We have specific colour fastness requirements – can you achieve these?

We can usually meet specific colour fastness requirements, taking a steer from the specifications of the dyes we use. However, when possible we recommend carrying out a trial dyeing with Atkinson and having the samples independently tested, to ensure that all your specifications are met before we proceed to bulk dyeing.

What colour standards can you match to?

Physical samples of fabric or yarn are ideal, but if you don’t have these we can easily match to Pantones or other equivalent. Our lab facility allows us to electronically measure colours to ensure an accurate match, supported by the experienced eyes of our professional colourists.

Do we need to supply our yarn ready to dye?

You do not need to send your yarn in a ready to dye condition. We wind all incoming yarns onto reusable dye packs. This not only helps us to get the best efficiency from our package dyeing machines, but it also allows us to be more sustainable by using multiple-use dye packs (rather than the single-use packs common to the industry).

How do I know the yarn I receive from Atkinson Dyeing will be correct at point of delivery?

Once dyed in bulk, every yarn is submitted to the customer to review for shade. This allows us to make any necessary adjustments to the colour before the job is signed off. We also have a full quality control procedure in place that allows us to check the consistency and levelness of the dyeing throughout the package, ensuring that your yarns are returned to you ready to weave.

Can you dye garments for me?

No, Atkinson Dyeing only dye yarn. We do not dye garments.

How are you ensuring sustainability at Atkinson Dyeing?

With AW Hainsworth as our parent company, we have greater access to resources than most other commission dyers in the UK. This allows us to invest into improving sustainability in our processes and facility on a far greater scale than other businesses of this size would normally be able to. We are committed to ensuring we will always have access to the technical skills required to run this business and continue to invest heavily into internal training and development.

Read more about sustainability at AW Hainsworth.

Will you remain a commission-based dye house now that you have been acquired by AW Hainsworth?

Although we package dye yarns for AW Hainsworth, Atkinson Dyeing will always have the capacity to service our other customers and we will continue to operate as a commission-based dye house, helping to support UK textile manufacturers.

How do you ensure traceability?

We have software in place that allows us to check back on every dyeing we have carried out since 2022. This not only gives us real time information of each job, but also tracks the full history of all dyes and chemicals Used. By simply quoting the chemical lot number we can trace it all the way back to source. The lot numbers used internally also allow us to identify any information that a customer might need, even including the ecru lot that was used at the beginning of the job.

How do you ensure shade continuity?

Each dyeing is personally approved by the customer, and we always work to the master standard supplied by the customer. We keep a physical copy of every dyeing we carry out for reference.

Are you REACH compliant?

All dyes and chemicals are sourced from major UK and European manufacturers, and therefore all products used are covered by UK and EU legislation.