How Colourizd Plans to Shake Up Dyeing’s Status Quo
In textile production, getting color right is crucial. But achieving hues—whether indigo denim or a brightly colored knit—has often come with a significant environmental cost.
Colourizd is offering an alternative to conventional dyeing, with a process that reduces water usage to just 1 liter per kilogram yarn by precisely applying color. For the denim industry, Colourizd can be used to create the same looks as traditional methods—such as deep blues and washdown effects—with less resource consumption.
Jennifer Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Colourizd, spoke with Carved in Blue about how the technology works, how it has been tested on TENCEL™ fibers and the product development opportunities for Colourizd in denim.
Carved in Blue: What is the origin story for Colourizd? How did this process come about?
Jennifer: Colourizd was born out of a frustration with the status quo in textile dyeing and a deep desire to find a better way. Traditional dyeing is resource-intensive, chemically harsh and wasteful. We asked ourselves some key questions: What if we could remove water from the equation altogether? What if we could make a fabric look like we wanted it to at the final stage without extensive washdowns? These questions led us to rethink coloration from the yarn outward. Our solution: build a machine that injects pigment directly into the yarn using a binder, control the color visually from the beginning and create a beautiful consumer-friendly product without excessive water use—and with a much lower environmental footprint.
Carved in Blue: Could you provide an overview of the process and the type of equipment involved?
Jennifer: The Colourizd process applies pigment and binder directly to yarn using a precision-controlled color application system. This allows us to manipulate the appearance of the yarn—such as creating a visual slub, a linen-like texture or melange—by controlling the patterning and penetration of the pigment. We can apply color more heavily to the yarn surface for denim-like washdown effects or push pigment deeper into the yarn for applications like shirting.
Pigment is applied and fixed in a single pass, eliminating the need for water, multiple rinses or complex chemical processing.
Our QuantumColour machine is a continuous, dry system—yarns exit ready for production. It can be integrated into spinning, weaving or knitting workflows, offering a flexible, low-disruption solution for manufacturers looking to innovate.
Carved in Blue: What do manufacturers need to know about using Colourizd?
Jennifer: Colourizd is fiber-agnostic—we can apply color to cotton, polyester, viscose, wool, linen, hemp, TENCEL™ fibers and blends in a single pass. We use pigments, not dyes, which allows for precise control, consistency and wash durability.
Yarns processed on our QuantumColour machine have enhanced performance characteristics. Yarns become stronger—a big bonus when working with recycled yarns. We often see strength increase of 5 percent to 20 percent.
Colourizd is also a very cost-effective solution for coloration and allows for additional cost savings in the wash stage.
Carved in Blue: Have you done any trials or production runs with TENCEL™ yarns? What was the outcome?
Jennifer: Yes, we’ve run successful trials with TENCEL™ and TENCEL™ blends. The outcome has been excellent—Colourizd works beautifully on these fibers. We’re able to deliver beautiful color without altering TENCEL™ fibers’ soft hand, drape or luster. In fact, our dry application method helps preserve the integrity and sustainability story of TENCEL™, making it a great pairing for brands focused on responsible innovation. Our process also reduces pilling, reduces hairiness and allows for level dyeing, making it an ideal match for TENCEL™ and TENCEL™ blends.
Carved in Blue: Your machinery is currently being used for brands like Wrangler and Lee and at manufacturers like Cone Denim. How have you seen them use your technology?
Jennifer: Wrangler and Lee have been great early supporters of Colourizd, they have had product inline since 2019.
Cone Denim has used the technology to create colored denim yarns for commercial programs. Fabrics made with yarns colored by Colourizd were recently featured in their artist collaboration Rooted. While we’re still in the early stages of machine sales, the path from to production and industry adoption is becoming clearer as interest grows.
Carved in Blue: For denim specifically, what aesthetic, production and performance opportunities does Colourizd open up compared to conventionally dyed denim?
