Natural Dye Calculator

Plant material weight from fiber weight and color depth.

Fiber weight (g)

Dye source ratio

Color depth multiplier

Soak water ratio

Dye bath liquor ratio

Tab to move between fields

Plant material needed (g)

1,000

Extraction water (L)10

Dye bath water (L)10

Total water (L)20

Estimated simmer time (min)50

How to Use This Calculator

How the result changes with Fiber weight (g)

Fiber weight (g): Dry weight of mordanted fiber or fabric in grams.
Dye source ratio: Plant-to-fiber weight ratio. Strong dyes (madder, weld): 1-2, medium (onion skin): 2-4, weak: 4-6.
Color depth multiplier: Pastel: 0.5, medium: 1.0, dark/saturated: 1.5-2.0.
Soak water ratio: Liters of water per kg of plant material for extraction.
Dye bath liquor ratio: Liters of dye bath per kg of fiber.

Plant material needed (g): Weight of dried plant material to collect or purchase.
Extraction water (L): Water needed to soak and simmer the plant material.
Dye bath water (L): Water for the dye bath itself (strained extract + water).
Total water (L): Total water needed for extraction and dyeing.
Estimated simmer time (min): Approximate simmering time based on color depth.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Fiber weight (g) = 500, Dye source ratio = 2, Color depth multiplier = 1, Soak water ratio = 10 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Plant material needed
Plant material needed = fiberWeightG * dyeRatio * depthMultiplier
1000 = 1000
Calculate Extraction water
Extraction water = (plantMaterialG / 1000) * soakRatio
10 = 10
Calculate Dye bath water
Dye bath water = (fiberWeightG / 1000) * liquorRatio
10 = 10