Product Manual

CHAPTER 10: THE INSIDE STORY The Scooter

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ON COLOR CHANGES

4. ORANGE TO BROWN

It is sometimes very difficult to achieve a true Brown from Orange, as Orange is so strong

in Red. How well it changes usually depends upon how well the carpet accepts the dye

and how strong the Red in the Orange is.

The missing ingredient here is Blue, but again, simply using Blue dye will not achieve the

desired result. Our Dark Brown is very strong in Blue, and could be used. The Dark Rust

also gives good results, although the resulting color is more Rust than Brown. Here

again, a second coat (without extracting the first coat) using the same mix will make the

carpet a little darker if the first color is not satisfactory.

NOTE: When applying a second coat to any dye, you could use your steam-cleaning

wand instead of the dye gun, if all you need is a light coat of color to even it out. Since

the carpet has already been dyed, you will only be tinting and the possibility of streaking

will be minimized. This can save time, as it allows you to extract while you are applying

the dye, and also keeps you from handling the dye shield a second time. Always check

the jets on the wand for clogging in order to avoid streaking.

As you can see, the formula is simple. Just decide on the color you want to achieve,

determine what the missing ingredients are, then use the color of dye that will achieve the

best results.

3. HOW TO DETERMINE WHICH COLORS TO USE

So now that you have the story of colors, what they are, and how to blend them, how do you

know what colors to use on a given job? Keep in mind that you are always adding color when

you are dyeing carpet. If you are adding color, you have to answer an obvious question. That

question is: “What’s missing? Let’s see how this works.

If you have a yellow carpet, and the target color is Green, what is the missing complimentary

color to Yellow? Blue. You need Blue to make the Yellow go to Green. But as we have already

noted, because the topcoat is a lens, through which the original color will be seen, you need to

use the target color and the missing color together for best results. One more word of advice:

Try to practice looking at colors in terms of their primary color makeup. When you see

a Brown, look to see how strong the Blue in it is, how strong the Red and Yellow, too. You will

get better the more you try.

Below, and on the pages to follow, are some color charts to help you choose what colors to use,

and when to use them. Try to use these charts as little as possible so that you do not become

too dependent on them. Remember, mixing colors and dyeing is like cooking. The best chefs

cook by “feel”. When they give recipes, its hard for them to give exact ones, because they do

not measure what they add, they just use a pinch or a dash of this or that. Do not get too

dependent on remembering specific formulas. Learn to “feel”.