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Colour and Dye Technician

Producing highly specialised colour and dye for fibres and fabrics

How this role makes a difference

Colours of all kinds are everywhere, in textiles, work clothing, fashion fabrics, and upholstery. Highly specialised colour and dye chemistry ensures the right colours can be achieved across all kinds of materials.

Colour trends come and go, however, and new fabrics are being developed all the time to make furniture, clothing and products of all kinds that are better for the planet. You could be the technician that brings colour to the world, applying your colour and dye chemistry to new and planet-friendly materials.

The kind of work you’ll do

  • Creating recipes for specific shades of colour
  • Scheduling machine time
  • Programming the computers that control the containers of ingredients
  • Controlling stock and ordering dyes
  • Meeting environmental controls for chemicals usage
  • Liaising with clients on their colour objectives and production timelines
  • Carrying out colour test to make sure colour lasts
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Useful skills
Precise
Useful skills
Technologically minded

What you can bring to the role

£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per year *
£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

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*according to ONS

Future career opportunities

Your skills in dye production can take you in lots of different directions, first working in and then leading a team.

You could help to create luxury fabrics for a fashion brand, hard-wearing comfortable fabrics for furniture or develop a whole range of colours on an industrial scale for different kinds of manufacturers.

How to get into this role

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:  

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

Working as a colour and dye technician involves moving between manufacturing facilities and laboratories and working with customers to achieve their colour goals. You’ll be responsible for colour trials, production and the ultimate quality of colour.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Colour Chemist
Colour Scientist
Dye Technologist
Dye-House Technician
Laboratory Technician
Manufacturing Managers

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