Yamato Indigo Dye

Yamato Indigo is a beginner-friendly, natural-blend indigo powder dye from Japan. Simply add water—no heating, fermentation, or waiting required. The dye is instantly ready for use and produces a rich, vibrant Japan Blue on natural materials such as cotton, linen, silk, leather, wood, and washi paper.

Perfect for at-home projects, refreshing old garments, workshops, and professional dyers alike.

Each pack includes an instruction sheet for easy setup and use.

Available Sizes:

• 10g Pack – Makes a 2–3 liter vat; great for small items like napkins, scarves, or bandanas.

• 30g Pack – Makes a 6–10 liter vat; ideal for medium items such as T-shirts, pillowcases, or canvas totes.

• 50g Pack – Makes a 10–17 liter vat; suitable for larger pieces like long-sleeve shirts, cotton pants, sneakers, light jackets, or multiple small items for group workshops.

How much dye do I need?: 

We recommend using approximately 5% Yamato Indigo based on the total weight of the items you plan to dye. It is also important to prepare a vat that is large enough to fully and comfortably submerge your items, without overly diluting the dye.

As a general guideline, use 3–5g of Yamato Indigo per liter of water. For example, a 50g pack of Yamato Indigo will make a 10–17 liter vat, which is sufficient to dye approximately five T-shirts weighing 200g each (total fabric weight: 1kg).

Note:

Yamato Indigo is made by blending natural and synthetic indigo with reducing agents, similar to pre-reduced indigo. It is not 100% natural indigo.

As a general guideline, we recommend using the dye vat within the same day. If you need to store it, transfer the vat to a completely sealed container and keep it in a cool place. Please note that the dye strength will gradually weaken over time.

We recommend using the dye powder within 6 months of purchase for best results.