Botanical name: indigofera tinctoria Indigo is natural dye used since ancient times to produce beautiful blues that range from sky blue to deep, almost black blue. Frequently, people are nervous about dyeing with indigo. It is a tricky dye to work with, mostly because it is not water soluble. To solve this problem, we extracted the main colouring component from the leaves of indigofera tinctoria plant by using biological and eco- friendly methods. The main main colouring component of indigo blue is indigotin. Indigo is a dark blue crystalline powder and is not soluble in either water or alcohol. First we make it soluble in an alkaline vat where oxygen has been removed either by fermentation process. Natural indigo really is better - it can create a deeper blue, and, since it is not water soluble, you can wash natural indigo over and over without any color loss. No mordant is required when you dye with indigo. Natural indigo is a sustainable dye; after the pigment has been extracted the plant residue can be composted and used as a fertilizer and the water reused to irrigate crops.
