Name: Sergio 

Message: Good afternoon! My name is Sergio and I would like to know if here in Brazil I can find the paint PROCION MX or any other that is as good as her. I'm currently using the DRIMAREN, but I am keen to use the same paint you. Thank you for your attention, I am a great admirer of the work for you.

Hello Sergio,

I don't know of a source for Procion MX dyes in Brazil, but I am happy to learn that you are using Drimarene dye. (Can you please tell me where you are buying the Drimaren dye?)

Drimarene K dye is a fiber reactive dye, like Procion MX, and should be highly similar, and just as good in most respects. The big difference between Procion MX dye and Drimarene K dye is that the Drimarene K dye requires a little more warmth to drive the reaction between the dye and the fiber. The ideal reaction temperature for Procion MX dye is 30°C (86°F), though it can be used at temperatures as low as 21°C (70°F) if additional time is allowed, while the ideal reaction temperature for Drimarene K dye is 40°C (104°F). I would guess that you'd need to allow your Drimarene K dye to react at a reaction temperature of 30°C or higher. In other respects, Drimarene K dyes will have the same advantages you find with Procion MX dyes, such as ease of use (steaming is not required), and very permanent molecular bonds between the dye and the fiber, so that, when properly applied, the dyes do not wash out of fabric, but instead stay bright through years of use.

There are many practical ways that you can increase the temperature of your dye reactions over the temperature of your room. See "What is the effect of temperature on fiber reactive dyes?", for a number of suggestions.

While both Procion MX dye and Drimarene K dye can be used without heat-setting, in some circumstances dye artists prefer to heat-set the dyes on the fabric with steam. This provides the extra energy for the dyes to react with the fabric in a short period of time. Steam-setting these room-temperature dyes is often a good idea for silk painting, or in the case of a very cool dyeing studio.

Drimarene X dyes are a different class of dyes which requires much more warmth to react than Drimarene K dyes, just as Procion H dyes require considerably higher temperatures than Procion MX dyes. If you are using Drimarene X dyes, you will find that steaming to heat-set the dyes is necessary, unless you are immersion dyeing in a hot dyebath. While a dyebath should be about 30°C for Procion MX dyes and 40°C for Drimarene K dyes, they should be 80°C for Procion H dyes, and 95°C (almost boiling!) for Drimarene X dyes.

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