Painting and dyeing with fiber-reactive dyes involves 3 stages:
-
the absorption of the dyes in the fabric,
-
the fixing of the dyes in the fabric, and
-
the rinsing of the superfluous and not fixed dye-stuff.
Hereafter you will find the instructions to paint and to dye by hand and in the washing machine with TobaSign liquid fiber-reactive dyes.
1. the
absorption with
TOBASIGN liquid
When you apply TobaSign on the fabric, you will note how the dye expands in all directions. The speed and the way the dyes expand depend on the quality and the thickness of the fabric. It's important that the fabrics are 100% natural (silk, cotton, linen, wool,...) The fabrics must be free of sizing or dressing that may prevent dye absorption.
The dyes can be applied in different ways; with normal brushes, foam
brushes, an airbrush...
The colors can perfectly be mixed with each other before their application
or on the fabric directly.
TOBAWET serves to dilute the TobaSign dyes and to
obtain clearer tones.
TOBAGUT and TOBASIGN thickened are
used to outline drawings. With the gutta you can create zones. Where
applied the gutta seals the fibers and prevents the dye to expand from
one zone to another.
Apply the gutta on the outlines of the drawing and leave it to dry.
Once it is dry you can paint within the areas reserved. The dye will
expand evenly until the limit marked by the gutta.
After the dyes have been fixed within the fiber, the gutta is eliminated
when the fabric is washed with water. The colorless gutta disappears
then and the surfaces previously covered with it return to their original
color. The colored gutta will preserve its color.
2. the
fixing
with TOBAFIX
After painting, wait until the fabric is completely dry. Next step is to fix the dyes promoting a permanent bond between the dye and the fiber. It is recommended to let the work on the frame during the fixing process. The application of TobaFix is simple. Apply it with a foam brush. It is important it covers all painted parts.
In order to fix thick fabrics it is recommended to apply TobaFix on both sides of the fabric.
After 1 hour the dyes are fixed within the fiber.
Note: TobaFix only serves to fix TobaSign dyes.
Depending on the fabric the TobaSign dyes are fixed in different ways:
• On silk the dyes can be fixed indifferently
with
Tobafix or with
steam (with exactly the same result);
• On cotton and on linen the
dyes can only be fixed with
Tobafix;
• On wool the dyes can only be fixed with
steam.
3. the
rinsing
After fixing, rinse the fabric in running water and agitate it so that TobaFix is eliminated and the excess dye is washed away.
Don't worry if the water gets colored. The fiber of the fabric cannot
absorb an unlimited amount of color and rejects the exceeding dye.
Dye with TobaSign
For Batik, Shibori etc...
Dye recipe to dye by hand and in the washing machine:
Proportion of fabric and water: 1/20
For each gram of fabric 20 ml of water
100 gr of fabric 2000ml (2 liter) of water
Proportion of dye stuff, salt and fix:
TobaSign liquid 50ml/litre of water - less for lighter colors
Salt 50gr/litre of water
TobaFix 50ml/litre of water for cotton and linen
25ml/litre of water for silk
Dye by hand:
Images of dyeing process
1. the
absorption:
dye bath with
TOBASIGN fiber-reactive dyes
Weigh the fabric
Prepare the dye bath (water + salt + TobaSign liquid dye) according to the mentioned proportions in the recipe.
Wet the fabric before submerging it into the dye bath.
Immerse the wetted fabric in the dye bath.
Agitate the fabric during half an hour in the dye bath.
2.
fixation with
TOBAFIX
Remove the fabric out of the dye bath.
Add TobaFix to the dye bath according to the mentioned proportions.
Submerge the fabric again in the dye bath with TobaFix.
Stir during 1 hour.
3. the
rinsing
Remove the fabric from the dye bath and rinse it in running water so that the excess dye is washed away.
Dye in the washing machine:
1. the
absorption:
dye bath with
TOBASIGN fiber-reactive dyes
Weigh the fabric and calculate the quantities of salt, TobaSign and TobaFix needed according to the proportions in the recipe.
Pour the salt in the washing machine.
Put the fabric in the washing machine.
Set the machine on main washing program without pre-wash at 30°C. and start the machine.
Add the TobaSign dyes in the powder dispenser.
Let the machine agitate during 15 minutes with the salt, the fabric and the dye.
2.
fixation with
TOBAFIX
Add the TobaFix and let it run through the entire washing program. The fixative must act for 1 hour. Pay attention that the dye bath is not drained out before that time. You might have to extend the wash cycle.
3. the
rinsing
After dyeing the fabric, run it through a complete wash cycle with a neutral detergent.
Some tips when dyeing in the washing machine:
To dye uniform colors, select the program with the maximum amount of water
Do not overload the washing machine
To dye small amounts of fabric, select the program with low water consumption
