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Acid Dye Instructions

Don't let the name fool you... Jacquard Acid Dyes do not contain acid or any other harmful chemicals. In fact, it has a neutral pH, like water. The only thing acidic is the white vinegar that you add. Jacquard Acid Dyes are the dye of choice for silk, wool, nylon, feathers or any protein (animal) fibre. for cotton or any other plant fibres use Jacquard Procion MX Dyes.
Versatility:
Jacquard Acid Dyes are extremely brilliant and colourfast. If you can do a load of laundry, you can use these dyes. In addition to garment dyeing in a washing machine, you can use it to paint, print or airbrush.
Economy:
One half ounce of Jacquard Acid Dye will colour about two pounds of fabric. Yardage will vary by weight and width of fibre or fabric.
Safety:
Jacquard Acid Dyes are considered non-toxic when used properly. Common sense and good housekeeping should be used when handling any dye or chemical. Jacquard Acid Dyes are fully certified and conform to ASTM D4236-86.
Washing Machine Dyeing for Fabric:
We recommend using the washing machine even for small amounts of fabric because it is convenient and results are reproducible. The variables in dyeing are temperature, dye concentration, time and amount of fabric. The washing machine maintains consistent time, temperature and agitation so the amount of dye and fabric are the only things you need be concerned with.
Procedure:
Set the washing machine to gentle cycle, hot wash/cool rinse and fill to the lowest level appropriate for the amount of fabric being dyed. Add dye powder and agitate until dissolved. Some dye colours are denser than others, so use 1/2 jar for one pound of fabric, 1/4 jar for 1/2 lb. of fabric, etc. Add clean fibre and agitate two minutes. Add one cup of vinegar being careful not to pour directly onto fabric. Before wash cycle is complete, turn machine off and examine fabric. Fabric looks much darker wet than it does dry. To test your results, dye a scrap of material with your main load and dry with a hair dryer. At this point, you may let the machine continue through its cycle or start again; adding more dye if desired to increase the depth of the shade. Wash in cool water and Synthrapol or liquid soap.
Stove Top Method:
Fill a metal pot with just enough hot or warm water for the fabric to swim freely, turn on the heat. Add the dye powder to the pot and stir. Normally, in this procedure one would add 2 to 4% of the dry weight of the fabric in dye powder. For example, if you are dying 1 lb. (16 oz.) of fabric, use 1/3 to 2/3 of an ounce of dye. Add the fabric to the dye pot. Raise the temperature to 180?F to boiling (feathers need a minimum temp of 170?). Add 1/4 cup of vinegar. Maintain temperature and stir occasionally for 1/2 hour. Wash in soap and warm water. The final colour depends on the time in the dye bath, concentration of the dye and temperature of the dye bath.
Jacquard Acid Dyes for Silk Painting:
For professional silk painters who steam set, liquid acid dyes provide the brightest, most intense colours in the world. To make your own liquid acid dyes for silk painting, use the following recipe: Add 8 oz. (1 cup) of very hot water to one .5 oz. jar of Jacquard Acid Dye Powder. Stir until dissolved. This will yield a very concentrated dye solution. Most colours require further dilution. Note: every colour has a different solubility. Some colours are difficult to dissolve such as 605 and 618, but most are easily dissolved. The final concentration of the dye solution for painting should be between 4 and 8%. Start by adding 4 oz. (1/2 cup) of water to the 8 ounces you already have, test the colour and continue adding water until desired shade is achieved. Keep in mind that the colour intensity really develops in the steam setting process. Most colours will remain stable in solution for a long period of time. However, some colours will fall out of solution upon cooling or from sitting for a matter of weeks. To restore them simply heat them on the stove. A small amount of alcohol (about 1 tablespoon) can be added to the dye solution as a wetting agent. Use these directions as guidelines. Acid dyes are quite forgiving and amenable to variations in procedure. The more you experiment, the more you will discover.

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