GARMENT DYEING

 Garment dyeing is the process of dyeing fully

fashioned garments. (such as pants, pullovers, t-
shirts, jeans, sweaters, dresses, bathrobes, casual
jackets, shirts, skirts, hosieries)
 Most garments are made of cotton knit goods
and/or cotton woven fabrics.
 Although several other fabrics can be found in the
whole or in part such as wool, nylon, silk, acrylic,
polyester and others.
 Due to cost savings and fashion trends, garment
dyeing has been gaining importance and
popularity in the past years and will continue to do
so in the future.
Types of garments:
• The dyeing of the garments requires more care than the dyeing
of the fabric, though there is very little difference in the dyeing
procedures.
• This is due to the fact that processing of garments involves value
added goods.
• The entire garment dyeing activities may be broken down in to
four categories:
1. Fully fashioned garment dyeing carried out by major dyers
and finishers
2. Cut and sewn garment covering woven and knitted fabrics.
3. Dyeing of 100% cotton goods for boutique trade suitable for
hand washing. and
4. Washing, desizing, bleaching denim goods, leading to stone
wash, snow wash, over dyeing and highlighting effects.
Advantages of Garment Dyeing

• Flexibility towards fast changing market trends

• Quick response and rapid turnaround
• Flexibility towards dye shades and finishes
• Flexibility of lot size
• Flexibility of items to be dyed
• Comparatively less rejection
• Low inventory
• Less capital investments
• Fancy effects
Disadvantages of Garment Dyeing
• Labour intensive process and requires thorough
checking of every piece
• Higher “seconds” rate
• Poor appearance
• Poor reproducibility of shades
• Special care in the selection of fittings
• More material handling
Special considerations to garment dyer
• Very good communications between all parties
involved
• Preparation - may be done on piece goods or on
garments clean substrate for dyeing reduced shrinkage
(preferably squared) for woven’s should be less than
5% for knits should be less than 8%
• Metal components should be non-ferrous pewter
buttons are acceptable
• Non-metal components that are not sensitive to dye
chemistry or temperatures at a boil are acceptable
• Polyester zippers, buttons, etc. which are clear or
predyed tie dyed splatter dyed
• Velcro - clear or predyed
• Special polyamide buttons which are dyeable
• Threads must be of same fiber as the fabric in the
garment or "grinning" will occur.
• Pre dyed threads may be used
• Core spun threads with a strength or stretch yarn in
the core and the desired fiber on the outside
• Covered threads may be used
• "Tacking" of sleeves and pant legs to prevent
tangling
• Weathered pigment dye and wash down in a single
process nickel plated brass zippers are acceptable
SELECTION OF FABRIC
• Lots or batches of greige fabric must be selected that
will dye up identical in shade.
• Loom state fabric must be converted into RFD (ready
for Dyeing) Stage.
- Desized, Scoured for dark colours,
- Desized, Scoured and bleached for light colours
• To get the best-looking garments.
- Desized, Scoured, bleached and Mercerized
• For heavily swelling fibres such as cotton, the
elasticized areas, waist bands and cuffs, must be fairly
slack, and seams should not be too tight or bulky.
• Shrinking behavior of the fabric must be uniform before
garment dyeing.
• Articles which are prone to Crease marks or Pilling effects
should be turned inside out and dyed with the addition of a
non-foaming lubricant while adopting the shortest possible
dyeing process.
• Fabrics should be free from foreign materials
(Contamination)
• The interlinings used are to be checked for their performance
to satisfy the requirement.
 Dyes to be taken as same as the outer fabric.
 The gum should not be removed off from the surface
 The resin in the interlinings should not make adverse
effect on the dyeing color.
SELECTION OF ACCESSORIES
Buttons, Studs and Zippers:
• Free from Nickel
• Polyester buttons for pre determined colors.
• Nylon preferred
• Wooden to be verified before usage.
• Brass, antiq brass, silver, gun metal, golden
zippers can be used and to be checked before the
bulk process.
• Studs and Buttons may be used after dyeing of
the garment most of the cases to avoid breakages
and damages to the fabric.
Care Labels& Embroideries
• Care labels to be used are to be good in fastness
properties.
• It should not absorb the dyes from the bath.
• Polyester care labels are mostly used.
• A pouch may be used to avoid dye penetration
on the care labels.
• Embroidery threads are used as polyester
threads for pre confirmed colors.
• If the effect is required, then RFD cotton yarn
is used for the embroidery as like sewing
threads.
SELECTION OF SEWING THREAD
• Cotton thread is preferred in most of the garment dyeing.
• They should be of same lot.
• Polyester threads can be used only in pre determined colors.
• Nylon threads can be used. Proper care should be taken in
maintaining consistency.
• Sewing threads to be of high strength to withstand the
required seam strength.
• Mostly heavy threads than normal polyester threads are
used.
• Should be free from hairiness.
• Threads with low tension to be applied while sewing to
balance the shrinkage of threads.
• Depending upon the requirement, the thread numbers can be
used.
• Core spun yarn also be used for better performance of
seams.
GARMENT DYEING MACHINES
Garment dyeing machines
There are two types of equipment regularly used for garment
dyeing.
1. Paddle machines
 A high liquor ratio is required for paddle machines, which is
less economical and may limit shade reproducibility.
2. Rotary drums
 Rotary drum machines are sometimes preferred for garments,
which require gentler handling, such as sweaters.
 Many machinery companies have developed sophisticated
rotary dyeing machines, which incorporate state-of-the-art
technology
1. Paddle machines:
A. Horizontal Paddle Machine
B. Lateral / oval paddle
C. HT Paddle Machines
2. Rotary drums
A. Rotary Drum Dyeing Machine
B. Tumbler Dyeing Machine
3. Toroid Dyeing Machine
4. Modified Pegg Toroid Whiteley garment dyeing machine
5. The Gyrobox
6. The MCS Readymade garment dyeing machine
7. Leemetals epicyclic Paddle dyeing machine
1. PADDLE DYEING MACHINE
Working Principle:
A process of dyeing textiles in a machine that
gently move the goods using paddles similar to a
paddle wheel on a boat.
This is a slow process, but there is extremely little
abrasion on the goods.
 Paddle Wheel

