In order to understand the art and history of dyeing, we must first understand the process of dyeing itself. According to Webster’s dictionary, dyeing is “the process of coloring fibers, yarns or fabrics by using a liquid containing coloring matter for imparting a particular hue to a substance.” There are three basic methods of “imparting a particular hue” to a substance. The first is by staining an item, a temporary means of coloration where the color is rubbed or soaked into an item without the benefit of some sort of chemical fixative to preserve the color. The next is the use of pigmentation, wherein the color is fixed to the surface of an object by another adhesive medium. A true dye is when the color of a substance is deposited on another substance in an insoluble form from a solution containing the colorant.
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