Carolyn Dahl's
Transforming Fabric:
Thirty Creative Ways
to Paint, Dye and
Pattern Cloth
describes the
differences between
Procion H and
Procion MX dyes.
Procion H are hot water dyes, often used by painting on fabric and then steaming. They must not be substituted in cool water dyeing recipes, such as the tie-dye and batik recipes popular for Procion MX dyes. Note that the H-E series is distinct from the H series, though both can be used together. Both H and HE series dyes are included in the table below.
All of the colors in the table below that have a Color Index Reactive name in the leftmost column are pure unmixed colors, unless they have for some reason been replaced by a particular retailer with a mixture. To be certain, you must call your dye supplier and ask whether or not a specific dye is a mixture. If a dye lacks a manufacturer's code, then it is a mixture prepared by the dye retailer, but a dye with a manufacturer's code may still be a mixture. You can also allow a drop of the dye to spread on a dampened coffee filter to see whether it separates out into more than one color.
The table below is listed with dyes in color order, from yellow through orange, then red, violet, blue, green, brown, and finally black. The 'H' in the dye name code indicates that a dye is a aminochlorotriazine (or monochlorotriazine) or Procion H type dye, while the 'HE' indicates a bifunctional dye which is classified as a bis(aminochlorotriazine), or a Procion H-E type dye. The data in the table below is drawn from many sources and represents my best guesses; please let me know if you can contribute any corrections.
C. I. reactive name | H or HE code | G&S Dye (5%+*) | ProChemical | Jacquard | Synthesia Ostazin H |
notes | CAS number (if available) |
reactive yellow 85 | yellow H-8G | yellow H-8G | |||||
same as above or mix? | yellow H-8GNA | Procion H 600 Brilliant Yellow 40% | |||||
reactive yellow 135 | yellow HE-6G | Pro H-E6G Sun Yellow | Bright Greenish Lemon-Yellow | ||||
reactive yellow 95 | yellow H-6G | yellow H-6G | |||||
reactive yellow 18 | yellow H-4G | ||||||
reactive yellow 105 | yellow HE-4G | ||||||
reactive yellow 2 | yellow H-5G | P050 - Yellow | yellow H-5G | ||||
reactive yellow 179 | yellow HE-5G | Bright Greenish Lemon-Yellow | CAS: 93376-16-0 | ||||
reactive yellow 3 | Yellow H-A | P100 - Yellow | yellow H-A | ||||
reactive yellow 18 | yellow H-4G | ||||||
reactive orange 12 | yellow H-R | yellow H-R | |||||
reactive orange 13 | orange H-2R | ||||||
probable mixture | yellow H-3RNA | Procion H 601 Gold Yellow 40% | |||||
reactive yellow 84 | yellow HE-4R | Pro H-E4R Gold Yellow | |||||
reactive orange 5 | orange H-G | orange H-G | |||||
reactive orange 84 | orange HE-R | Pro H-ER Real orange | Bright orange |
CAS 91261-29-9 | |||
reactive orange 13 | orange H-2R | orange H-2R | |||||
reactive red 33 | scarlet H-RN | P200 - scarlet | |||||
probable mixture | scarlet H-RMA | Procion H 602 Bright scarlet 25% | |||||
reactive red 24 | red H-B | ||||||
reactive red 45 | red H-3B | ||||||
reactive red 29 | red H-3BNA | Procion H 604 True Red 25% | |||||
reactive red 31 | red H-8B | P400 - Red | |||||
same as above or mix? | red H-8BA | Procion H 605 Fuchsia 40% | |||||
reactive red 120 | red HE-3B | Pro H-E3B Basic Red | Bright blueish red |
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reactive red 29 | red H-3BN | P320 - Red | Cerise Red |
||||
reactive red 141 | red HE-7B | Pro H-E7B Fuchsia | Bright Blueish Red |
||||
reactive red 58 | red H-8B | red H-8B | |||||
reactive red 58 or 31 | red H-8B | Pro H-8B Magenta | |||||
reactive red 152 | red HE-8B | Jacquard Red Label 715 Magenta | |||||
reactive violet 1 | violet H-3R | violet H-3R | |||||
reactive blue 198 | blue HE-GN | Pro H-EGN Basic Blue | Procion H 607 Bright Blue 40% | Bright Royal Blue; Not Discharge- able |
