Name: Erich Stein
Message: Dear Paula;
I really like your text information on dyeing lycra / nylon material. However, I am not dyeing tie-dies, or the entire garmet material. I am looking to apply dye through an airbrush to create an image on my lycra/nylon blended material, maintain the integrity and texture feel of it; but simply applying my prints.

Can you help me find information, or a book - perhaps some product info? You seem to know a whole lot more about this than I do. Please help, thank you.

I've never used an airbrush myself, but there is no reason not to use airbrushing on fabric.

I've heard of people using fiber reactive dyes in an airbrush when painting cotton. (The main problem with this is safety, because it is unwise to breathe any type of dye or dye powder, and the tiny airbrush droplets of dissolved dye might easily dry out to become dye powder again.) Your nylon/lycra can be dyed with acid dyes, but would require steaming to set the dye.

Fabric paint would probably be much more suitable than dye for your purposes, since nylon does not dye well at room temperature. A product that used to be called Versatex Airbrush Ink, no called Jacquard Marbling Color, is supposed to work very well as a fabric paint. The original name suggests it might be perfect for your purposes. You might be able to contact the manufacturer for more information. See Jacquard's website as well as that of Dharma Trading Company.

I am afraid I cannot share any more information on the subject of airbrushing fabric, since it's something I have no experience with, myself.