Lac - Raw Powder [Size: 50g]

Natural red dye from Lac Insect. Dye colours - reds, burgundys, deep purples, scarlets and crimsons. Lac Raw Powder is not an extract dye but ground raw material and not readily soluble. The best way to extract the colour is to place the Raw Powder into a fine cloth bag, tie off securely and boil. Once you have extracted as much colour as possible just dispose of the bag. Otherwise the residual powder goes very hard and sticks to most things including your fibre . . .  it’s very very hard to remove, even from metal.

Lac is a red dye from the scale insect Laccifer lacca which is found throughout India, south east Asia, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan and south China. It is found both in the wild and cultivated. The female lac insects invade host trees (mainly fig and acacia) and the insect secretes a resin that contains the red dye. When harvested, the resin is taken off the branches and is known as stick lac. The resin is also used to make shellac. Lac extract yields crimsons to burgundy reds to deep purples. Lac is similar to cochineal but the are softer and more muted.It has high light and washfastness on silk and wool but plower fastness on cellulose.Use 5 to 8% for medium depth. Mordant with 15% WOF on protien fibre. Mordant with 8% Tannin and 15% Alum on Cellulose. The Lac - Larch also available from Kraftkolour is a stronger (extract) form of the Raw Powder.