stable to resist washing and general use. Different classes of
dyes are used for different types of fiber and at different stages of the textile
production process, from loose fibers through yarn and cloth to completed garments.
Acrylic fibers are dyed with basic dyes, while nylon and protein fibers such
as wool and silk are dyed with acid dyes, and polyester yarn is dyed with disperse
dyes. Cotton is dyed with a range of dye types, including Vat dyes, and modern
synthetic reactive and direct dyes.

1 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

METHODS OF DYEING
Color is applied to fabric by different methods and at different stages of the textile
manufacturing process.

Fibre Dyeing

Stock Dyeing

Yarn Dyeing
Skein(hank)
Dyeing

Fabric Dyeing

Beck Dyeing

Top Dyeing

Package Dyeing

Jig Dyeing

Dope Dyeing

Space Dyeing

Pad Dyeing

Tow Dyeing

Warp-Beam
Dyeing

Jet Dyeing

Union Dyeing

Cross Dyeing

2 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

FIBER DYEING
The dye penetration is excellent in fiber dyeing, therefore the amount of dye used to
dye at this stage is also higher. Fiber dyeing is comparatively more costly than yarn,
fabric, and product dyeing. The decision regarding the selection of colors has to be
made early in the manufacturing process. Fiber dyeing is typically used to dye wool
and other fibers that are used to produce yarns with two or more colors. Fibers for
tweeds and fabrics with a heather look are often fiber dyed.
Stock dyeing, top dyeing, and tow dyeing are used to dye fibers at various stages of
the manufacturing process.
Stock Dyeing
Stock dyeing is used to dye fibers. In this process, the staple fibers are packed into a
vessel and then dye liquid is forced through them. Although the dye solution is
pumped in large quantities, the dye may not penetrate completely into the fibers and
some areas may be left without dyeing. However, the following blending and
spinning processes mix up the fibers in such a thorough way that it results in an
overall even color. Woolens are usually stock dyed.
A commonly used machine is the conical pan with forced circulation. Loose stock
is packed into the container in which it is retained by a lid which can be held down
with a number of screw-threaded clamps. A flange at the bottom of the container fits
into a seating through which the dye liquor is circulated by a centrifugal pump, and
the direction of the direction of flow can be altered by a two-way valve. The sides of
the container slope inwards so that, as the flow of the liquor pushes the mass
upwards, it becomes mire compressed and automatically closes up channels of least
resistance to the passage of the liquor. A gantry and travelling hoist are necessary to
lift the container in and out.
Top Dyeing
Top dyeing is dyeing worsted wool fibers after they have been combed to straighten
and remove the short fibers. The wool fiber at this stage is known as top. Top dyeing
is preferred for worsted wools as the dye does not have to be wasted on the short
fibers that are removed during the combing process.

3 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

In a top dyeing machine, the tops are packed into perforated cans and the lids are
fixed in position. The bottoms of the can rest on a seating through which the dye
liquor can be forced upwards by the centrifugal pump at the side of the machine, or
in the reverse direction by altering the low.
Solution Dyeing or Dope Dyeing
Solution dyeing, also known as dope or spun dyeing, is the process of adding
pigments or insoluble dyes to the spinning solution before the solution is extruded
through the spinneret. Only manufactured fibers can be solution dyed. It is used for
difficult-to-dye fibers such as olefin fibers, and for dyeing fibers for end uses that
require excellent colorfastness properties. Because the color pigments become a
part of the fiber, solution dyed materials have excellent colorfastness to light,
washing, crocking (rubbing), perspiration, and bleach. Dyeing at the solution stage is
more expensive since the equipment has to be cleaned thoroughly each time a
different color is produced. Thus, the variety of colors and shades produced are
limited. In addition, it is difficult to stock the inventory for each color. Decisions
regarding color have to be made very early in the manufacturing process. Thus, this
stage of dyeing is usually not used for apparel fabrics.
Tow Dyeing
Tow dyeing is dyeing filament fibers before they are cut into short staple fibers. The
filament fibers at this stage are known as tow.

