Dye Colour Mixing Chart with Dye Mixing Formula

Click to Scroll to the Color Mixing Chart

This guide provides complete dye colour mixing charts with Pantone TCX references and H&M color codes for achieving any shade on cotton fabric using primary dye colors. Each recipe shows the exact proportion of yellow, red, and blue dyes needed, along with recommended fixation auxiliaries and depth percentages for reproducible results on the best t-shirts for tie dye.

The charts below cover 50+ shades including Quarry, Astral Aura, Forged Iron, Moonbeam, Pink Tint, Macadamia, and many more, each with precise dye percentages and processing parameters used by professional textile engineers.

What is Color

Color is the visible sensation produced when an object reflects light. The Optical Society of America’s Committee on Colorimetry provides the authoritative scientific definition used in textile color matching.

The visible spectrum spans 400–700 nm. Textile colorimetry quantifies color using the CIELab system with three coordinates: L* (lightness, 0–100), a* (green–red axis), and b* (blue–yellow axis). The whiteness index (WI = 100 − √[(100−L*)² + a*² + b*²]) measures how close a color is to pure white, critical for evaluating dye purity and fabric brightness.

According to the Committee on Colorimetry of the Optical Society of America,

Color is the general name for all sensations arising from the activity of the retina of the eye and its attached nervous mechanisms, this activity being, in nearly every case in the normal individual, a specific response to radiant energy of certain wavelength and intensity.

What is Color Mixing

The human eye is trichromatic, containing red, green, and blue receptors. Textile dyeing uses three primary pigment colors—red, yellow, and blue—to produce all other hues. Combining two primary colors creates secondary colors: red+yellow produces orange, yellow+blue produces green, and red+blue produces violet. Textile chemists produce specific shades by precise addition or subtraction of these primary dye components.

Additive Color Mixing

Panel (a) illustrates additive color mixing used in light-based systems. Panel (b) shows subtractive color mixing used in dye and pigment systems. Additive color mixing follows these primary combinations:

Red+Green = Yellow

Green+Blue = Cyan

Blue+ Red = Magenta

Red+Green+Blue = White

Subtractive Color Mixing

Subtractive color mixing, used in textile dyeing, follows these combinations:

White-Red = Cyan

White-Green = Magenta

White-Blue = Yellow

The Pantone Color Manager system identifies over 2,000 spot colors for textiles. These are not pure spectral colors—commercial dyes typically contain five to twenty colorants, and textile engineers create additional shades by combining primary dye families. The H&M color code system cross-references specific dye recipes to Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors TCX standards used globally in garment manufacturing.

Pure primary dyes produce clearer and brighter results than pre-mixed combinations. Textile dye testing confirms that purple formulated from pure fuchsia (CI Acid Red 52) and pure turquoise (CI Acid Blue 185) delivers superior color brightness compared to purple produced by mixing red and turquoise dye stocks. The purity of component dyes directly determines the vividness of the final shade.

Pure color interactions follow consistent spectral behavior. A combination of pure yellow and pure red produces the same visual effect as a single dye absorbing light in both the yellow and red regions of the spectrum. Textile designers create winter palettes by substituting dark navy (approximately 480 nm reflectance peak) for clear blues, and autumn palettes by replacing clear yellows with orangish-yellow tones. These substitutions produce muted, less saturated colors with lower brightness values.

Understanding Reactive Dyes for Cotton

Reactive dyes are the dominant class for cellulose fiber dyeing, accounting for approximately 50–60% of all cotton dye applications globally. These dyes form covalent bonds with cellulose hydroxyl groups (–OH) during fixation, creating wash-fast coloration with typical fixation efficiency of 60–80% for standard reactive dye systems. The DyStar Remazol Ultra, Dystar Levafix CA, and Archroma Avitera SE product families represent modern high-exhaustion reactive dyes formulated for 60°C exhaust dyeing on cotton.

The reactive dyeing process requires precise control of four key parameters: salt concentration (G. Salt, typically 10–90 g/L depending on shade depth), alkali type and concentration (soda ash Na₂CO₃ at 5–20 g/L or caustic NaOH at 1–3 g/L), dyebath temperature (60–80°C), and time (30–90 minutes to exhaustion plus 30–45 minutes for fixation). Light shades use lower salt concentrations (10–30 g/L) and shorter dyeing times (30–45 minutes exhaust); medium shades require 40–60 g/L salt and 45–60 minutes; deep shades demand 70–90 g/L salt and 60–90 minutes exhaust time to achieve full fiber penetration.

