Painting on fabric is a fascinating activity that remains a very popular type of needlework today. Manufacturers offer a wide range of fabric dyes - from traditional to innovative. Our article will help you understand the most popular types and decide on the choice of paint to achieve the best result.
How to choose paints, markers and pencils for drawing on fabric
Deciding on the choice of dye is not difficult. In order not to make a mistake, you need to approach its purchase more scrupulously. What do you need to know to paint clothes? When choosing paint, you need to consider:
- material type. How can you dye clothes made of synthetics or silk? Not every dye can cope with this;
- desired result (full or partial coloring).
Material selection
For re-dying and painting, natural materials are considered the most suitable - linen, wool, cotton fabrics, natural silk. Also, very good results are obtained when working with textiles containing no more than 60% synthetic fibers. The color applies beautifully and evenly to such materials. The problem of tinting completely artificial fabrics was solved by Jacquard iDye Poly paint, the use of which makes it possible to remove restrictions on the requirements for the composition of textiles.
Acrylic dyes
Dyes made from acrylic, water-based and pigmenting agents are what can be used to paint on cotton, wool and silk fabrics. Available options:
- in a tube;
- spray can;
- in the form of a spray.
At home, painting on fabric with acrylic dye is very convenient.
Advantages of this type:
- easy application;
- long service life;
- absolute safety;
- ease of breeding;
- absence of an overly strong odor;
- a varied palette of colors;
- formation of a protective indelible layer;
- convenient release form.
How to make a design on clothes with acrylic dye? Very simple. You need to work with it in the same way as with gouache or watercolor - dip the brush in the paint and apply it to the fabric.
Types of fabric paints
The most popular type of fabric paint is acrylic. These dyes do not penetrate into the fiber, but form a film on it. The painted area becomes dense and inelastic. Acrylic dyes are waterproof and have bright colors.
Aniline dyes penetrate into the fibers of the fabric, so the color lasts for a long time. Stamp inks are very durable and do not fade even after washing with bleach. They are used more for marking clothes than for dyeing.
Paints are produced in different forms:
- liquid in tubes or jars;
- spray in a can;
- powder.
You can purchase the dye at a hardware store or craft department. There is a whole network of hypermarkets for creativity “Leonardo”, where a large assortment of dyes is presented.
Hair dyes are not suitable for dyeing fabrics. They lie on the material unevenly, things turn out spotty. In addition, these dyes quickly fade and fade when washed.
It is also better to avoid painting fabric with green paint. The antiseptic gives a bright emerald color, but is easily washed off with water. When washed, it will fade and stain other things.
Chemical dyes
Acrylic dyes are based on polymers. Their advantages:
- There is always a wide range on sale;
- safe;
- the paint can be diluted with water;
- variety and brightness of colors;
- shades can be mixed to create new options;
- waterproof.
The disadvantages include the strong fluidity of the paint. Therefore, you need to make an additional outline on the fabric. During long-term storage, the dye thickens and loses its coloring properties.
Acrylic dyes can be used to dye any type of fabric:
- denim;
- silk;
- cotton;
- linen
The exception is wool, on which the dye will crack. On jars and tubes of paint there are marks:
- silk - for cambric, silk, chiffon;
- textile - leather, velvet, suede.
Acrylic fits well on dense material - the design gets clear boundaries and bright color.
Aniline dyes are also waterproof and come in liquid and powder. Suitable for dyeing natural fabrics - cotton, wool, linen. The pigment is water-soluble and liquid, making it inconvenient to paint with. Aniline dyes are suitable for changing the color of an entire item at once.
Stamp inks are:
- alcohol;
- water-glycerin;
- oil
They are applied to any type of fabric and are produced mainly in black or blue.
Natural dyes
Made from brightly colored plants. Less persistent than chemical dyes, but safe for allergy sufferers and people with chronic skin diseases.
Colors of natural dyes:
- yellow - turmeric root, orange zest;
- indigo - a mixture of spinach and turmeric;
- brown - onion peels, oak bark, tea leaves;
- gray - bearberry, broom;
- red or purple - beets;
- purple - blueberries;
- blue - sage.
They dye things by boiling them in a solution of natural dye. To fix the color, you need to hold the item in an alum solution for 20 minutes.