4 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

YARN DYEING
When dyeing is done after the fiber has been spun into yarn, it is called yarn dyeing.
In this method, the dyestuff penetrates the fibers to the core of the yarn. There are
many forms of yarn dyeing- Skein (Hank) Dyeing, Package Dyeing, Space Dyeing
,and Warp-beam Dyeing.
Skein(hank) Dyeing
Skein dyeing consists of immersing large, loosely wound hanks (skeins) of yarn into
dye vats that are especially designed for this purpose. Soft, lofty yarns, such as hand
knitted yarns are usually skein dyed. Skein dyeing is the most costly yarn-dye
method. High -bulk yarn hanks are immersed into a dye bath for dyeing . Preshrinkage of yarn is done before Dyeing. Lot to Lot variation is a common issue.
Acrylic High Bulk yarn are dyed with small lot size. It is not suitable for bigger Export
order. Good hand feel can be observed in the final fabric.
Package Dyeing
In package dyeing the yarn is wound on a small perforated spool or tube
called a package. Many spools fit into the dyeing machine in which the flow of the
dye bath alternates from the center to the outside, and then from the outside to the
center of the package. Package dyed yarns do not retain the softness and
loftiness that skein-dyed yarns do. They are however satisfactory and very
widely used for most types of yarns that are found in knitted and woven fabrics.

Space Dyeing
In this method, the yarn is dyed at intervals along its length. For these two
procedures- knit- deknit method and OPI Space-Dye Applicator- are adopted. In
the first method, the yarn is knitted on either a circular or flat-bed knitting machine
and the knitted cloth is then dyed and subsequently it is deknitted. Since the dye
does not readily penetrate the areas of the yarn where it crosses itself, alternated
dyed and undyed spaces appear. The OPI Space-Dye Applicator technique
produces multi colored space- dyed yarns. The yarns are dyed intermittently as
they run at high speeds of upto 1000 yards (900 m) per minute through spaced

5 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

dyebaths with continuous subjection to shock waves produced by compressed

air assuming supersonic velocities.
The common dyeing process of cotton yarn with reactive dyes at package form is as
follows:
1. The raw yarn is wound on a spring tube to achieve a package suitable for dye
penetration.
2. These softened packages are loaded on a dyeing carrier's spindle one on
another.
3. The packages are pressed up to a desired height to achieve suitable density
4.
5.
6.
7.

of packing.
The carrier is loaded on the dyeing machine and the yarn is dyed.
After dyeing, the packages are unloaded from the carrier into a trolley.
Now the trolley is taken to hydro extractor where water is removed.
The packages are hydro extracted to remove the maximum amount of water

leaving the desired color into raw yarn.

8. The packages are then dried to achieve the final dyed package. After this
process, the dyed yarn packages are packed and delivered.

Warp-Beam Dyeing
Beam dyeing is the much larger version of package dyeing. An entire warp beam is
wound on to a perforated cylinder, which is then placed in the beam dyeing
machine, where the flow of the dye bath alternate as in the package dyeing.
Beam dyeing is more economical than skein or package dyeing, but it is only
used in the manufacture of woven fabrics where an entire warp beam is dyed.
Knitted fabrics, which are mostly produced from the cones of the yarn, are not
adaptable to beam dyeing.

