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Can you buy a White band and dye it any color you want?
- Thread starter ricktat
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I would utilize permanent hair color; with hair it actually penetrates and deposits beyond the cuticle (outer layer). Semi doesn't penetrate as deep and really stains hair, hence the easy fade and wash out over time. Permanent color with 20 vol. (or higher), should definitely deposit more color easily and be longer lasting.
As with hair, rinse until the water runs clear, so it doesn't seep color later (avoiding warm-hot water, which really fades color, as it opens outer layers).
Also:
If you're going with professional color and want higher pigment, use Privana.
Pravana is great - my stylist has been been using their pink on my hair for years and it's brilliant. I believe they make a bright red permanent dye - that might be good for a band dye. The rest of their brights are demi-permanent, which, if my hair is any indication, will fade over time, but if re-applied regularly will eventually become permanent (my ends get dull after a while, but they no longer fade). This is true also of Elumen, the other professional vivid color. (there might be more but AFAIK those are the only two available in the U.S.)
AFAIK, there are no permanent vivid (unnatural color) hair dyes available for sale in the U.S.
So I thought I would give some more comprehensive feedback:
I used a standard permanent fabric dye. I made a very concentrated solution, with the required amount of salt, and bathed the apple watch in this, in an oven, for five hours. The band was very slightly and inconsistently stained by this.
Since the experiment was not successful I tried to return the strap to its original state. I had a dishwasher load ready, so I ran it through the normal dishwasher cycle. This did nothing. I then used a nail brush and normal washing up detergent which removed almost all of the staining. For the final remaining marks I used a mild scouring pad. After all of this the strap is almost exactly as it was, except that the rubber locating nubs are permanently stained.
If nothing else this experience speaks well of the durability of the bands!
No. I couldn't find any permanent dyes in the colour(s) I want. Somebody else can experiment next.
No. I couldn't find any permanent dyes in the colour(s) I want. Somebody else can experiment next.
I'm trying a bright purple hair dye now. After 2 hours it's looking promising for a light purple band. I'm going to leave it for another 6 hours and see what it looks like.
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I think Framesi offers a line of professional permanent hair dyes in vivid colors. I'm pretty sure when I was coloring with vivid colors they were permanent. They fade in my hair anyway, but not as quickly as semi-permanent.
The way hair dye will react to the bands is completely different, in my opinion. The material is not porous like hair, so it's possible whatever stain it picks up from the color may be more permanent than it is with hair.
I did a little Googling and it sounds like the Framesi "permanent" vivid colors have the same as effective lasting power as the Pravana and Elumen "demi-permanent" colors - they'll last way longer than "semi-permanent" colors but still will eventually fade. I've no idea what the difference is between "demi" and "semi" but it seems there is one. I'm going to ask my stylist about the Framesi next time I'm in to see what she thinks.
I totally agree that the bands will likely take and hold the dye differently than hair. I'm interested to see how your experiments pan out. I'd definitely buy a white band if I could dye it pink (and if the color wouldn't sweat off all over my arm, LOL).
Unfortunately, the results were very disappointing. The dye was very uneven, not very dark, and I was able to scrub a lot of the color off with the scrubby side of a sponge. Although it does speak well to the durability of the band, it's aggravating me that I can't figure out a way to dye the stinkers!
What's really frustrating is that the rubber gloves I used now have bright purple finger tips that I can't scrub away no matter how hard I try!I did wonder about the sweat aspect myself, seeing as I used to wake up to a pillow full of pink or purple dye on some the hotter nights.
I am in the rubber injection business and knows the company that makes the bands for Apple.
Maybe it was a batch of bad mixed polymer but I am sure they do not coat the rubber.
Usually blooming occurs when the rubber compression time was shortened.
Another cause is excessive wax. Wax is what's giving the band a nice smooth feel and also to help the band come off the mould easier (because it's less sticky), but it will make it's way to the surface if too much wax was added (visible in black band, will be difficult to see in other colors).
If you see blooming on your black bands, touch it, if it feels smooth and dry, then it's really not an issue (not counting aesthetics), but if it's sticky, then you got bad rubber, definitely exchange it.
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