Drain
1A. Horizontal Paddle Machines
 (over head paddle machine) consist of a curved beck like lower
suction to contain the materials and the dye liquor.
 The goods are moved by a rotating paddle, which extends across
the width of the machine.
 Half immersed paddles cause the material to move upwards and
downwards through out the liquor.
 The temperature can be raised to 98o C in such system.
1B. Lateral / oval paddle
 This machines consist of oval tank to enhance the fluid flow and
the processing the goods.
 In the middle of this tank is a closed oval island.
 The paddle moves in a lateral direction and is not half
submerged in the liquor.
 The temperature can be increased up to 98o C.
1C. HT Paddle Machines
 It works according to the
principle of horizontal
paddle machine.
 however, the temperature
can be raised up to 140o
C.
 PES articles are
preferably dyed on HT
paddles.
In paddle machines,
The dyeing can be carried out with 30:1 to 40:1
Liquor to Material Ratio.
Lower ratios reduces optimum movement of the
goods, lead to unleveled dyeing, crease formation.
For gentleness, the blades of the paddle are either
curved or have rounded edges.
The rotating speed of the paddle can be regulated
from 1.5 to 40 rpm.
Circulation of the liquor should be strong enough to
prevent goods from sinking to the bottom.
Paddle machines are suitable for dyeing articles of
all substrates in all forms of make ups.
The goods are normally dyed using PP/PET bags.
Rotary Drum Dyeing Machine
• These machines work on the principle of ―movement
of textile material and stationary liquor".
• Movement of textile material and stationary liquor.
• The rotary drum dyeing machine consists of rotating
perforated cylindrical drum , which rotates slowly
inside a vessel of slightly bigger in size.
• The internal drum is divided into compartments to
ensure rotation of goods with the drum rotation.
• The outer vessel holds the required quantity of dye
liquor.
• High temperature drum machines are capable of
processing the garments up to 140o C.
Features of modern rotary-dyeing Machine
1. Lower liquor ratio
2. Gentle movement of goods and liquor (minimizes surface abrasion)
3. Rapid heating and cooling
4. Centrifugal extraction
5. Variable drum speed with reversal capability
(adaptable to a wide variety of goods)
6. Continuous circulation of goods (improves migration control)
7. Ease of sampling
8. Variable water levels with overflow rinsing capabilities
9. Large diameter feed and discharge lines
(minimizes filling and draining time)
10. Microprocessor controls
11. Lint filters
12. Pressure dyeing
13. Auto-balancing drums