Name: TJ
Message: hello, i am not sure if you would be able to help or atleast point me in the right direction. i am trying to figure out how to dye t-shirts and get them to turn out looking something like the following images.  i cant seem to get anything close to the first two images, but the last one i have found one way that works watering down fabric paint and spraying it onto the shirt. but if you can point me in the right direction or anything that would be a huge help.

thank you for your time and hope to hear form you soon.

T.J.

http://www.afflictionclothing.com/pictures/Code_Khaki_Tee.jpg
http://www.afflictionclothing.com/pictures/Poe_Charc.jpg
http://www.afflictionclothing.com/pictures/Roses_Tan.jpg

Those look discharged to me. Discharging is the use of bleach or other chemicals to remove or degrade dye. Often the results are less than 100% because many dyes can be removed only partially, or even not at all, and you cannot tell what dye you have in a garment or bolt of fabric until after you try bleaching it. Discharged dye tends to have an aged, imperfect look, just like your examples.

Do not try to discharge garments that are less than 100% cotton, because synthetic fibers (especially polyester or spandex) are badly damaged by chlorine bleach, and polyester dyes are resistant to discharge anyway. If you discharge cotton fabric with chlorine bleach, follow up after rinsing by using a bleach stopping agent such as AntiChlor (sodium metabsulfite), Bleach Stop (sodium thiosulfate), or straight 3% hydrogen peroxide; Anti-Chlor from PRO Chemical & Dye is by far the most economical, because only a small amount is needed. Do not us ean acid such as vinegar to neutralize bleach, because it produces more corrosive and dangerous chemials when it reacts with the bleach. There is more information available about discharge dyeing on my page How to Tie Dye on Dark Fabric. Be careful when using chlorine bleach; it is much more toxic than the dyes we like to use.

An easier alternative would be to use a very dilute solution of a fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye, in a low water immersion dyebath. (I do not recommend All-purpose dye on cotton or synthetic shirts.) Cram the shirt into a small bucket or other container, pour diluted dye onto it until it is not quite covered with the liquid, then add sodium carbonate, as described on my page of How to Do Low Water Immersion Dyeing. Do not poke or stir the garment unless you are trying to get a smoothly colored, even result. Leaving it alone is necessary for the contrast between light and dark areas. You will have to experiment to find just how little dye to use to get your very pale effects. Try chlorine bleach discharge, or discharge with Rit Color Remover, on any that get dyed too dark.

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