Name: Kabape

Message: I am trying to make the colour turquoise. What must I do? I use cotton fabric for making patchwork.

While it is possible to make the color turquoise by mixing blue and yellow, you will get a much brighter, clearer, more vibrant turquoise if you buy a turquoise dye. Working on cotton, you should use some form of fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX, Drimarene K, Levafix E, Remazol, or Cibacron F.

So far, almost every turquoise dye I have looked into contains the same chromophore, that is, the same molecular structure that provides the color. It is always a copper phthalocyanine, a beautiful molecular ring structure that resembles hemoglobin (the red oxygen-carrying molecule in blood) or chlorophyll (the green molecule plants use to make energy from sunlight).



Among the Procion MX dyes, which are the most popular of all fiber reactive dyes for home dyers, the turquoise dye is called Procion Turquoise MX-G, or reactive blue 140. The equivalent among the Procion H (steam-fix) dyes is Procion turquoise H-A or Reactive Blue 71. Among the Remazol (vinyl sulfone) dyes, it would be Turquoise Blue G, also known as Reactive Blue 21. The "Vivid Turquoise" color in Dylon Permanent Dye and Dylon Machine Dye contains reactive blue 116, also known as Drimarene Turquoise K-2B CDG or Levafix Turquoise Blue EBA.

Since you're in Denmark, let me point out to you that a good source for dyes in Denmark is Granat Farvekompagniet. Among the dyes sold at Granat Farvekompagniet, my choice for dyeing cotton fabric turquoise would be the Remazol dye they sell as "Türkisblau G 133 (turquoise)", which is reactive blue 21. I have used this same dye from another source, and it is a very bright pure turquoise blue. Ask them what chemicals to use with it, when you order your dye. I usually use trisodium phosphate to raise the pH, but sometimes sodium carbonate.

If you also buy a clear cool yellow, plus a good bright magenta red, you will be able to mix a huge number of different colors. I also like to have a black.

Remazol type dyes can work very well in warm tap water, 40°C to 60°C (which is 104°F to 140°F). See the Dye Forum for some examples:
Blue and turquoise rayon shirt
Rainbow of baby shirts
Yellow and Apricot LWI shirt
Purple, blue, black, and white LWI dress


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