WHAT ARE ORGANIC & NATURAL DYES?
Abbey Color is a key international manufacturer and supplier of organic dyes, also known as natural dyes. We use the latest technologies to extract and process the richest colors that nature provides, while taking care to maintain the integrity of the natural color. Abbey Color supplies five organic dyes / natural dyes: logwood, walnuts crystals, fustic, brazilwood and hematine.
While synthetic materials can offer longer lasting color in a wider range of options and a wider range of materials, natural and organic dyes provide exactly what they say they do. The colors are from nature, and add richness to natural materials such as wool, cotton, leather, and more.
Okay, Specifically What Are They?
Logwood: Referred to as Natural Black #1, logwood requires a mordant to develop the color and to fix the organic dye. With a tin mordant, logwood gives hues in the reddish violet to the purple range. With an alum mordant, it gives purple to blue-purple colors. With chrome, one generally gets a blue toned charcoal hue. With iron, the color is grey to black and typically comes with a bluish tint. Logwood dyes all natural fibers, such as cotton, silk and wool. A major product produced from logwood is hematine, which is described in further detail below.
Hematine: As mentioned above, hematine is produced from logwood and therefore is also referred to as Natural Black #1. There are several grades of hematine, but all are used to dye natural fibers. Hematine’s most specific use is for the dying of silk to be used in medical sutures.
Walnut Crystals: Naturally brown in color, walnut crystals are produced from peat. Its chemical name is Natural Brown #12 and walnut crystals are used in dying various natural fibers and paper. Walnut inks are especially used to make paper look aged.
Fustic: Commonly called Natural Yellow #11, fustic is used for dying many natural fibers, and is commonly used for dying leather.
Brazilwood: Brazilwood generates an earthy red tone that can be readily used for dying leather and other natural fibers. Generally called Natural Red #24, brazilwood requires a mordant like all natural dyes. Alum will generate the red colors while a tin mordant will produce a pink shade.
Allow Abbey Color to color your world.