Name: Lia

Message: Hello, I have some black team shirts that have been silk screened on one side.  I'd like to tie dye some of them with white... is this possible?

Yes, it is possible. You can try discharge dyeing, which means making designs by removing dye, with either chlorine bleach (hypochlorite) or a safer and gentler chemical such as Rit Color Remover or Jacquard Discharge Paste, or you can use an opaque white fabric paint, such as Neopaque.

Not all black dyes can be discharged. Some will stay black no matter what you do. You should take one of the shirts (was there one that did not print well?) and test your first choice of discharge agent on it, in as inconspicuous a place as possible. If you want to use chlorine bleach, a handy way to do the test is to use a Clorox Bleach Pen. Rit Color Remover and Jacquard Discharge Paste will give similar results to each other, but they may be different from the results produced by chlorine bleach.

For more information, see:

• How to Tie Dye on Dark Fabric

• What chemicals can be used to remove dye?

• How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?

As a general rule, screen printing is not usually disturbed by dyeing or discharging, but changing the color of the fabric behind the screen print may make it harder to read. Always do one test garment before treating a large number of them.

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