See how to paint with natural paints:
Aerosols
Aerosol paints are available in cans. They are convenient for painting large things - scarves, bedspreads. The pigment applies smoothly, without smears. The cans have different hole diameters, so you can paint large and small details of the design.
Glowing colors
Glowing dyes contain fine luminescent powder - phosphor. It glows in the dark. Does not contain phosphorus, therefore safe for humans. Fluorescent paints are made on the basis of plastisol. They glow in the dark or under UV light.
The reflective effect is achieved due to phosphor. Such pigments are used for application to children's clothing so that the child is clearly visible to motorists on a dark street.
Natural paints
What natural products can be used to draw on fabric or dye it at home? The choice is quite varied. You can take:
- onion peel;
- Black tea;
- coffee;
- berries;
- orange zest;
- greens (spinach, celandine, etc.);
- beets;
- brilliant green;
- turmeric;
- oak bark;
- pine nut husks.
Such dyes do not contain chemicals, which is undoubtedly a huge plus. This is important for people with asthma or frequent allergic reactions.
They also have disadvantages:
- weak tenacity;
- rapid burnout;
- difficult selection of products to obtain the desired color.
This is why natural dye cannot be called the best dye for fabric.
Popular paint manufacturers
Manufacturers of acrylic paints:
- "Decola";
- "Delon";
- "Simplicol";
- "Marabou";
- "Pebeo";
- "Javana";
- "Gamma";
- "Pigment Acrylic";
- "Surf";
- "Ideal".
Lumier has gold and silver dyes that give a metallic effect.
St. Petersburg Decola paints are the most popular among batik artists. Sold individually and in sets. Additionally there are brushes, solvents, contours. The average cost is 110 rubles per 50 ml jar.
- French manufacturer. Their textile dyes are easy to use and safe. An additional assortment is represented by brushes, solvents, and stencils. The average cost is 300 rubles per 45 ml jar.
German offers a wide range of products. They have a lot of pigments of different colors, brushes, applicators, stencils. Pigments are convenient for drawing small details. To fix the color, just iron the item with an iron. The average cost is 70 rubles per 20 ml jar.
The pigments are suitable for coloring natural and synthetic materials. They are easy to use, even when painting by hand. Gives a rich color. The average cost is 70 rubles per 20 ml jar.
Screen printing inks are water-based. Light colored material should be dyed. The average cost is 130 rubles per 50 ml jar.
Aniline dyes
Is it better to draw on natural fabric or dye it so that it doesn’t wash off? Aniline dyes. They are best suited for such materials.
They are produced in the form:
- liquids;
- powder.
They are easy to use. Need to:
- Dissolve in water at a rate of 1:30. If the product weighs 100 g, you should add 3 liters of paint.
- Heat the resulting solution to 95 degrees.
- Place clothes in it.
- Boil for several minutes or longer.
- Add a few tablespoons of salt.
- Rinse dyed clothes.
Types of Dyes
The stores sell many different paints for clothes, shoes, and textiles. Some are presented in liquid form, others in cans, and others in powder. There are even special awning (rubber) paints, which are called “liquid plastic” and are used to cover tents, car covers, and packaging materials.
To purchase, you can go to a large specialty store (for example, Leonardo) or to a regular hardware store. The packaging of the product always contains instructions that must be strictly followed, otherwise the result will be unpredictable. The most popular types of fabric colors are described below.
Acrylic paints
Acrylic dyes are the most suitable option for cotton, wool, and silk. With their help, original drawings are made, as far as imagination allows. The funds are widely used for hobbies and creativity.
They are water-based, contain acrylic and pigments, and are completely safe for humans. You can use paints for painting on T-shirts, pillows, napkins and other products.
Working with acrylic colors is easy. You must first draw with a pencil, and then trace the outline with a brush. After complete drying, the paint becomes indelible, but it is not recommended to wash the product in a washing machine. It is better to use hand wash at a water temperature of up to 35 degrees.
The most famous manufacturers of acrylic colors:
- Decola (Decola);
- Dylon (Delon);
- Simplicol (Simplicol);
- Marabu (Marabou) Fashion Color;
- Pebeo (Pebeo);
- Javana (Javana).
Most often, the products are produced in tubes of 10–50 ml, but sprays and aerosols are also available for sale. An interesting option is the mysterious black paint Divinity Original Sin.
Aniline dyes
Aniline dye is also indelible and is widely used for dyeing natural fabrics, but is not suitable for synthetics and mixed materials with 60% artificial fibers.
