Fabric Dyeing & Treatments
Custom Garment Dyeing is the process used to add color to your garments with the ability to match virtually any color and replicate it to the desired hue (Pantone).
This customization technique has many applications such as creating custom colored garments to accurately match your brand guidelines as well as eliminating stock shortages of specific product colors. This is only recommended to be used on Prepared For Dye (PFD) garments that have not already been shrunk down to size. All applicable garments in our catalog will be tagged with the filter PFD (Prepared for Dye) under Features & Properties.
The following are the most common garment dyeing techniques offered for PFD garments. The choice of what method to use will be determined by the desired result and the garments fabric composition.
Reactive Dye:
Most expensive dye
Dyes are absorbed into the fibers (not coated)
Best dyes to use for cotton and other knits
Achieve bright colors (ie: neon)
Most fade-resistant after repeated washing
Enhances colorfastness (preventing washed out, running, or fading)
May be used with both garment and piece dye processes
Direct Dye:
Less expensive dyes
Dyes adhere to the top of the fibers; “coat” them
Work best with lighter and pastel colors
May be used with both garment and piece dye processes
Pigment Dye:
Specialty dye process
Dyes adhere to the top of the fibers; “coates” them
Provides a well worn, faded, relaxed look
Will continue to soften and age with washing
May be used with garment dye only
Tie Dye: This is a specialized dyeing technique that uses one of the above dyeing mediums to create an irregular color pattern. Rather than dying the entire garment, portions of it are tied off shielding the garment dye from dyeing specific areas. While the resulting patterns will vary from piece to piece, the overall style and pattern can be controlled.
**Additional Note: Most of the time reactive dyes are best used for dark colors while direct dyes are most commonly used for light and pastel colors. This is a decision we will advise you on depending on the exact look you are trying to achieve.
Fabric Treatments: the following are the most common garment treatments
Garment Wash
Washing process that occurs after the garment is assembled
Result is a softer, white garment with less shrinkage
Recommended for customers needing a “pre-shrunk” garment
If you will be using white as a “color” in your garment dye line, garment washing is utilized to shrink the white garments so that the sizing is consistent with the product you dye.
This is a standard wash that is only required for the base color (PFD) garments (typically white)
Silicone Wash
A treatment that adds a layer of softness to a garment
Enzyme Wash
Laundering process which uses enzymes to clean clothing or to finish fabric
Helps to alleviate the fuzzy build up (pilling) of fabric on a garment
Gives a fabric a more worn, vintage look without compromising the fabrics integrity
Softens the fabric
Mineral Wash
Gives the shirt a bleached, acid washed look
Typical to see pattern differences as well as shade differences between every piece within a wash