Is there any "true" black dye that you have come across?  I tried the 602A from Pro-Chem and it came out a kind of greenish grey instead of a true black which is what I am trying to find.  Any suggestions?  Thoughts?  Advice?

Was this on 100% cotton? Different fabrics will turn different colors when dyed with mixed colors. Did you use enough dye? ProChem's instructions say to use 8 teaspoons of black dye mix (20 grams of dye powder) per cup of water, for tie-dyeing, or 12 teaspoons (30 grams) per pound of fabric for immersion dyeing. This is twice as much dye as you'd use for a dark color other than black, four times as much as for a medium color, and twelve times as much as for dyeing a pale color.

Black Procion MX dyes, which like all cool water fiber reactive dyes are so easy to use since they do not have to be boiled or combine with highly toxic chemicals, are always mixtures of other dyes. ProChem's 602A will work well if you use a lot *more* of it, and use a slightly higher temperature (over 70°F), and give it plenty of time to react. I think that their Cibacron F "Rich Black" might be more satisfactory, though it requires warmer reaction temperatures, ideally around 122°F (50°C). Black fiber reactive dye is certainly much better than any all-purpose dye.

Another excellent black is the Remazol reactive black 5, which, unlike Procion MX colors is an unmixed single-hue black with a slightly bluish tinge. This dye is sold as Dylon Permanent 12 Black and as PRO Chemical & Dye's Remazol Liquid Reactive Black dye, and is also found in Jacquard Red Label Silk Colors Black. This dye is best used in warm to hot water, between 104°F and 140°F (40°-60°C), or even higher.

If you want to dye silk black, or any other animal fiber (even nylon which tends to work well with silk and wool dyes), I recommend that you use the Lanaset black. ProChem sells Lanaset dyes under the brand name Sabraset, and these dyes are also sold under the brand name Telana.


[entry corrected May 31, 2006 and updated November 8, 2007]