How to Resist Print using Reactive Dyes

How to resist print using reactive Colors

In resist printing using reactive colors, non-carbonic acids such as Tartaric Acids or Citric acid can be used.These acids act as resist agents. As acids are used therefore such a thickner is selected that does not degrade in acid. Here Methylhydroxy-ethylated cellulose ethers are used.
The following resist paste formula is used to print on the fabric:

For White Resist

Citric Acid- 50 gms
Water- 50 gms
Thickener- 600 gms.
To recognise the the printed design, sometimes tints such as CI Acid Blue-1 can be used. Also Fluorescent Brightening Agent can also be used which is visible in UV light.

After printing, the substrate is padded with concentrated solution of reactive colors, containing very less amount of Sodium Bicarbonate.The color is fixed after drying the cloth.

The following formule is used to:

1. Pad the cloth:

Reactive color: 20 gms
Resist Salt: 7 gms
Hot Water: 393 gms

Mix the three, let the solution to cool and then add the following chemicals:

3% Sodium Bicarbonate: 500 gms
Thickner: 80 gms
Make it to 1 kg.

2. Fixation Solution:

Caustic Soda -32.5%: 20ml
Glauber's Salt : 200 gms
Common salt: 100 gms

Make it to 1 liter.
Now steam the fabric for 20 seconds after padding with fixation solution.

For Color Resist

Thickner (Cellulose Ether): 100 gms
Emulsifier: 8 gmsWater: 110 gms
Pigment Binder:140 gms
White Spirit: 617 gms
Phosphoric or if Roller printing then Tartaric Acid: 120 gms

Print the fabric with the formula as given above. Then pad with reactive colors and Dry. Then Steam the cloth for 2-10 minutes, rinse and dry.

Disclaimer: Please test on a small piece before going for full fledge project. The receipe is meant to be used by professionals who know the behaviour of various chemicals and their interactions. Take all the precautions in handling chemicals. Don't use any combination of chemicals about which you don't know the outcome.

Amazing Explanation of Cotton, Wool and Silk Fabric

An Amazing dictionary of the cotton, silk and wool fabrics is given in this directory of Internet Centre of Canadian Fashion and Design.

It is different from the other dictionaries in that the explanation is divided into four parts: Fiber, Weave, Characteristics and uses.

The following Fibres are covered:

Cotton Fabrics:
Armure Batiste Birdseye Broadcloth Brocade Buckram Butcher Linen Calico Cambric Candlewick Fabric Canton Flannel Canvas Chambray Chamois Cloth Chamoisette Cheesecloth Chenille Fabric Chino Chintz Chite Corduroy Cotton Crepe Crettone Denim Dimity Domett Flannel Dotted Swiss Drill Duck Flannelette Fustian Gabardine Gingham Homespun Hopsacking Jersey Lawn Madras Monk's Cloth Nainsook Organdy Oxford Percale Pique Plisse Point d'esprit Poplin Provence Sailcloth Sateen Seersucker Terry cloth Tiking Velveteen Velour Vichy Voile Whipcord

Wool Fabrics
Agneline Albert Cloth Astrakhan Barathea Beaver Cloth Bedford Cord Birdseye Blanket Cloth Bolivia Bombazine Boucle Broadcloth Cavalry Twill Challis (Chalys) Cheviot Chinchilla Covert Crepe Doeskin Donegal Duvetyn(e) Eponge (Souffle) Felt Flannel Wool Flannel Worsted Flannel Fleece Gabardine Homespun Hopsacking Jersey Wool Jersey Doubleknit Kersey Lambswool Loden ClothMackinaw Melton Monk's Cloth Montagnac Pin Check, Pinhead and Pick Pyrenees Repp or Rep Serge Sharkskin Shatush Shetland Suede Tricotine Tropical Worsteds Tweed Harris Tweed Venetian Viyella Whipcord Wool Zibeline

Silk Fabrics
Bayadere Bengaline Brocade Brocatelle Camocas Cendal Chiffon China Silk CrepeCrepe-back satin Crepe de ChineCreponGeorgette CrepeFlat CrepeMoss Crepe Degummed Silk Doupion, Douppioni Duchesse Faconne Faille Foulard Frise Glove Silk Habutai Honan Illusion Lame Marquisette Matelasse Messaline Mousseline de Soie Moire Net Ninnon Organza Ottoman Panne Peau de Cynge Peau de Peche Pongee Rajah SatinSatin-back Crepe Satin-backDouble-face SatinDuchessSatin FaconneSlipper SatinPaillette SatinPeau de Soie Shantung Sharkskin Sheer Silk Spun Rayon Surah TaffetaFaille TaffetaPaper TaffetaPoumpadou TaffetaShot TaffetaTissue TaffetaWarp-print TaffetaTricot Tulle Tussah VelvetCisele VelvetFaconne VelvetLyons VelvetNacre VelvetPanne VelvetPlushTransparent VelvetUtrecht VelvetVelvet Satin

I just wish it were supplemented by pictures !!

Denim Produced from Your Torn Jeans

There is a patent document which claims that the denim fabric can be produced from waste denim yarn. In this fabric 40%-100% of waste fiber is used. To reclaim the waste fiber, the fabric is subjected to garnetting and low tension carding, before spinning it in the form of yarn and using it to weave fabric.

The only thing remains to be seen is the techno-commercial viability of such product. Garnetted fibers produce problems in carding, drawframe and posisbly in high speed weaving. Though it is claimed that such a denim will have adequate strength, it will remain a challange. It is suggested that some virgin fiber should be added in the garnetted fiber or it is subjected to some lubrication before spinning. All this will lead to increase in process cost.

Neverthless, this is a good news for your torn denim jeans which can now be recycled into a new one without damaging the environment. Just give your jeans to the local rag picker and it will eventually find itself into a new jeans. However, if you don't want to part away with your jeans, here are the instructions what you can do with them. Of course, there are 25 other ways to make use of your old jeans.

Worldwise, concerns are growing reagarding using the denim waste. A project making the use of denim shoddy is one of such cases. It is being used in myriad ways including its use in oil filters. Successful attempts have been made to make paper out of denim wastes.

Note: Garnetting is a process by which material such as threads, rags, woven cloth scraps, and the like are broken up and returned to a substantial fluffy, fibrous condition simulating the original condition of the fiber. This is done by first chopping the material to small pieces (e.g. two to six inches) and then running the pieces through a series of high speed cylinders which can be covered with wire (e.g. saw wire), steel spikes, or the like. The treatment breaks up the material into individual fibers typically having a length of one and one-eighth inches or less.

How to Buy Fabric for the Garments

An excellent guide on how to buy fabrics for the garments is given here. All the essential questions regarding what, why, where, how and who of fabric buying are explained in this guide.