Space dye refers to yarn with multiple colors printed on each strand which may or may not repeat after a fixed interval. The space dyed are used to produce beautiful effects after knitting, weaving ,decorative stitching or embroidery. The colored band pattern and their length depends upon the desired effect.
There are five basic processes used to create this effect:
Space dyeing in package form
Various package dyeing machines , with a single package dyeing capacity are available in which we can dye up to 8 colors , each color is having a different feed tank as well as injector pump . The color is injected at a fixed place at high pressure and collected through vacuum .
This type of machine is used to create beautiful patterns of dyed patches on packages , with good sharpness .The dyed time is extremely low . The packages are taken for further color fixation and washing in another set of machines such as autoclave and yarn dyeing machines.
Space dyeing in hank form
This is a simpler process to produce tie die effects in the knitting yarns and embroidery threads.
The process which can be employed are,
a. By spraying the colors on a layer of hanks at fixed places , which is forced through hanks with pressure and collected underneath by vacuum. The yarns are the dried , and cured for color fixation and the washed.
b. The roller dyeing machines can be used very effectively for space dyeing with vat and naphthol colors. Even reactive dyeing is also possible with a slight modification of machine for mercerized cotton as well as rayon.
c. Package dyeing machine with fiber carriers can be used for space dyeing in polyester hanks , but the method involves a higher labor cost. But desired effects can be obtained with this method.
The yarn printing process or The warp system
In the warp system, multiple strands of yarn are continuously printed at spaced intervals with different colors. These yarns usually have “long” spaces of each color. Typical color lengths are 3”–7” .
The knit-de-knit process
In the knit-de-knit process, the yarn is first knitted into a tubular fabric (sock), dyed to a solid color and then overprinted with up to seven different colors. The socks are then de knitted , producing contrast effect of overprinted and base colors , because the overprinted colors do no penetrate at the yarn crossing points. These yarns usually have “short” (1/8”–1/4”) spaces of color.
The continuous dye process.
In the continuous dye process, yarn is dyed as singles or plied yarn and color is applied either by air jet or dye troughs. This process allows for yarns to have either long or short spaces of color
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