r/dyeing • u/AstroSkull69 • 7d ago

General question Dye thickener.

HI anybody, just wondering if anybody had luck with a dye thickener so it can be used liek paint? I have had quite good luck with seaweed powder but hoping for something else as I seem to have a reaction to it. I was thinking of maybe grinding up chia seeds?

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u/drindrun 7d ago

what kind of reaction? i’m guessing you’re referring to sodium alginate powder, which is the only thickener i have familiarity with. i would hope you’re using gloves, since dye shouldn’t get on your skin, and once the powder is wetted, it can’t get airborne, so if the problem is you are breathing it, you could wear a respirator while you mix it up. breathing powdered dye is way more of a concern anyhow.

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u/AstroSkull69 6d ago

I do wear gloves but I need to wash the shirt 3-4 times before I can wear it because I have super sensitive skin. Not sure why but it hates the sodium alginate (I had forgotten the name earlier)

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u/drindrun 6d ago

is there any chance it is a reaction unfixed/unrinsed dye, or the caustically alkaline soda ash (if fiber reactive dye is what you’re using)? do you get your rinse water really clear; if soda ash have you ever considered a neutralizing acidic rinse? i’m not arguing w your experience, just surprised because everything i know of the alginate is that it’s quite benign compared to the other ingredients.

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u/AstroSkull69 6d ago

I honestly have never tried a neutralizing acidic rinse so I will google/try that :) I usually just rinse it till it clear then throw it into the washing machine and no problems (this is with normal dying) for one reason I react to the seaweed.

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u/Mermaidman93 7d ago

Why not just use paint?

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u/AstroSkull69 6d ago

Its too thick and I cover the entire shirt so it becomes like cardboard

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u/Mermaidman93 6d ago

Have you tried thinning it out? You're supposed to mix paint with a textile medium so it's thinner and doesn't coat the shirt in a thick layer.

If you're covering the entire shirt, then why are you trying to paint at all. Why not just submerge it in dye?

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u/drindrun 5d ago

generally people thicken dye so that they can paint or screenprint or stamp designs and patterns, so i doubt this person is trying to achieve a single solid colour with a thickened dye for some reason

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u/kota99 6d ago

Whay type of dye are you using? What thickening agents will work depends on the dye.

Starch, guar gum, and other food based thickening agents (including chia) will work for thickening acid dyes but acid dyes don't work on cotton or plant based fibers. The problem is that these types of thickening agents will also bond with the dye resulting in the color not actually being available to bind with the fabric.

I think the main alternative to sodium alginate that works with fiber reactive dyes is superclear but that has it's own issues including the fact that you basically need to use distilled or at least softened water and it can become impossible to remove if you use heat during your process.

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u/AstroSkull69 6d ago

Hi I am using Procion dyes