This is a technical article by Harry Mercer on Indigo dyeing. It is the fourth and the last part of the article in series. The first part can be seen by clicking here and the second one here and the third one here Part 4 of 4: Denim Dyeing Done Right Indigo dye is unique among textile dyes with the unusual color and appearance that it imparts to any fabric, and is along with the extreme comfort of 100% cotton denim is the source of denim’s enduring appeal. Attempts to replicate the Indigo ...Read More

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This is a technical post by Harry Mercer on Indigo dyeing. It is the third part of the article in series. The first part can be seen by clicking here and the second one here Part 3 of 4: Monitoring of the Indigo Dye baths As discussed in Part 2 of this series, most of the control of Indigo dyeing must be managed before the dye and chemicals reach the dye boxes in the machine. In order to measure the effectiveness of control measures of the dye and chemical mixes, it is necessary to measure ...Read More

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This is a guest post by Harry Mercer on Indigo dyeing. It is second part of the article in series. The first part can be seen by clicking here Preparation For Dyeing In the previous article, the basic machine factors in Indigo dyeing were discussed. There are many other details required to achieve the highest quality Indigo dyeings , but ultimately the most important factors involve the preparation of Indigo and chemical feeds to the machine. Approximately 80% of Indigo dyeing control ...Read More

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This is a highly technical article on Indigo dyeing by Harry Mercer. Read on if you are technically oriented.. This is the first of a series of 4 articles addressing the problems and potential of Indigo dyeing. The Indigo color is the principal source of the almost magical appeal of denim. The dyeing process is unique among all methods of commercial dyeing, with the unusual design that is necessary for cotton dyeing with Indigo. Indigo has been used for thousands of years, principally on wool ...Read More

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This is a guest post by Harry Mercer. It tells about the  best practices in Sulphur dyeing for fashion denim and was  a part of the presentation made at Dhaka  by him on a seminar on Sulphur Dyes by Fenazol The Nature of Sulfur Dyes Sulfur dyes are a form of vat dyes – they are water-insoluble and in order to apply to fibers must be made water-soluble through the process of reduction.  Reduction is a chemical process in which hydrogen is liberated. The hydrogen ...Read More

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Want to learn more about how to resolve everyday stitch and seam  quality problems with denim?  If you do , a free workshop by American and Efird  will give you useful knowledge on how to overcome the most typical seaming problems. A&E develops the content and creates these programs as a special means to help companies  increase productivity.  Topics covered include: Review of common stitches used in denim and why each is used.  Detailed overview of 5 ...Read More

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Martelli Europe is one of the most reputed washing laundries around the world and brings out specialized washes at various times. The company is highly focused on contributing to new developments which result in environment friendly techniques . I spoke to the Managing Director of Martelli Europe – Mr. Mauro Angelini – regarding the same and he was quite emphatic on the contribution  of new  vintage wash developments which may help to reduce CO2 emissions and contribute in ...Read More

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Bluconnection – an innovative indigo dye manufacturing company from Singapore has compiled a comprehensive compendium about the history , chemistry and application of Indigo dyes. We are producing some extracts from this compendium . Also show is the complete presentation in a slideshow under the article and it can also be obtained in  PDF form Free by email from Paul Cowell of Bluconnection. Indigo History The roots of indigo go back into the stone age when our ancestors used indigo ...Read More

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American and Efird – has listed out some of the most common seam inequalities in the manufacturing of denim jeans . The company lists out the defects and suggests solutions for removing these defects. We are summarizing the results from A & E  below :   1.BROKEN STITCHES – NEEDLE CUTTING Description : Where the thread is being broken where one seam crosses another seam (ex: bartacks on top of waistband stitching, seatseam on top of riser seam ) resulting in stitch ...Read More

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This is a guest post by Harry Mercer Until 1915, most Indigo dyeing was conducted in skein machines for cotton or loose fiber dyeing for wool. Skein dyeing of Indigo is still the best method for dyeing Indigo on very fine yarns for the delicate high-fashion fabrics. In 1915, the first rope dyeing machine appeared and only in the 1970’s was sheet dyeing introduced. The relative advantages of rope as opposed to sheet Indigo machines is a common subject of debate. Based on my 30 years of ...Read More

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