What causes dye migration or sublimation?
Dyes for organic (cotton) fabric are made to become absorbed into the individual fibers, giving them color. This is only half-true for the colorants engineered for treating 50/50 shirts, which need to accomplish two very different tasks. Polyester is a plastic substance – and cannot be penetrated by the dye. Instead, it binds with and “clings” to the surface of those individual fibers. During the manufacturing process, both types of shirts are completely saturated with dye to ensure they will assume their desired color. But even after most of the liquid has drained away, a fair amount of excess colorant remains embedded. Customarily, this is removed by rinsing the material – and in a perfect world…they do so several times to ensure any residue has been depleted. But unfortunately, extra steps in a manufacturing process can tend to be a cost factor. So every once in awhile, certain batches might “accidentally skip a couple rinse cycles” if you know what we mean… This isn’t so much of a