The depth percentage (expressed as % owf — on weight of fabric) indicates total dye concentration relative to fabric weight. A 0.5% depth produces light pastel shades; 1–2% depth produces medium shades; 3–5% depth produces deep shades; and 6%+ produces the deepest tones. The recipe percentage in each mixing chart entry represents the individual component’s contribution to total depth. The H&M color code references specific shade standards from the H&M approved color swatch library, ensuring reproducibility across different production batches.

Self Shades of Some Common Commercial Dyes (100% Cotton)

Review these self-shade formulations to understand how commercial dyes behave on 100% cotton. Each dye product includes a self-shade specification from the manufacturer—consult the product technical data sheet for exact values. Adjust dye proportions based on the specific dye’s tinctorial strength relative to the reference dyes in these recipes. For example, if a red dye has lower yellowness than the reference Levafix Red CA-N, increase the yellow component proportion by the ratio of their yellowness indices.

Dye Colour Mixing Chart with Pantone No. and H&M Color Code

Dyeing Quarry Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
06-105	Leva Yellow CA	0.074	0.268	G. Salt	15
	Leva Red CA-N	0.044		Soda Ash	8
	Leva Blue CA	0.15

Dyeing Astral Aura Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
73-205	Rema UL. Yellow RGB	0.014	4.014	G. Salt	80
	Rema UL. Red RGB	1.2		Soda Ash	5
	Rema UL. N/Blue RGB	2.8		Caustic	2

Dyeing Forged Iron Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
08-112	Rema UL. Yellow RGB	0.92	2.9	G. Salt	60
	Rema UL. Red RGB	0.58		Soda Ash	5
	Rema UL. N/Blue RGB	1.4		Caustic	1.5

Dyeing Moonbeam Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
12-225	Levafix Yellow CA	0.031	0.0666	G. Salt	10
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.0166		Soda Ash	6
	Levafix Blue CA	0.019

Dyeing Pink Tint Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
12-327	Leva Yellow CA	0.035	0.062	G. Salt	10
	Leva Red CA-N	0.0146		Soda Ash	6
	Leva Blue CA	0.0124

Dyeing Macadamia Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
12-334	Levafix Yellow CA	0.03663	0.05		10
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.00786		Soda Ash	6
	Levafix Blue CA	0.00515

Dyeing Cornstalk Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
13-118	Levafix Yellow CA	0.294	0.48	G. Salt	15
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.09476		Soda Ash	6
	Levafix Blue CA	0.093

Dyeing Lark Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
13-120	Leva Yellow CA	0.37	0.524	G. Salt	25
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.084		Soda Ash	15
	Levafix Blue CA	0.07

Dyeing Fungi Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
16-103	Bikiactive Yellow K3RS	0.33	0.78	G. Salt	25
	Bikiactive Red K3BS	0.16189		Soda Ash	15
	Syno Blue KBR	0.29

Dyeing Cobblestone Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
16-108	Levafix Yellow CA	0.1827	0.36	G. Salt	15
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.08		Soda Ash	8
	Levafix Blue CA	0.1

Dyeing Rubber Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
18-109	Avitera Yellow SE	1.8	2.46	G. Salt	35
	Avitera Red SE	0.3654		Soda Ash	18
	Avitera Blue SE	0.2904

Dyeing Deep Lichen Green Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
19-205	Rema Ult. Yellow RGB	0.69	1.29	G. Salt	35
	Rema Ult. Red RGB	0.12		Soda Ash	18
	Rema Ult. N/Blue RGB	0.48

Dyeing Yolk Yellow Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
25-203	Bikiactive Yellow K3RS	0.95	0.98	G. Salt	35
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.01425		Soda Ash	18
	Levafix Blue CA	0.0114

Dyeing Golden Rod Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
25-209	Bikiactive Yellow K3RS	2	2.03	G. Salt	50
	Bikiactive Red K3BS	0.001		Soda Ash	5
	Levafix Blue CA	0.03		Caustic	1.5

Dyeing Spicy Mustard Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
25-217	Bikiactive Yellow K3RS	0.9	0.92	G. Salt	25
	Bikiactive Red K3BS	0.00054		Soda Ash	15
	Syno Blue KBR	0.02418

Dyeing Lemon Chrome Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
25-312	Syno Yellow HF4GL	2.4155	2.44	G. Salt	50
	Bikiactive Red K3BS	0.02511		Soda Ash	5
	Syno Blue KBR	0.000102		Caustic	1.5