6 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

FABRIC DYEING
Fabric dyeing, also known as piece dyeing, is dyeing fabric after it has been
constructed. It is economical and the most common method of dyeing solid colored
fabrics. The decision regarding color can be made after the fabric has been
manufactured. Thus, it is suitable for quick response orders. Dye penetration may
not be good in thicker fabrics, so yarn dyeing is sometimes used to dye thick fabrics
in solid colors. Various types of dyeing machines are used for piece dyeing. The
selection of the equipment is based on factors such as dye and fabric characteristics,
cost, and the intended end use. The various methods used for this type of dyeing
include jet dyeing. Jig dyeing, pad dyeing and beam dyeing.
Beck Dyeing
It is used for dyeing long yards of fabric. The fabric is passed in rope form through
the dyebath. This rope of the fabric moves over a rail onto a reel which immerses it
into the dye and then draws the fabric up and forward and brings it to the front of the
machine. This process is repeated many times until the desired color intensity is
obtained.
Jig Dyeing
It is similar to the process of beck dyeing with a slight variation. The fabric in jig
dyeing is held on rollers at full width rather than in rope form as it is passed through
the dyebath.

Pad dyeing
Padding is also done while holding the fabric at full width. The fabric is passed
through a trough having dye in it. Then it is passed between two heavy rollers which
force the dye into the cloth and squeeze out the excess dye. Then it is passed
through a heat chamber for letting the dye to set. After that it is passed through
washer, rinser and dryer for completing the process.
Jet dyeing

7 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

Fabric is placed in a heated tube where jets of dye solution are forced through it at
high pressures. The fabric too moves along the tube. The solution moves faster than
the cloth while coloring it thoroughly.

Union Dyeing
Union dyeing is a method of dyeing a fabric containing two or more types of fibers or
yarns to the same shade so as to achieve the appearance of a solid colored fabric.
Fabrics can be dyed using a single or multiple step process. Union dyeing is used to
dye solid colored blends and combination fabrics commonly used for apparel and
home furnishings.
Cross Dyeing
Cross dyeing is a method of dyeing blend or combination fabrics to two or more
shades by the use of dyes with different affinities for the different fibers. The cross
dyeing process can be used to create heather effects, and plaid, check, or striped
fabrics. Cross dyed fabrics may be mistaken for fiber or yarn dyed materials as the
fabric is not a solid color, a characteristic considered typical of piece dyed fabrics. It
is not possible to visually differentiate between cross dyed fabrics and those dyed at
the fiber or yarn stage. An example is cross dyeing blue worsted wool fabric with
polyester pin stripes. When dyed, the wool yarns are dyed blue, whereas the
polyester yarns remain white.
Cross dyeing is commonly used with piece or fabric dyed materials. However, the
same concept is applicable to yarn and product dyeing. For example, silk fabric
embroidered with white yarn can be embroidered prior to dyeing and product dyed
when an order is placed.

8 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

PRODUCT DYEING
Product dyeing, also known as garment dyeing, is the process of dyeing products
such as hosiery, sweaters, and carpet after they have been produced. This stage of
dyeing is suitable when all components dye the same shade (including threads). This
method is used to dye sheer hosiery since it is knitted using tubular knitting
machines and then stitched prior to dyeing. Tufted carpets, with the exception of
carpets produced using solution dyed fibers, are often dyed after they have been
tufted. This method is not suitable for apparel with many components such as lining,
zippers, and sewing thread, as each component may dye differently. The exception
is tinting jeans with pigments for a vintage look. In tinting, color is used, whereas in
other treatments such as acid-wash and stone-wash, chemical or mechanical
processes are used. After garment construction, these products are given the
"faded" or "used" look by finishing methods as opposed to dyeing.
Dyeing at this stage is ideal for quick response. Many T-shirts, sweaters, and other
types of casual clothing are product dyed for maximum response to fashions
demand for certain popular colors. Thousands of garments are constructed from
prepared-for-dye (PFD) fabric, and then dyed to colors that sell best.

9 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

REMOVAL OF DYES
If things go wrong in the dyeing process, the dyer may be forced to remove the dye
already applied by a process called "stripping". This normally means destroying the
dye with powerful reducing agents such as sodium hydrosulfite or oxidizing agents
such as hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite. The process often risks
damaging the substrate (fiber). Where possible, it is often less risky to dye the
material a darker shade, with black often being the easiest or last option.

10 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD