Lunar Dye

Lunar dye is a garment dye technique by using pigment dyestuffs at room temperature. The basic process is as same as pigment dye. This adjustment in the process will create a unique dye effect as below.

A. Outside garments absorb more color than inside garments. The color will be more saturated on inside garments than outside garments.

B. Color absorption on-seam area is very low and appears as undyed area after all process is completed.

C. Colorfastness to crocking is low in general.

D. Lunar dye is named after the shape of a moon, which is uneven on the surface.

E. Buyers call this wash by different names such as cold aqua wash, wave dye, cold dye.

Process

01

1. Stitching

02

2. SCOURING

03

3. EXTRACT

04

4. COLD PIGMENT

04

5. EXTRACT

01

6. COOL DRY

02

7. HOT DRY

03

8. SOAPING & ENZYME

04

9. SOFTENER

04

10. EXTRACT

01

11. DRY

02

12. FINISHED GARMENT

Preparing for Bulk

1. It is very important to use fabric without softener or hydrophilic softener in the fabric mill.

Some softener blocks dyestuffs on the fabric surface and dyestuffs will not be absorbed. Usually, it appears uneven dye effects like dye spot.

2. It is also very important to conduct a blanket test before cutting the fabrics.

To learn blanket procedures, click here.

3. Fabric, style construction, accessory, and graphics are very important in garment wash and dye.

4. For the cost, the garment weight is important because the recipe is based on O.W.G. (on the weight of goods).

5. If there’s a zipper, you must wrap the zipper with the same fabric. If you wrap zipper, there will be some undyed area, which needs tolerance for garment dyeing & washing.

6. It is easy to get needle hole issue especially fabric is too thin, less than 120 gram /m2. To learn more about the needle hole issue, click here

5. Wet & dry crocking level is poor, particularly for dark color.

6. The uneven effect on the surface is a natural effect for lunar dye. Lunar dye is named after the surface of the moon.

7. Garment outside and inside colors are different as pigment dyes are cured on outside the garments. If you cure inside garments, inside garments will be darker than outside. This is called reverse lunar dye.

8. Style construction and others are really important. Hood and pockets are not recommended. There will be uneven effects around the hood and pockets. It will create unexpected wash effects and wouldn’t look good.

9. For lunar dye, embroidery or printing is not recommended. If you print in panel form, later print will be dyed during the garment dye. If you print in garment form, the dyeing color will be changed while garments are exposed to high temperatures.

10. Stitching on the bottom hem or any opening area is required in order to prevent garments from turning inside out.

11. Color staining on the label is inevitable. It is recommended to use the mini-poly bag to cover the label or attach the label after dyeing.