Glossary Definitions for Words beginning with "D"

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Damask: A shiny fabric of linen, cotton, silk or rayon produced on the jacquard loom. It is a tightly woven cloth with flat patterns of satin weave on a matte background.

Degreaser: Solvents used for removing grease and oil from the surface of the fabric in preparation for painting. Kieralon is a great degreaser (among other things) to prepare fabrics for dyeing and painting.

Denim: A rugged, durable twill fabric that is most popular in indigo blue. Denim is used for jeans, overalls, and work uniforms, but it has also become a popular fabric in other decorative, and home accessories.

Depth of Dye: The ratio of dye to the fiber being dyed. A high percentage would be 5% and (a dark color) and a low percentage would be 1% (a light color).

Detergent: cleansing agents which is water soluble and has the ability to emulsify oils and hold dirt in suspension. Kieralon is also able to hold loose dye particles in suspension so they rinse away cleanly.

Devore: A process of removing fiber known as the burn out style. This is the production of a pattern on a fabric by printing with a substance that will destroy one or more of the fibers present, but not the others. Fiber Etch is used to eat cellulose fibers and works well on rayon/silk, hemp/silk and other blends of cellulose protein fabrics.

Dharma Dye Fixative: This product increases how washfast, wetfast, resistant to perspiration staining,, etc. It works great with Procion dyes on newly dyed items like tie-dyes as well as store bought colored fabrics that blend or fade. An appropriate dye fixative must be used to set the dye first, such as Soda Ash Fixer. Dharma Dye Fixative works to enhance how colorfast, NOT to set the dyes on its own.

Dharma: Why Dharma? What's a Dharma? Well, it’s not because of the Dharma Bums. It’s not because I come from India. It’s not because I'm a Buddhist or a Hindu. It's because when I started Dharma Trading Co. back in the late 60's I was on a spiritual path and I used Dharma because to me the word meant "Doing things in a way that is in accordance with God's will. "You know, the basic stuff: "Treat others the way you would like to be treated"; "Be honest and fair"; "Don't lie". Stuff like that. I wanted to run a business that reflected my values and I figured using the name would help keep me from getting lost. It's 33+ years later and I (now its we) keep on trying.

Diluent: Various concentrated dyes require a substance to dilute them such as water, mineral spirits, thinners, solvents, alcohol and commercial diluents, because they are too concentrated to use full strength. They can be added to create the desired color from vivid to pastel.

Dip Dyeing: A method where one end of the fabric is dipped in one color of dye and the other dipped in a second color. This creates a blend of the two colors in the middle.

Direct Application: Any type of surface design including hand painting, airbrush, screen or block printing, and other methods in which dyes, pigments, and/or resists are applied directly to the fiber.

Direct Dye: Also known as hot-water dye, this type can be used with hot tap water and requires no leveling or exhausting agents. It is convenient but lacking in light-fastness and wash-fastness.

Discharge: The process of removing colors from a fabric in a controlled manner. It usually leaves a white or differently colored pattern behind. Discharge chemicals are usually very caustic and should be used in areas with good ventilation.

Discharge Paste: This color remover is used with a brush or stamp for spot touch-ups or design purposes. Results vary depending on the original color of the fabric and the fiber content. It will usually lighten the color enough for over dyeing and can also be used for creating interesting negative image effects. It does have a strong ammonia smell and requires good ventilation during use. Wash out with Kieralon. Can be printed on, painted on, screened on, stenciled on, etc and even used in tie-dye for interesting effects.

Disperse Dyes: These dyes are insoluble in water but have an affinity for polyester or acetate fibers. They are often applied under pressure or with the aid of a carrier, which is usually very toxic.

Dispersing Agent: An additive used in marbling to help paint or ink to float on top of the size. Also what the carrier is sometimes called for Disperse Dyes.

Double Cloth: A combination of two cloths woven on a loom at the same time held together by binder threads.

Double Dye: The fibers are dyed in a series of dye pots but different results are achieved by the order in which they are run through the series.

Double Knit: A jersey-like fabric knitted with two needles for double thickness. Both sides of the fabric are interlocked.

Douppion/Douppioni/Dupion: Silk thread from two cocoons that have nested together are woven into fabric with characteristic slubs.

Driers: Various compounds added to coatings that speed the drying. Also a machine which uses hot air to dry things faster.

Drop Needle: An openwork pattern which is knit into the fabric by dropping out the needles during stitching.

Dry Colors: Powder-type pigment mixed with water, mineral spirits or alcohol and resin to form a paint or stain.

Duck: This canvas fabric is plain and durable. The name "Duck" originated from the 18th century British trademark worn on the sails of their ships.

Dust Mask: When working with powdered dyes and chemicals it is best to use a dusk mask because even though you can't see the powder in the air you are still breathing it.

Dye Activator/Assistant: A chemical which causes a dye to bind with a fiber, such as; soda ash fixer and Procion MX dye on cellulose or protein fiber.

Dye Liquor Ratio: The proportion of water (by weight) to the weight of fiber.

Dye Paint: A concentrated, thickened dye solution that can be used like paint in surface application. The advantage is, that when washed out, there is no feel or "hand" left on the fabric, as there is with paint.

Dyeing Process: The coloring of a yarn or textile by the chemical bonding of the dye with the fibers.

Dye Stock: Dye dissolved in water many times with Urea water. (Urea helps more dye dissolve in less water for a stronger dye stock.)

Dyes: A water-soluble, transparent coloring agent that saturates and bonds with the fiber of the cloth. Dyes are different from paints because they bond with the fabric and have no hand (the feel when touched in your hand), unlike the paints which lay on top of the fabric and do have hand.

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