





Inside indigo
Indigo chemistry made easy, down to the molecular level.
Follow step-by-step instructions with a running “science behind” column as your guide. Revisit your experience or discover new techniques. For advanced dyers and beginners alike, with concise, easy-to-understand explanations.
Use this illustrated handbook as a compass to help you navigate observational cues with confidence, whether to successfully extract indigo pigment or to recognize “what your vat is telling you.”
With more than 80 graphic plates, this is an ideal tool for visual learners who find it helpful to keep a reference open on their studio counter. Key concepts are available at a glance, enhancing the workflow.
And for those keen to dive deeper into the chemistry of indigo and its relationship to fiber, these detailed drawings and diagrams present a one-of-a-kind exploration of how things work at a molecular level.

..behind magic there is science
Summary :
PART I : from leaf to pigment
PART II : from pigment to cloth
PART III : through the lens
Glossary :
INDIGO IN A NUTSHELL : visual board of the main chemical concepts
Highlights :
SOY MILK : an adhesive
INSIDE INDIRUBIN : recipe for pink soap
REDOX REACTIONS : decoded
Recipes :
Tataki-Zome
Fresh leaf and salt dye bath
Stock solution and Iron vat
Heated extraction and direct vat
Soy milk preparation
Inside you’ll find :
- Reaction scheme play-by-play
- Aqueous extraction guidelines
- Everything about leucoindigo(s)
- The science behind the vats
- Stock solution and troubleshooting
- Silk, wool, and cellulose : affinities
Bonus :
- Learn & play with an indigo board game for all ages
one player / multiplayer - Isatis Tinctoria heated extraction recipe
- blacklight hands-on experiments
A complete overview of the mechanisms of the indigotin molecule.
As plant-based indigo enjoys a resurgence of interest in Western culture, Julia Tabakhova embark on a mission to cast light upon the complexities of the beloved blue pigment. Documenting indigoid species in their every form and interaction during both the extraction and dyeing processes, Tabakhova’s illustrations marry candid esthetic with technical detail. As the first of its kind to feature in-depth contextual images, this handbook is a perfect synthesis of art and science.
INSIDE INDIGO, a handbook for dyers..
Author: Julia Tabakhova
Softcover : 12x12 inches (30x30 cm)
ISBN : 9782491418120
Edition : English
Publisher : Éditions TERRACOL
Pages : 144 pages
Level : Beginner and Expert
INSIDE INDIGO will be available in French this winter.
À propos ..
Julia Tabakhova is a Normandy based artisan with a love for illustrations. She graduated in art and cultural mediation and worked as an art educator for numerous museums and institutions. Along the way she crafted didactical booklets to combine knowledge with playfulness. Over the past decade she has delved into the indigo world and parallel to her dyers’s practice she has been journaling her experiments into drawings now found in this book.