Description: Rubia Tinctorum
Highest quality Persian madder. High alizarin and pseudopurpurin dye content.
Makes deep red dye for textiles.
For manufacture of madder lake pigments.
Madder is a perennial plant with evergreen leaves and yellow flower that is cultivated for its long roots from which the dye is made. The plants must be at least three years old before their roots, containing the active dye compounds, alizarin and pseudopurpurin, are selectively cut from the plant.
Although mostly used to make deep red dye colours, the use of mordants and other dye bath techniques allows for the creation of yellow, orange, pink and purple shades.
Production method:
Roots are harvested carefully to maintain the crop for future years. After careful selection, the roots are washed, left to dry naturally and finally powdered.
Product code: 4144
How to dye with Madder
Ensure your fibre/fabric has been properly scoured before use. Depending on the effects required, different mordants may be used.
100gm madder roots will dye approximately 100gm of fibre for strong red tones.
Place the roots into a pot and cover with hot water. Ensure your fabric/fibre has plenty of room easily for even uptake of the dye. Bring the dye bath to 60-70 degrees Celsius (140-160 F) and maintain at this temperature for an hour. Add your wet/damp fibres and keep the dye bath at 60-70 degrees Celsius for a further hour. If you allow the temperature to get too high, you will get browner/duller colours.
Allow the dye bath to cool for several hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. If the desired shades have not been reached, you can reheat and cool again.
Orange shades: Fibres/fabrics can be dipped in a citric acid solution or water with vinegar added after dyeing.
Salmon, earth-reds and browns shades: Add copper modifier.
Pink shades: Add alkaline modifier.