The products are sold in liquid and powder form. Usually they are diluted with water 1/30 - 1/40, a piece of fabric is completely immersed in the solution and heated to 95 degrees. After “boiling,” the pigment is fixed: before removing the product from the water, add 2–5 tablespoons of salt. If wool is dyed, add a little vinegar to the salt; for cotton, additional soda is added.
After cooking is completed, the product is rinsed in cool water. Don't be alarmed if it sheds a little at first - this is normal. The painting technique described is called “batik”.
Aniline dyes are also used for another technique - gradient. The product is lowered into water gradually so that part of it becomes dark, and subsequent areas become lighter. If you twist the boiled item with your hands, as when squeezing, you will get streaks.
Stamp inks
Using permanent stamp inks, hotels mark towels, linens, and other types of fabrics. Such colors may have different chemical composition depending on the type, so there are features in use:
- alcohol - dry quickly, washable with bleach without loss of brightness;
- water-glycerin - can withstand washing in water at temperatures up to +70 degrees, most often have a dark brown, blue, black color;
- oil - dry very slowly, but are extremely waterproof and do not fade;
- colorless - used for hidden marking, visible only under ultraviolet rays.
Plastisol paints
An example of the use of such paints is luminous designs on sneakers and clothes, which are clearly visible in the dark.
You can paint the decor using special reflective or fluorescent colors based on plastisol. Paints can be invisible during the day, but at night or under the influence of ultraviolet light they acquire red, pink, white, green, yellow and other colors.
Natural paints
Until the chemical industry created such a variety of dyes, people were forced to use natural dyes for fabrics.
Of course, their durability is lower than synthetic pigments, and the result is often unpredictable. But for allergy sufferers and people suffering from bronchial asthma, it is better to use precisely such substances that will not harm the body.
What specific means can be used to dye fabric for crafts, educational items, and clothing? Here are the most famous natural paints:
- yellow - turmeric, wormwood, orange zest;
- indigo - a mixture of turmeric and spinach;
- golden - celandine;
- brown - onion peels, oak bark, cinnamon, cedar husks, henna for hair, black tea;
- gray - coffee, broom, bearberry;
- red, red-violet, purple - blueberries, elderberries, beets;
- blue - sage, blackberry.
Dyeing fabric with your own hands is easy. You need to add a sufficient amount of pigment to the water, place the product there, and heat the solution to +60 degrees. You can't boil water! Next, you need to soak the fabric in the solution for 20 - 40 minutes.
The color must be fixed. To do this, prepare a new 1% solution of any of the substances:
- potassium bichromate;
- tin chloride;
- ferric ammonium alum;
- potassium alum;
- copper sulfate.
The product is immersed in the solution for 5 minutes, then rinsed again.
Aerosol paints
Aerosol paint is very convenient to use. Sold in cans, which are recommended for dyeing large areas of fabric. Matter becomes strong and stops stretching. Spray paints also need to be sprayed onto the fabric, but the color is sprayed in larger droplets.
Glowing colors
Some paints are luminescent - they contain a fine powder (luminophor) that has the property of glowing in the dark. There is no phosphorus in the colors, so they are safe for humans.
The products can be diluted with colorless varnish. Some paints contain glitter to give a metallic effect. They can be applied to cotton products - pants, T-shirts, etc.
Permanent fabric markers: how to use
Regular t-shirts without designs are boring. Who said that you have to accept this ordinariness? No no and one more time no! Pick up a marker and get creative! But the question is: what kind of marker can you use to draw on clothes? Of course, permanent.
Don't want any drawings? That's your business. You can leave some witty inscription on your clothes. How can you write on fabric? The answer is the same: with a permanent marker.
He contains:
- alcohol;
- resin;
- paint.
How to use fabric markers? Nothing could be simpler. Imagine that in front of you is an ordinary white sheet of paper - and start drawing.
Dyeing fabric at home
Before you dye the fabric, you need to prepare it. The item, especially if it is new, should be washed. Many fabrics shrink after washing, so if you wash an item after dyeing, the design will become deformed.
For dark fabrics, you should use a primer - paint adheres better to it. The primer you need is not an ordinary acrylic one, it is too dense. White or pearlescent paints are suitable.
