Sappanwood extract

Sappanwood extract (Latin: Ceasalpinia sappan) yields bright red, fuchsia, crimson, purple, and burgundy shades. Its global renown stems from its user-friendly nature, making it particularly easy for beginners to achieve vibrant colors. Remarkably efficient, a small amount of sappanwood goes a long way; after dyeing bright reds, it can still be utilized to create a spectrum of paler tones, including red, pink, peach, lilac, and mauve.

Name: sappanwood extract

Latin name: Ceasalpinia sappan

Other names: Indian brazilwood, Indian redwood, eastern brazilwood, sappan wood, brazilwood tree, 

Type: mordant dye

Part of the plant used: a core of sappanwood tree

Main colorants: brazilin

Main colors: red

Other colors: various shades in a red spectrum such as fuchsia, purple, burgundy, lavender, pink, orange, peach, as well as brown

Purpose: natural dye for textiles, leather, wood, candles, and other natural materials. Can be used for making botanical inks, pastels, watercolors, printing paste, etc. 

Dyeing with sappanwood extract:

• A small amount of sappanwood extract can dye a lot - start with using 4-8% WOF and observe the results. Use less for lighter shades and a bit more for deep red shades.

• Dissolve the powder in a small amount of warm water and add to your dye pot.

• Fibers should be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before adding to the dye solution. For deepest colors use pre-mordanted fibers.

• Add wet fibers to the dye solution and simmer for 40-60 minutes depending on the shade you want. Leave to cool and soak for a day or two for the deepest colors.

• Sappanwood is very sensitive to water and its properties. You may add a pinch of chalk to bring out bright red shades.

• Sappan reacts beautifully with different pH, so for a wider color palette experiment with additional citric acid, cream of tartar, soda ash, or chalk. Acid can bring out more orange tones while alkaline shifts towards deeper reds, purples, and violets.

• To widen your palette even more experiment with additional mordants - iron sulfate or various tannins.

Additional Information:

While sappanwood exhibits good resistance to washing, it is more light-sensitive compared to other red natural dyes. Prolonged exposure to sunlight may shift its color towards brown shades, making sappanwood not the best choice for items like curtains or summer dresses.

Tips:

For optimal results, combine sappanwood with madder. Madder provides long-lasting red shades, and sappanwood enhances them, especially when achieving rich reds from madder alone may be challenging for beginners. This combination, rooted in medieval European practices, offers a time-tested recipe for vibrant hues. Remember to prepare each plant separately as they require different recipes. This not only ensures the best outcome but also keeps the overall cost more budget-friendly.

Here is a more detailed recipe with illustrations on how to use sappanwood extract to achieve a variety of colors.