Dyeing from a Scientific Perspective

• The Art and Science of Natural Dyes: Principles, Experiments, and Results by Joy Boutrup and Catharine Ellis. ISBN 076435633X

  • Amazon Link​

• The Science of Teaching with Natural Dyes, by Jeanne Buccigross, ISBN 1419641042​

  • Amazon Link​

• The Palette of Color Monograph Series by Dianne Epp​

  • The Chemistry of Vat Dyes, ISBN 188382205X Amazon Link​

  • The Chemistry of Natural Dyes, ISBN 1883822068 Amazon Link

  • The Chemistry of Food Dyes, ISBN 1883822076 Amazon Link

• Chemistry and Artists' Colors​ by Mary Virginia Orna and Madeline Goodstein, ISBN 096377476X

  • Amazon Link​

Other Useful Dye Books

• Natural Dyes: Sources, Tradition, Technology and Science, by Dominique Cardon, ISBN 190498200X,

  • Amazon Link

• Wild Color, Revised and Updated Edition: The Complete Guide to Making and Using Natural Dyes, by Jenny Dean and Karen Diadick Casselman, ISBN 0823058794

  • Amazon Link​

• ​The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use, by JN Liles, ISBN 0870496700

  • Amazon Link​

Web Resources on Dyes for Chemical Educators

• ChemMatters: Indigo, the "blue" in blue jeans

  • Article and Teacher's Guide​

• ChemEdXChange

  • Food Dyes as Indicators (link)​

  • KoolAid, Cotton and Intermolecular Forces (link)

  • Chemical Mystery: Magic KoolAid (link)

  • Investigations of McCormick's Natural Dye From Foods Part I: Sky Blue (link)

  • Investigations of Dyes in Natural Food Coloring Part II: Berry (link)

  • Investigations of Natural Dyes in Food Coloring Part III: Sunflower (link)

• Dharma Lessons:

  •  Color and Tie Dye​

  •  Advanced Color and Dye Chemistry

  • How Acid Dyes Work

• Indigo: Recreating Pharoah's Dye (link)​

• Dye Like a Natural, from the San Francisco Exploratorium (link)

• DIY: Experiments with Natural Dyes from The Open University (link)

• Dye Experiments from the Royal Society of Chemistry (link)

• Bugs to Dye For (link)

• Colors on the Mooove (link)

• KoolAid Tie Dye (link)

• ​

Supply Sources

• Dharma Trading Company

• MAIWA

• Botanical Colors

• Stony Creek Colors

Purchase Workshop Materials

• Cochineal vendors:

  • Dharma Trading Company​

  • MAIWA

  • Botanical Colors

• Pre-Reduced Indigo Kit: 

  • Dharma Trading Company​

Helpful Websites + Blogs

• MAIWA: Free Lessons & Documentaries

• MAIWA: Natural Dye Resource

• Dharma Dye information:

  • Working with acid dyes​

  • Acid Dye troubleshooting

  • Fiber Reactive dyes overview

  • Tub Dyeing with fiber reactive dyes

  • Indigo dyeing: pre-reduced and natural

• Paula Burch's All About Hand-Dyeing​

• Catharine Ellis -- Ellis Textiles

Compound Interest Infographics 

• Chemistry of Easter Eggs

• Chemistry of Hair Dyes

• Chemistry of Litmus and Lichens

• ​Chemistry of Tattoos

• Chemistry of Henna

• Chemistry of Nail Polish

• Chemistry of Highlighter Colors

• Chemistry of Glow Sticks

• Chemistry of Red Lipstick

• Chemistry of Red Cabbage Indicator

• Chemistry of Colored Glass

• Chemistry of the Colors of Blood

• Chemistry of Autumn Leaves

• Chemistry of pH indicators

• Chemistry of inorganic paint pigments

• Chemistry of transition metals in aqueous solutions

• Chemistry of Flame Test Colors

• Chemistry of Fireworks

Journal Articles

• Tie-Dye! An Engaging Activity To Introduce Polymers and Polymerization to Beginning Chemistry Students. AMRP Bopegedera, J Chem Ed 2017

• Colors to Dye For: Preparation of Natural Dyes, J Chem ed 1999

• The preparation of Indanthrene Scarlet GG: A vat dye experiment for the introductory organic chemistry laboratory, Wilson B. Lutz, J Chem Ed, 1990

• A Research Module for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Multistep Synthesis of a Fluorous Dye Molecule, Slade et al, J Chem Ed, 2014

• Analysis of a Natural Yellow Dye: An Experiment for Analytical Organic Chemistry, Villela et al, J Chem Ed, 2014

• Tie-Dyeing with Foraged Acorns and Rust: A Workshop Connecting Green Chemistry and Environmental Science, Machado et al, J Chem Ed, 2022

• Using RGBY Color Experiments to Demonstrate Redox Reactions in Terms of Hydrogen, Daisuke Kajiya*, J Chem Ed, 2022

• A Green Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction. Liza Abraham, J Chem Ed, 2020

• A Specifications-Graded, Sports Drink-Themed General Chemistry Laboratory Course Using an Argument-Driven Inquiry Approach, Howitz et al, J Chem Ed, 2023

• The Chemistry of Fiber Reactive Dyes, Marcia Bonneau, J Chem Ed, 1995

• Biology of the Blues: The Snails Behind the Ancient Dyes, Carol Steinhart, J Chem Ed, 2001

• Cooking Up Colors from Plants, Fabric, and Metal, Jennifer E. Mihalick and Kathleen M. Donnelly, J Chem Ed, 2007

• Chemistry in the dyeing of eggs, Robert C. Mebane and Thomas R. Rybolt, J Chem Ed, 1987

• An Instrument Assembly and Data Science Lab for Early Undergraduate Education, Wallum et al, J Chem Ed, 2023

• Parallel Combinatorial Synthesis of Azo Dyes: A Combinatorial Experiment Suitable for Undergraduate Laboratories, Benjamin W. Gung and Richard T. Taylor, J Chem Ed, 2004

• Color Space Mathematical Modeling Using Microsoft Excel, Delgado-Gonzales et al, J Chem Ed, 2018

• Teaching the Use of Micropipettes through Direct Visualization of Data: An Experiment Focusing on Technique, Skill, and Accuracy, Goach et al, J Chem Ed, 2022

• Maya Blue, an Ancient Guest–Host Pigment: Synthesis and Models, Inês M. V. Leitão and J. Sérgio Seixas de Melo, J Chem Ed, 2013

• Introducing Students to Fundamental Chemistry Concepts and Basic Research through a Chemistry of Fashion Course for Nonscience Majors, Karen A. Tallman, J Chem Ed, 2019

• Bridging the Gap: From Traditional Silk Dyeing Chemistry to a Secondary-School Chemistry Project, Pereira et al, J Chem Ed, 2006

• The Chemical Wonders of No-Mess Markers, Thomas S. Kuntzleman and Dean J. Campbell, J Chem Ed, 2022

• The Modernity of Ancient Pigments: A Historical Approach, by Mary Virginia Orna and Marco Fontani

• Traditional dyeing – an educational approach, Alves et al, CERP, 2019

• A Microscale Synthesis of Indigo: Vat Dyeing, McKee and Zanger, J Chem Ed, 1991

• Characterizing Color with Reflectance, Simeen Sattar, J Chem Ed, 2019