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Dyeing recipe and yarn count

Work out how much of each dye and auxiliary to weigh, how much water and steam the batch uses and the cost per pound dyed; or convert yarn count between the systems used in spinning, knitting and synthetics.

Pre-sizing and estimating tool: results do not replace design, calculations or reports signed by a licensed professional, nor verification against the applicable codes and standards.

Pre-sizing
Batch and bath
See what was read

Price per lb of product, regardless of the units button. Water includes the dye bath and the rinses/washes, each with the same volume as the bath.

Water and steam
Yarn
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Recipe cost per pound of goods

Cost of each product, water and steam per pound dyed, from largest to smallest.

Tap the chart to see the values.

Recipe worked out for the batch

Amount of each product per kilogram of goods and for the whole batch, with cost.

Yarn length per weight by count

How many yards come in a pound for common Ne counts, compared with the yarn entered (highlighted bar).

Tap the chart to see the values.

Count in every system

Single yarn and plied resultant, without twist contraction.

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Method, assumptions and references

Equations used

Bath V = weight × R; dye (g/kg) = % × 10; auxiliary (g/kg) = g/L × R; batch amount = g/kg × weight ÷ 1,000
Water = V × (1 + number of rinses and washes)
Steam = [V × 4.18 + weight × 1.3] × [(T_dye − T_cold) + n_hot × (T_wash − T_cold)] ÷ (useful heat × efficiency)
Count: tex = 590.5 ÷ Ne = 1,000 ÷ Nm = dtex ÷ 10 = denier ÷ 9; n-ply yarn: tex = n × single tex; weight (g) = tex × length (m) ÷ 1,000

Assumptions and limits

  • Each rinse or wash uses the same volume as the dye bath; machine cleaning, color kitchen and humidification water are not included. Washing auxiliaries are calculated on one bath.
  • Steam only heats the water (specific heat 4.18 kJ/kg·K) and the goods (1.3 kJ/kg·K, approximate for cotton); machine and piping losses go into the efficiency. Water reuse, heat recovery and open machines change the result.
  • Constant 590.5 for Ne (cotton count, 840-yard hanks per pound). Plied yarns are treated without twist contraction, which usually raises the real count by 1% to 3%.

Standards and technical documents

  • ISO 1144:2016 Textiles — Universal system for designating linear density (Tex System)
  • ASTM D1907/D1907M Standard Test Method for Linear Density of Yarn (Yarn Number) by the Skein Method
  • ASTM D2260 Standard Tables of Conversion Factors and Equivalent Yarn Numbers
  • Broadbent, A. D. Basic Principles of Textile Coloration, Society of Dyers and Colourists, 2001
  • Salem, V. Tingimento Têxtil: fibras, conceitos e tecnologias, Blucher, 2010
  • European Commission JRC. Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Textiles Industry, 2023

U.S. regulations

  • EPA 40 CFR Part 410: Textile Mills Point Source Category (effluent guidelines)
  • OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200: Hazard Communication
  • ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, as adopted by the state, for steam equipment

Frequently asked questions

What does this calculator do?

It has two modes. Dyeing turns the recipe (dyes in % owf and auxiliaries in g/L) into the amounts to weigh for the batch and works out water, steam and cost per pound dyed. Yarn count converts between Ne, Nm, tex, dtex and denier, handles plied yarns and gives the weight of a length and yards per pound.

What is the difference between % owf and g/L?

Dyes are dosed in % on weight of fabric: 1.2% on 440 lb gives 5.3 lb. Auxiliaries such as salt and soda ash are dosed in g/L of bath, so they depend on the liquor ratio: 60 g/L in a 1:8 bath with 440 lb (about 422 gal) gives 211 lb of salt. That is why a shorter liquor saves auxiliaries but not dyes.

How do I read the example result?

The 440 lb jersey batch at 1:8 uses a 422 gal bath and, with 6 rinses, about 2,950 gal of water (6.7 gal/lb). Heating the bath to 140 °F plus two washes at 194 °F takes about 1,506 lb of steam (3.4 lb/lb). The recipe costs $315, water $35 and steam $23: $373 per batch, or $0.85 per pound dyed.

Where do I get liquor ratio, steam and cost data?

The liquor ratio is in the machine manual or the standard recipe (jets 1:5 to 1:10, winch becks 1:15 to 1:30). Useful steam heat is the latent heat at the working pressure, about 900 Btu/lb at typical dyehouse pressures. Steam cost comes from the steam cost calculator, and water cost should include supply and effluent treatment.

How do I convert Ne to tex and denier?

Use tex = 590.5 ÷ Ne, Nm = 1,000 ÷ tex, dtex = 10 × tex and denier = 9 × tex. In the example, a Ne 30 yarn is 19.7 tex, Nm 50.8, 197 dtex and 177 denier; 1,000 yd weigh about 0.63 oz and one pound holds about 25,200 yd. In a 30/2 yarn, tex doubles (39.4) and Ne drops to 15.

What are the limits?

Steam only covers heating water and goods at an average efficiency; open machines, long ramps and reused hot water change real use. Each rinse uses the bath volume, which may not hold for continuous or overflow rinsing. Twist contraction is not included in yarn count.

How much does it cost to dye a pound of jersey?

It depends mostly on shade: pale shades use under 1% dye and dark shades 4% or more. In the example, a medium shade with 2.5% reactive dyes costs about $0.85 per pound, 66% of it dyes. Water, steam and salt weigh more when the liquor ratio is long.