|||
reactive blue 5 | blue H-BR or GR | blue H-BR | |||||
reactive blue 160 | blue HE-RD | Pro H-ERD Bright Blue | CAS 71872-76-9 | ||||
reactive blue 172 | blue HE-2R | ||||||
reactive blue 49 | blue H-3R | blue H-3R | |||||
same as above or mix? | blue H-3RN | Procion H 608 Royal Blue 40% | |||||
reactive blue 248 | blue HE-4R | ||||||
reactive blue 234 | blue H-5R | P555 - Blue | Pro H-5R Reddish Blue | blue H-5R | |||
reactive blue 13 | blue H-5RA or H-5R | Procion H 609 Blue Violet 25% | |||||
probable mixture | blue H-4RDA | Procion H 610 Navy Blue 40% | |||||
probable mixture | navy HE-W | P560 - Navy | |||||
reactive blue 171 | navy HE-R | P570 - Navy | Pro H-ERN Full Navy | Navy; Good for pale depths | CAS 77907-32-5 ? | ||
reactive blue 25 | turquoise blue H-5G | ||||||
reactive blue 3 | turquoise blue H-7G | ||||||
reactive blue 14 | turquoise blue H-GL | ||||||
reactive blue 71 | turquoise H-A | P500 - turquoise | Pro H-A turquoise | Procion H 606 turquoise 25% | turquoise; Not Discharge- able |
||
reactive green 19 | green HE-4BD | Pro H-E4BD Forest Green | Blueish Forest Green | CAS 61931-49-5 | |||
reactive green 8 | olive H-G or H-7G | olive H-G | |||||
reactive brown 17 | brown H-4RD | P730 - brown | Pro H-4RD Dark brown | Reddish brown; Not Discharge- able |
|||
probable mixture | brown HE-RA | Pro H-ERA Neutral brown | Blueish brown | ||||
reactive brown 9 | brown H-5BR | ||||||
reactive orange 35 | brown H-GR | P180 - brown | brown H-4R | ||||
reactive brown 2 | brown H-2G | ||||||
reactive black 8 | black H-N | black H-N | |||||
probable mixture | black HE-GN | P850 - Black | |||||
probable mixture | black SP-LA | Procion H 613 Toning Black 25% | |||||
probable mixture | black H-GDA | Procion H 614 Deep Black 40% | |||||
probable mixture | black HE-GA | Pro H-EGA Basic Black | |||||
mixture | black HE-BL |
The great advantage of Procion H dyes is that, because they are less reactive, they will stay good in liquid solution for a year, so there is no need to mix your own dye powder. G & S Dye, in Toronto, takes this convenience even farther by pre-mixing their Procion H dyes with all of the auxiliary chemicals needed, so they are ready to go right out of the bottle, just like fabric paint. Their dyes are typically 5% strength. The Jacquard dyes range in strength from 25 to 40%, but auxiliary chemicals must be purchased separately, including Ludigol, metaphos, urea, and sodium bicarbonate, plus sodium alginate if you wish to thicken your dye paint. The Procion H dyes sold by Dharma Trading Company were Jacquard Procion H dyes.
[Note: Jacquard Products has discontinued their Procion H line of dyes; they recommend that you now substitute their 'Vinyl Sulphon' line of dyes. Dharma no longer carries the Procion H dyes. PRO Chemical & Dye has also phased out their sale of Procion H dyes. G&S Dye in Toronto still carries their Procion H dye mixtures. Procion H dye powders should stay good for years if stored in tightly sealed containers at room temperature, but the pre-mixed liquids have an expected shelf life of no more than one to two years. Test old products that you may have on hand before using them.]
Most suppliers carry only a limited number of the Procion H and/or HE dyes. G&S Dye also carries a large number of pre-mixed colors which are not included in the table above.
Although you can find instructions for setting Procion H dyes at room temperature with sodium silicate solution, expert dyers say that steam-setting these dyes results in richer, more brilliant colors. Immersion dyeing works best at 175° Fahrenheit (80°C).
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Last updated: June 30, 2012
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