This blog post is on anthraquinones in natural dyeing. In these recent years, I got hooked on natural dyeing. As a result, I am now writing a series of groups in natural dyes that might help to categorise dyes much easier. Otherwise, it becomes a bit of a jumbled mix if I write about each different dye all the time. If you are an eco printer this knowledge would/ might help you to decide using these dyes to complement your work.
Anthraquinones in natural dyeing
Natural dyes are derived natural dye world be it from plants or sometimes from insects, fungi or lichens. The notable dye is madder root which has a chemical name for the pigment called alizarin part of the anthraquinone group. It gives a lasting red colour in natural dyes ranging from orange, red, pink and purple. Dyes like madder don’t only contain alizarin but also contain other types of chemicals found like flavonoids and napthaquinods. Therefore sometimes when using madder sometimes one get’s yellow and brown undertones. Therefore when dyeing with madder it is best not to use over-high boiling temperature as other undertones will be seen.
Dyer’s Madder also known as The Queen of Reds is quite a unique dye in the history of dyeing. As it is the main source of red simply because it could be cultivated. Therefore there is always a steady supply of the product that is cheaper than insect red dyes that need to be collected and only be found in remote places.
It also occurs in three red insect dyes which consist of major chemical components like carminic, kermesic and laccaic acids. It is commonly known as cochineal, kermes and lac dye. Here is more information on how to dye with cochineal on fabric.
Thank you for reading and dropping by, do have a look at my other blogs on natural dyeing like using mordants in natural dyeing part 1 and part 2.
