History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.2

v1.c20.2

Colouring of any object can be done by means of dyestuffs and pigments. Though dyes and pigments are both colouring agents, dye-stuffs are defined as chemical compounds which have the property when in solution to colour vegetable or animal fibres permanently with or without the use of auxiliary agents (Riegal, p.508). Pigments are insoluble in the coating material whereas dyes dissolve in and colour the coating material. Pigment is an insoluble substance used to give colour or tint to paints and other surface coatings (Newman 1963).