What does melange mean? The word “melange” comes from the French: Mélange = Mixture or blend.
The word is used to describe the color of the type of fabric or yarn. It refers to the mixture of different colors that gives a shimmering, mottled color effect - the melange optic.
How is the melange effect achieved in fabric?
A high quality, multi-coloured melange fabric is usually created by a special dyeing process that mixes different colors and fibers together. This process is called melange dyeing and can be used to create a variety of colors and textures.
To make a melange yarn, the desired colors and fibers are first selected and mixed. This blend is then treated in a special dyeing process where the colors are mixed together to create a melange optic. The result is a yarn with a “blended” appearance, featuring different colors and textures.
Examples of melange fabric: jersey, linen, jeans, knitted fabrics.
You can recognise melange fabrics because they always have a basic color and a few fibers in a different shade.
For example, if the dark gray and white fibers in a light grey jersey fabric are discreetly drawn through, then this is considered a melange effect in the fabric.
The quality of a melange fabric depends on several factors, such as the quality of the fibers and dyes used, the dyeing process and the manufacturer's ability to dye the yarn evenly. A high quality melange yarn will usually be fine, evenly dyed and durable.
Textile labels with melange optic
We always strive to offer you as many design options as possible so that you can create a label that is completely individual to your needs. That's why we've added melange colors to our range of woven labels. This is where two colors are combined in one thread to create a melange finish. The result is super soft labels with a slight shimmer.
Which melange colors does Wunderlabel offer?
Our woven labels are available in 7 different melange colors: red, dark blue, yellow-green, green, pink, purple and gray. You can take a closer look at the colors in the online design tool.
They are best suited as a background color, so that the melange effect really comes into its own. But you can also use them for your text. Note, however, that the unique properties of the melange yarn may mean that the text doesn't stand out as much.
We hope our article "Melange - Meaning and Examples" was helpful and that it inspired you to try out Wunderlabel's melange colors!