Jennifer: Colourizd allows for greater flexibility in shade control. Colourizd is able to produce denim-like effects—color loss, color pooling and wear marks—on any color. We are not limited to indigo and sulfur colors, expanding the options for great looking colored denim. Because pigment can be applied selectively, we can create tonal dimension and artistic aesthetics directly on the yarn—without relying on washdowns or overdyeing.
Our yarns offer a clean washdown without yellowing, maintain their hue through abrasion and shorten wash cycles. This reduces both water and energy in downstream processing, while also improving throughput. Additionally, reduced washing also increases quality, especially in lighter colored shades that normally undergo harsh washing and abrasion.
Colourizd allows for some unique applications. Our QuantumColour machine can apply bio-based pigments, such as Nature Coat’s Black and Achroma’s NTR Black. Preoxidized indigo pigment can also be applied, allowing for a true indigo look without the harsh chemicals and high water usage of indigo.
Colourizd also enables manufacturers to produce denim yarns in a dry factory environment—even directly within spinning operations. This opens the door to new supply chain models and greater flexibility. It reduces lead times and dramatically improves environmental impact by eliminating the need for large-scale dye baths, rinses and effluent treatment.
Carved in Blue: Why is Colourizd such a good fit for recycled fibers? How does this combat some issues that can occur when using recycled yarns?
Jennifer: Recycled fibers often pose significant challenges for traditional dyeing processes. Their shorter fiber lengths can lead to weaker yarns, hairiness and pilling—issues that Colourizd directly addresses. Our process strengthens these yarns, smooths their surface and reduces pilling by applying pigment and binder to the yarn.
Because we use a pigment-based system, we can color over a wide range of base fiber—including yarns made from recycled sources—without the need for bleaching, scouring or removing existing color. This allows us to bypass one of the most resource-intensive steps in conventional yarn processing. Additionally, any contaminants or inconsistencies in the yarn that typically interfere with dye uptake pose no issue for our technology.
All of this makes Colourizd a game-changing solution for recycled yarns, enabling them to meet performance, aesthetic and sustainability standards that are otherwise difficult to achieve.
Carved in Blue: What benefits does Colourizd add to yarns—whether they are recycled, denim or another composition?
Jennifer: Colourizd delivers measurable benefits across a wide range of yarn types and production environments. Our one-pass, pigment-based coloration system enables precise, consistent application of solids, heathers, slubs and artistic effects—without water, rinses or harsh chemicals.
We use only 1 liter of water per kilogram of yarn, eliminate wastewater discharge, and reduce carbon emissions by up to 73 percent compared to traditional fiber reactive dyeing. Energy use is also significantly reduced—up to 50 percent less—all while using Bluesign-certified, safe chemical inputs.
Colourizd also enhances yarn performance. Our binder system adds strength—particularly to weaker or recycled fibers—while reducing pilling and surface hairiness. We help maintain yarn integrity and appearance throughout downstream processing, even under abrasion. Because we’re fiber-independent, the same process can be used for cotton, polyester, wool, viscose and blends without change.
Finally, the Colourizd platform is a fully developed, production-ready solution. Our QuantumColour machine is not just a prototype—it’s a proven technology, ready for immediate installation and commercial use. This makes it a seamless addition for spinning or fabric operations seeking to innovate, especially those without existing dyehouse infrastructure. Colourizd allows manufacturers to integrate sustainable color application directly into their core operations with minimal disruption.
Carved in Blue: What is next for Colourizd?
Jennifer: Right now, we’re focused on scaling our next-generation platform and taking Colourizd fully into commercial production. Our technology is no longer experimental—it’s proven, reliable and ready to meet industry demand. We’re actively expanding our collaborations with mills and brands, deepening our partnerships with recyclers and entering into real-world production engagements with forward-thinking manufacturers. On the R&D side, we continue to refine our binder systems, expand our color chemistry partnerships, and enhance performance on recycled yarns. Our long-term goal remains the same: to establish Colourizd as the industry standard for sustainable, scalable yarn coloration.