Dyeing Wool and Cotton

Paper Summary:

The origins of the methods used in traditional dyeing are rooted in Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. Practically speaking, the principal methods of dyeing remained largely unchanged until the advent of synthetic dyes. This paper explores traditional methods of dyeing textiles (cotton, wool, silk) and examines the microscopy of the pigments used (woad, logwood, madder, copperas, etc).

From the Paper:

"It is a known fact that dyes react differently to various fibers and that their fastness is determined by the particular chemical properties of each fiber. The use of mordants ensures color fastness but again the longevity of the color is determined by a complex set of variables. In addition, different mordants achieve different shades and again the fastness of these shades is determined to a large extent by the particular method of application. Reaching optimum results also depends on the correct temperatures or the repeated dipping of the material into the dye bath or even on the application of several baths of different mordant dyes."

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