To work you will need the following tools:
- pencil or special solution for drawing an outline;
- tassels;
- cellophane film;
- hoops or frames for stretching fabric;
- a jar of water;
- stencils;
- cotton buds.
Useful tips for painting on fabric:
- you need to start painting with light acrylic paints, and then add dark tones;
- make color transitions quickly, because acrylic dries quickly;
- after applying the first layer, the item should be set aside to dry for a day;
- after painting is completed, dry the item for another day, and then iron it through the fabric;
- when dyeing, place cellophane under thin fabric so that the paint does not leak;
- To draw on the material, use a special marker, traces of which disappear after washing;
- During painting, brushes should be washed with clean water more often so that the colors do not mix.
After use, clean the brushes with a degreaser - nail polish remover, acetone.
See what mistakes you should not make when painting on fabric:
How to dye fabric
Fabric dyeing includes several stages:
- Wash clothes by hand, pre-soak them, dry and iron.
- Prepare everything you need.
- Protect your hands with gloves.
- Pour the dye into water and wait for it to dissolve.
- Heat to the desired temperature (this is indicated in the instructions).
- Add a few teaspoons of baking soda and tablespoons of salt.
- Place items in the dye mixture for half an hour.
- Turn the product over periodically.
Material dyeing technology
You can paint things in different ways. Technologies for coloring the entire thing:
- manual - boil the item in a pigment solution;
- wash with pigment in the washing machine.
You don’t have to paint the entire material, but just apply a design to it. This technology is called batik.
In the washing machine
You can dye an item by washing it in a washing machine with dye. The method is simple and fast, but has a drawback - paint particles settle on the inner surface of the drum. Items may be damaged during subsequent washing.
After dyeing in the washing machine, you need to rinse it - run the washing cycle twice without clothes or with unnecessary fabric.
Algorithm for dyeing in a washing machine:
- dilute the paint and pour it into a container for powder;
- wet the item, put it in the drum;
- run the wash with water heated to 90 degrees for 30 minutes;
- turn off spin.
After washing, rinse the item with cold water.
To watch the video of coloring the product:
How to draw on clothes so they don't wash off
Stick to a simple plan:
- Choose a suitable picture.
- Prepare everything you need for drawing.
- Refer to the Internet for instructions on patterns on clothing.
- Create/purchase a sketch of an image.
- Use copy paper to transfer the design onto the fabric.
- Color the image.
Preparatory work
Before applying a dye, for example, spray paint for fabric or any other, it is first important to properly prepare the material:
- clothes are washed, especially if there are stains of grease or dirt on them. After washing, it is not necessary to dry the fabric; paint adheres better to wet fabric;
- All accessories are removed from the item so that they do not become stained;
- It is advisable to first weigh the clothes in order to know for sure how much dye mixture will be needed, for example, how many cans to buy.
How to wash painted items
The following rules must be taken into account:
- Wash separately from other items at a gentle temperature.
- Avoid soaking in water.
- Wash with a gentle detergent intended for colored items.
- Do not use bleaches.
- Rinse vigorously.
- Eliminate friction.
- Do not spin.
- When rinsing, add vinegar (at the end).
- Dry away from heating devices.
- Never iron with a hot iron. Only warm.
Types of pigments by composition
Depending on the composition, there are natural dyes (tea, coffee, etc.) and synthetic ones sold in stores. Ready-made materials are easy to use and include the following types of paints:
- Acrylic
- Aniline
- Stamp
- Plastisol
- VAT
This article discusses ready-made fabric dyes that are sold in stores. We will discuss dyeing things with natural substances such as tea, coffee, and beets in another material.
To choose the optimal composition for dyeing fabric, we will dwell in more detail on each type of dye.
Pants before and after dyeing
Acrylic paints
One of the most popular materials for fabrics is acrylic paints. It is distinguished by a huge selection of assortments. There is acrylic with mother-of-pearl, shiny, silver, luminous, etc. This is due to the inertness of the acrylic paint base, due to which manufacturers include various additional components in it to give specific effects.
Characteristics of paints from different manufacturers
The market offers an abundance of various products of domestic and foreign production. To choose the best permanent acrylic paints for painting on clothing, look beyond price. For example, products of Russian brands are not inferior in quality to products of foreign brands. However, their cost is an order of magnitude less. Therefore, first of all, pay attention to the characteristics and properties of coloring compositions. Price in itself is not a determining factor or a guarantee of high quality of the product.
