Process for heat treating textile substrates to give colored pattern

Abstract

A method is disclosed for heat treating textile substrates wherein a substrate may be dyed in pattern configuration and, optionally, thermally modified to produce visual surface effects in the pattern areas in perfect registry. Dye is applied to the textile substrate, and optionally dried, without being fixed. Heat is selectively applied in pattern configuration to the substrate. The heat is sufficient to fix the dye in pattern configuration, at a pre-determined level of fixation, and may also be sufficient to cause thermal shrinkage or other thermally-induced physical modification to the substrate, also in pattern configuration. Unfixed dye may then be removed, leaving a pattern-dyed substrate which, optionally, may have physically modified areas in perfect registry. A mixture of dyes having different fixation energy levels may be used for multiple color effects.

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