
Procion fiber reactive dyes are the best dyes for natural fibers. These are the dyes you see used in ice dyeing or tie dyeing. Interested in learning to dye yourself but not quite sure where to find supplies?
Below you’ll find information and links to a handful of companies that offer dyes and supplies!
Online Retailers
Dharma Trading Company
Dharma Trading Company has been around for nearly 50 years and there’s a good reason they’re still in business! They have the largest selection of colors and supplies, great customer service, and a good sense of humor.
I love their April Fool’s emails! I totally fell for the first one I got from them. It was something about a sea monkey infestation. I wondered longer than I’d like to admit about how sea monkeys could possibly get into their stock… I typically hate advertising emails but I always make sure to open their April 1st ones!
If you haven’t figured out yet, this is where I buy all my dye supplies from. They’re actually the only place I’ve bought dyes from because I haven’t felt the need to go anywhere else. The prices are good, have a huge selection, and they’ve never messed up an order. They have a ton of resources too! They have lots of tutorials and showcase artists that use their supplies.
- Total number of dye colors offered: 177
- Number of those that are pure (non-mixed) pigments: 12
- Dyeables offered: Lots of clothing and fabric choices, tapestries, and accessories
Pro Chemical & Dye
Pro Chemical & Dye still have a fairly substantial list of colors, however they have renamed all the base colors so that it’s really difficult to compare with other companies. They also offer very little in the way of dyeable items.
- Total number of dye colors offered: 139
- Number of those that are pure (non-mixed) pigments: 14
- Dyeables offered: Just one T-shirt and a handful of fabrics
Colorado Wholesale Dye Corp. (Grateful Dyes)
Grateful Dyes is a smaller company that has been around for over 30 years. They appear to be geared more towards wearable items.
- Total number of dye colors offered: 45
- Number of those that are pure (non-mixed) pigments: 10
- Dyeables offered: Quite a few clothing, accessories, and tapestries
Canadian Based
G&S Dye
G&S Dye is the only retailer on this list based in Canada. They are another small company more focused on fabrics and scarves than clothing.
- Total number of dye colors offered: 32
- Number of those that are pure (non-mixed) pigments: 12
- Dyeables offered: Fairly large selection of fabrics & scarves, just a couple T-shirts
Brands Found in Stores
Jacquard
Jacquard is a brand that is only available in retail stores (search for suppliers here). While you cannot buy directly from their website it does contain resources such as instructions, artist spotlights, and a community forum.
- Total number of dye colors offered: 43*
- Number of those that are pure (non-mixed) pigments: 12*
- Dyeables offered: none
*Availability may vary by store
Tulip
Tulip only makes my list with a huge caveat: I can only suggest using this brand if you are only ever going to dye one or two items, or if you want to see if you even like dyeing before committing to purchasing a full stock of supplies. You have a lot less say over colors and it’s super expensive.
Depending on which size pack you buy, you’ll be paying somewhere between $9 to $26 per ounce of Tulip dye. For reference the above retailers sell dye for around $1.50 to $2.90 per ounce (depending on color). Once you’re beyond dyeing just a couple items it very quickly becomes cost effective to purchase in bulk.
Total number of dye colors offered: 10 are available individually with a variety of different colors sold in prepackaged sets.
Number of those that are pure (non-mixed) pigments: unknown
Dyeables offered: Just a few tops
Their products are also available online.
But where do they get their dyes from? They are blenders, not manufacturing the dye, right? Just curious.
They’re probably buying directly from the dye manufacturers in bulk, mixing their own colors from the limited number of pure dye pigments, and repackaging, so yes, you could call them blenders. The pure dye pigments would be the same across each retailer, however each will have their own proprietary recipes for dye mixes, so even though two color mixes from two companies might have the same name (like both Dharma Trading Co. and Jacquard have a color called “forest green”) it will not necessarily be the same color.