Dyeing Sudan Brown Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
29-305	Rema Ult. Yellow RGB	2.3	2.64	G. Salt	60
	Rema Ult. Red RGB	0.2418		Soda Ash	5
	Rema Ult. N/Blue RGB	0.095		Caustic	1.5

Dyeing Peach Cobbler Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
34-204	Leva Yellow CA	0.22	0.2781	G. Salt	15
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.058		Soda Ash	8
	Levafix Blue CA	0.0001

Dyeing Misty Rose Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
37-113	Levafix Yellow CA	0.0749	0.17	G. Salt	15
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.06741		Soda Ash	8
	Levafix Blue CA	0.02354

Dyeing Peach Pearl Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
37-205	Biki Yellow K3RS	0.063	0.11855	G. Salt	15
	Syno Red HF3B	0.055		Soda Ash	8
	Leva Blue CA	0.00055

Dyeing Peach Melba Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
37-206	Levafix Yellow CA	0.04	0.07	G. Salt	10
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.02976		Soda Ash	6
	Levafix Blue CA	0.000332

Dyeing Desert Flower Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
37-308	Bikiactive Yellow K3RS	0.17	0.36	G. Salt	15
	Syno Red HF3B	0.19		Soda Ash	8
	Syno Blue KBR	0.0009

Dyeing Camellia Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
38-303	Bikiactive Yellow K3RS	0.5	0.96	G. Salt	25
	Syno Red HF3B	0.46		Soda Ash	15
	Syno. Blue KBR	0.00008

Dyeing Vermillion Orange Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
38-306	Avitera Br. Scarlet SE	2	2.0665	G. Salt	50
	Avitera Yellow SE	0.065		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.0015		Caustic	1.5

Dyeing Living Coral Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
38-315	Nova Scarlet FN-6G	0.6	0.6673	G. Salt	25
	Avitera Red SE	0.065		Soda Ash	15
	Avitera Blue SE	0.0023

Dyeing Chili Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
39-303	Rema UL. Yellow RGB	1.32	2.24	G. Salt	50
	Rema UL. Red RGB	0.9		Soda Ash	5
	Leva Blue CA	0.02		Caustic	1.5

Dyeing Orange.Com Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
39-313	Nova Bri. Scarlet FN-6G	5	5.3036	G. Salt	90
	Avitera Red SE	0.3		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.0036		Caustic	2

Dyeing Deep Sea Coral Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
41-201	Novs Scarlet FN6G	1.1	1.3036	G. Salt	35
	Avitera Red SE	0.19		Soda Ash	18
	Avitera Blue SE	0.0136

Dyeing Hibiscus Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
44-304	Avitera Br. Scarlet SE	1.302	2.31	G. Salt	60
	Avitera Red SE	1.012		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.00072		Caustic	1.5

Dyeing Chinese Red Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
45-304	Avitera Yellow SE	0.968	6.17	G. Salt	90
	Avitera Red SE	3.404		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Br. Scarlet SE	1.8		Caustic	2

Dyeing Salsa Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
45-309	Avitera Yellow SE	4	10.01	G. Salt	90
	Avitera Red SE	6		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.01		Caustic	2

Dyeing Racing Red Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
45-320	Avitera Br. Scarlet SE	3.3	5.3	G. Salt	90
	Avitera Red SE	2		Soda Ash	5
				Caustic	2

Dyeing Sun-Dried Tomato Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
46-212	Avitera Red SE	0.75	6.48	G. Salt	90
	Avitera Cardinal SE	5.3		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.43		Caustic	2

Dyeing Chili Pepper Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
46-304	Avitera Red SE	2.7	7.35	G. Salt	90
	Avitera Cardinal SE	4.5		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.15		Caustic	2

Dyeing Rhubarb Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
46-314	Avitera Red SE	4.5	9.74	G. Salt	90
	Avitera Cardinal SE	4.6		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.64		Caustic	2

Dyeing Pink Dogwood Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
51-113	Leva Yellow CA	0.009	0.0218	G. Salt	10
	Leva Red CA-N	0.0106		Soda Ash	6
	Leva Blue CA	0.0022

Dyeing Lotus Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
51-128	Levafix Yellow CA	0.022748	0.06	G. Salt	10
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.028		Soda Ash	6
	Levafix Blue CA	0.0077

