A resist-dyeing technique in which fabric is tied, folded or bound so some areas resist the dye.
Tie-dye is resist dyeing: before the cloth goes into the dye, parts of it are bound, tied or folded tight so that the dye cannot reach them. In bandhani, as the V&A describes it, the dyer pinches a small area of cloth and wraps waxed thread tightly around it so that it stays undyed in the dye-bath; the finished pattern is made of dots. Cooper Hewitt notes that the ties usually stay on until the textile is sold. For leheria, the Textile Research Centre in Leiden describes fine cotton or silk folded diagonally like a concertina, bound at intervals with thick cotton thread, and dyed from light colors to dark, then bound again and redyed.
Batik, often confused with it, resists the dye with wax instead: Cotton Incorporated explains that wax is applied to areas of the fabric, the fabric is dyed, and the wax is boiled out. In tie-dye, the binding is the resist.
In job listings
The word tie-dye seldom names a role; dyeing does. Product development assistants track fabric dye orders, dye samples and color cards, printed-textile assistants follow lab dips and secondary dyeing with suppliers, and textile sites employ operators who prepare dye colors. See current dye roles.
