Ib qho zas xim yog xim xim uas muaj affinity rau lub substrate uas nws yog siv.Cov zas xim feem ntau yog siv rau hauv cov tshuaj aqueous, thiab yuav tsum muaj cov mordant los txhim kho qhov ceev ntawm cov xim ntawm cov fiber ntau.

Ob qho tib si dyes thiab pigments zoo li muaj xim vim lawv nqus qee qhov wavelengths ntawm lub teeb ntau dua li lwm tus.Nyob rau hauv sib piv nrog ib tug dye, feem ntau yog xim xim yog insoluble, thiab tsis muaj affinity rau lub substrate.Qee cov dyes tuaj yeem ua rau cov ntsev inert los tsim cov xim hauv pas dej, thiab raws li cov ntsev siv lawv tuaj yeem yog cov pas dej txhuas, pas dej calcium lossis barium lake pigments.

Dyed flax fibers tau pom nyob rau hauv koom pheej ntawm Georgia hnub rov qab rau hauv lub qhov tsua prehistoric rau 36,000 BP.Archaeological pov thawj qhia tau tias dyeing tau dav ua rau ntau tshaj 5000 xyoo, tshwj xeeb hauv Is Nrias teb thiab Phoenicia.Cov dyes tau los ntawm cov tsiaj, zaub los yog cov ntxhia hauv keeb kwm, tsis muaj los yog tsawg heev.So deb qhov loj tshaj ntawm dyes tau los ntawm cov nroj tsuags, tshwj xeeb keeb kwm, berries, bark, nplooj thiab ntoo.