Technical Information
Information on Water Soluble and Food Dyes
Information on Oil & Wax Soluble Dyes
Information on our Colours in the EU Cosmetic Directive
Information on USA and European Cosmetic Regulations
Information on EU Food Colorant Groups
Information on Natural Colours
How to dye wool, nylon and silk fibres
How to dye with Procion MX Dyes in a washing machine
How to dye silk with Procion MX Dyes
Can I dye viscose?
Yes - you use the same dyes as for cellulosic fabrics such as cotton. The method is shown here: How to dye with Reactive Dyes.
How do you dye Nylon? How do you dye Wool?
A very simple method using hot water (95°C) and Vinegar is shown here. Dye Nylon and Wool. If you use this method to dye a garment, the high temperature is likely to affect it. You may achieve a perfect dyeing but it may be un-wearable! A sample is more than enough and if you willing to take a gamble, it won't cost a lot of money.
Can you buy purple food dye?
No - you have to use a mixture of red and blue food dyes such as E129 Allura Red AC Granular and E133 Brilliant Blue FCF. A starting ratio of the two dyes would be 4 parts red to 1 part blue. The full range of red and blue food dyes are shown here: Food Dyes
How can I dye silk?
You can use either our acid dyes shown here: Wool, Nylon and Silk Dyes with the method is shown here: How to dye Wool, Nylon & Silk Fibres.
Alternatively, you can dye with our Procion MX Reactive Dyes.
What is the difference between a food dye and a food lake?
The food dye is the water-soluble version of the colorant (normally the Sodium Salt) whereas the food lake is the insoluble pigment form (the Aluminium Salt). The lakes are used where the presence of water would cause a problem such as an oil-based product.
How do you colour diesel?
You choose one of solvent dyes that are soluble in fuel shown here: Fuel Dyes The best to use them is to make a solution of the dye by dissolving 5g in 500ml of Fuel. This will give you a liquid concentrate. If you add 10 ml of this concentrate to 1 litre of fuel, you will get a solution of 100 ppm. You can vary the amount to suit your needs. You can also mix the dyes to produce many different colours.
How do you colour lamp oil?
You use the same dyes and method for colouring diesel - shown above.
How do you detect leaks in domestic water pipes?
Depending on the water supply, you choose an appropriate dye. For example, if it is drinking water then you should use a food dye such as E133 Brilliant Blue FCF. If it is in a sewer pipe, Ebest Fluorescein LTC and Ebest Rhodamine B are recommended. If it is in a heating system, Bestoil Pyranine 01 is recommended.
These dyes can be seen at 10ppm. The best way to use them is to make a solution of the dye by dissolving 5g in 500 ml of water. This will give you a liquid concentrate. If you add 1ml of this concentrate to 1 litre of water, you will get a solution of 10ppm.
How do you make coloured smoke?
It requires additional chemicals besides the smoke dyes. The chemicals and the methodology will have to be sourced from elsewhere.
What dyes can be used to colour Candle Wax?
Our ranges of suitable dyes are shown here: Candle Dyes. How to use these dyes in candles is shown here: How To Colour Candle Wax.
What dyes can be used for tinting solvents?
It is dependent on which solvent you are using. Dyes vary considerably in their solubility within different solvents. Please contact the company for specific advice Contact FastColours.
If you need any additional technical help, please contact the company by phone on 01484 860101 or by e-mail technical@fastcolours.com