ABSTRACT

Abstract: The alchemy of colours on cloths has started since early time. However, it is only since few decades that textile industries have turned to synthetic dyes. Anciently the purpose of colouring textile was initiated by using colours from natural resources known as natural colourants which produced very uncommon, soothing and soft shade and also were non-toxic as well as eco-friendly. Natural dyes which were pushed back during the past sixty years into the background by synthetic dyes are receiving consumer attention once again because of the hazards associated with the use of synthetic colours, such as allergic, polluting and toxic. This chapter presents a brief status of natural colourants, their classification, extraction and application on different fibres alongwith related fastness properties.