Eco printing of silk fabric using colourants from natural plants / Afza Nur Batrishyia Aziz

In this study, eco printing via steaming method was done on silk using natural colourants from fresh petals and leaves of hibiscus, bougainvillea and red cabbage. The effect of tamarind seeds as mordant and the incubation times for eco printing were also investigated and evaluated based on the sharpness, shades and colourfastness properties of prints obtained. Based on the results, red cabbage produced dark purple colour while the bougainvillea's leaves produced light green each with quite distinctive pattern. Longer incubation times changed the colour of the prints to blue and brown respectively. For hibiscus, the colour changed from brown to blue. Unmordanted samples produced deeper shade compared to mordanted samples. However, colourfastness properties affect the printing effect obtained where there was changing in colour of the design. The colourfastness properties of the print showed that red cabbage have poor colourfastness to perspiration and washing while bougainvillea's leave have good colourfastness properties. For colourfastness to rubbing or crocking, all samples showed good colourfastness properties.