Product Manual

CHAPTER 10: THE INSIDE STORY The Scooter
™
ON COLOR CHANGES
So far, we have covered Color Theory, from what causes “colors” in the first place, to the
building blocks of color, the primaries, to the results of various combinations of primaries. Now
let’s look at the applications of carpet dye to previously dyed carpet fibers.
Although color theory, as we have discussed it so far, applies to dyeing carpet, our understanding
of the blending of colors must now take a different viewpoint. This is because blending colors in
a container, and the blending of colors that results from re-dyeing, are quite different.
In blending our dye with the original dye on the floor, we have the opposite situation. The dye
on the floor has stuck to the fibers and will not release into our dye. As results, our dye becomes
a “lens”, of sorts, that the original dye is viewed through. Since this is so, the results are not
quite the same as they would be if true blending could take place. The topcoat of new dye is
more apparent to us than the undercoat original color. A simplified explanation for this is that
the light must first pass through the topcoat to get to the original color. Therefore the topcoat
will reduce the light going to, and consequently, coming from, the original color. For this reason,
it is usually necessary to add the “target color”. If you want Brown, use Brown, etc., shaded with
the appropriate complimentary color(s) to do the job. Let’s look at this more closely.
Let’s say that you have an Orange carpet and you want to take it to Brown. Your knowledge of
color theory tells you to use Blue, since Blue and Orange are complimentary colors for Brown
(you may need to add some Yellow too, If the Orange is strong in Red, since Red is do hard to
“kill” [neutralize]). But if you shoot pure Blue (or Blue-Green) on top of the Orange, you get a
murky purplish-Brown color. If you put Brown by itself on the Orange, you get Rust or maybe
even a Burnt Orange, if the Orange is strong enough. So what is the answer? The target color
(in this case, Brown) shaded with the appropriate complimentary color(s)! (in this case, Blue or
Blue and Yellow).
1. COLOR CHANGES: AN OVERVIEW
Keep in mind that color changes require more time and dye than color-to-color dyeing, and are
therefore less profitable. So, when possible avoid color changes. When doing a color change,
the easiest way is to stay within the same “family” when possible; for instance, changing the
carpet from a Tan to a Brown. Both are in the “brown” family.
The darker the carpet, the harder it is to change its color. Truly dark colors are almost
impossible to change. But if a color is light enough you may actually be able to kill it entirely.
For instance, you may be able to take a Light Grey (which contains Red, Blue, and Yellow) to
Royal Blue or Brown. In an instance such s this, the color being killed must be very light in the
pastels. Avoid this whenever you can, but it is good to know, nonetheless.
It is very important to keep in mind that words are very limited with regards to describing colors. For
instance, one person may say a color is “Rust” while another will say that it is “Reddish-Brown”. Be
sure that your terminology is in line with that used on the chart before trusting what you read.
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