Blue is the colour for Sparxell launch
Colour technology start-up Sparxell has made its first “textile ink” product commercially available.
The ink is derived from plant-based pigments, leading Sparxell to describe it as a “bio-inspired, biodegradable colouring solution”. It said this could help textile manufacturers and clothing brands eliminate toxic dyes, plastics, mined metals and minerals from their production processes.
To start with, the ink will be available in blue, with matte and shimmer finishes. Sparxell has said it will add other colours in the course of 2025, adding that “virtually unlimited colour variations” will be possible.
Partner company, Positive Materials, a Portugal-based textile company that works with brands to create low-impact materials, has teamed up with Sparxell for this launch. It will process orders Sparxell receives.
In September, an all-over printed cotton jersey fabric, produced by Positive Materials using Sparxell’s technology, will become available to customers in Europe.
Founded by University of Cambridge scientists Dr Benjamin Droguet and Professor Silvia Vignolini, Sparxell has harnessed “structural colour principles” found in nature. It offers the wings of the Morpho butterfly as an example.
The founders have worked to engineer plant-based cellulose “at the microscale” to create vibrant colours through light manipulation rather than through any chemical formula.
“This is just the beginning,” Dr Droguet said at the time of the launch. “Our vision is to make bio-inspired colour technology the new standard across fashion, proving that high performance and working in harmony with nature can be perfectly aligned.”