Dyeing Bridal Rose Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
51-206	Leva Yellow CA	0.065	0.1774	G. Salt	15
	Leva Red CA-N	0.1		Soda Ash	8
	Leva Blue CA	0.0124

Dyeing Strawberry Ice Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
52-206	Levafix Yellow CA	0.1	0.29	G. Salt	15
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.19		Soda Ash	8
	Levafix Blue CA	0.003825

Dyeing Calypso Coral Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
52-310	Bikiactive Yellow K3RS	0.1944	0.98	G. Salt	35
	Syno Red HF3B	0.7875		Soda Ash	18
	Syno Blue KBR	0.00008

Dyeing Raspberry Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
53-306	Avitera Br. Scarlet SE	0.54	2.12	G. Salt	50
	Avitera Red SE	1.581		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.00072		Caustic	1.5

Dyeing Pink Nectar Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
54-207	Levafix Yellow CA	0.0309	0.12	G. Salt	10
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.0802		Soda Ash	6
	Levafix Blue CA	0.01012

Dyeing Coral Blush Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
54-209	Levafix Yellow CA	0.0266	0.07	G. Salt	10
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.04		Soda Ash	6
	Levafix Blue CA	0.0036

Dyeing Cherry Blossom Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
54-216	Leva Yellow CA	0.0033	0.0175	G. Salt	10
	Leva Red CA-N	0.0134		Soda Ash	6
	Leva Blue CA	0.0008

Dyeing Pink Lemonade Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
55-307	Bikiactive Yellow K3RS	0.058	0.6	G. Salt	25
	Syno Red HF3B	0.5432		Soda Ash	15
	Syno Blue KBR	0.000239

Dyeing Lilac Sachet Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
57-205	Levafix Yellow CA	0.006	0.08	G. Salt	10
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.07		Soda Ash	6
	Levafix Blue CA	0.0036

Dyeing Orchid Haze Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
58-103	Levafix Yellow CA	0.075	0.37	G. Salt	15
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.21		Soda Ash	8
	Levafix Blue CA	0.085

Dyeing Magenta Purple Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
59-303	Avitera Yellow SE	0.1275	4.1155	G. Salt	80
	Avitera Red SE	3.358		Soda Ash	5
	Avitera Blue SE	0.63		Caustic	2

Dyeing Tulipwood Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
63-104	Avitera Yellow SE	0.4	1.82	G. Salt	35
	Avitera Red SE	0.96		Soda Ash	18
	Avitera Blue SE	0.46

Dyeing Iris Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
64-106	Levafix Yellow CA	0.0285	0.11	G. Salt	15
	Levafix Red CA-N	0.0403		Soda Ash	8
	Levafix Blue CA	0.04

Dyeing Sky Captain Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
73-216	Rema UL. Yellow RGB	1.15	6.49	G. Salt	90
	Rema UL. Red RGB	1.04		Soda Ash	5
	Sunfix Navy MFD	4.3		Caustic	2

Dyeing Skyway Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
74-105	Leva Yellow CA	0.007	0.0814	G. Salt	10
	Leva Red CA-N	0.0074		Soda Ash	6
	Leva Blue CA	0.067

Dyeing Blue Bonnet Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

H&M Code	Combination	Recipe (%)	Depth (%)	Auxiliaries	Amount
75-206	Leva Yellow CA	0.023	0.505	G. Salt	25
	Leva Red CA-N	0.062		Soda Ash	15
	Leva Blue CA	0.42

Dyeing Provence Shade

Proportion of Required Dyes

Frequently Asked Questions

Mixing Colors to Dye Green Fabric

To dye green fabric, textile engineers mix yellow as the base with small proportions of blue or red to achieve the target shade. Deep greens require 60–75% yellow with 25–40% blue; olive tones add 5–15% red to yellow-blue mixtures; and sage greens use 50–60% yellow with 35–45% blue and trace red for muting. The linked guide provides complete recipes for these variations.

References

Committee on Colorimetry, Optical Society of America. (1953). The Science of Color. Optical Society of America.

Burch, P. How do I make many colors from only a few dyes?. pburch.net Dyeing FAQ.

CIE (International Commission on Illumination). (1986). CIE 15.2: Colorimetry (2nd ed.). Bureau Central de la CIE.

DyStar. (2021). Remazol Ultra RGB — Product Technical Information. DyStar Singapore Pte Ltd.

Pantone LLC. (2020). Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors — Cotton TX Card System. Pantone.

H&M Group. (2019). H&M Color Standard Manual — Sustainable Dyeing Specifications. H&M Group.