Rit Dye
Rit Dye is a 107-year-old American fabric dye manufacturer, operated under Nakoma Products LLC, selling All-Purpose Dye, DyeMore for Synthetics, ProLine, and accessory kits to DIY consumers, crafters, and textile artists through major US retailers and direct e-commerce in the UK, Europe, Canada, and Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1918
- HeadquartersBridgeview, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Rit Dye does
Rit Dye is a 107-year-old American manufacturer of consumer fabric dyes, founded in 1918 in the United States and currently operated as a brand of Nakoma Products LLC, a privately held consumer products company headquartered in Bridgeview, Illinois. The company's core technology is a dual-formula dye chemistry platform: All-Purpose Dye covers natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk, linen, ramie) and synthetics (nylon, rayon), while DyeMore for Synthetics is formulated for substrates containing 35%+ polyester, acrylic, or acetate, as well as non-fabric materials including 3D printed objects, lacrosse sticks, wigs, and most plastics. Supporting the dye lines is an ecosystem of adjunct products—ColorStay Dye Fixative, Color Remover, Whitener Brightener, White-Wash—and a content moat comprising over 1,000 documented color formulas with mixing instructions, technique tutorials by method (sink, stovetop, washing machine, microwave) and material, plus a project blog. Rit also operates the ProLine professional-grade product line and curated kits (Back to Black, Back to Blue Denim, Tie-Dye Accessory, Indigo Shibori).
Rit's go-to-market is product-led, targeting DIY consumers, home crafters, party planners, and textile artists through a multi-channel distribution strategy. In the United States, products are sold through Michaels, Walmart, JOANNs, and Hobby Lobby; internationally, distribution runs through Lincraft, Spotlight, and Woolworths in Australia, with direct e-commerce storefronts serving the UK, Europe, Canada, and Poland. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time unit sales of dye bottles, kits, and laundry additives—no subscription or tiered pricing model is in place. Marketing is content-driven, leveraging a large project blog, an Instagram presence, an email newsletter, a Pinterest and Facebook remarketing layer, and an influencer program, with brand heritage and a sustainability narrative (reviving garments rather than replacing them) used as core messaging. No software, API, or AI/ML capability is part of the product offering.
Rit Dye firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rit Dye
- Legal name
- Nakoma Products LLC
- Website
- https://ritdye.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1918
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rit Dye is a 107-year-old American fabric dye manufacturer, operated under Nakoma Products LLC, selling All-Purpose Dye, DyeMore for Synthetics, ProLine, and accessory kits to DIY consumers, crafters, and textile artists through major US retailers and direct e-commerce in the UK, Europe, Canada, and Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rit Dye industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fabric Dyes
- NAICS
- Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pigments & Dyes (IMAEAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dyeing, Printing & Finishing (Chemical & Mechanical) (CRAAAMAJ), Coating & Finishing Chemicals Application (Resins/Softening/Water-Repellent/FR/Antimicrobial) (IMAOACAD), Apparel Dyeing, Printing, Finishing & Laundries (CRAAAAAM)
Keywords
Where Rit Dye is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bridgeview
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rit Dye business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Dye Product Sales: One-time purchase model for fabric dyes. Products include All-Purpose Dye (liquid 8oz, powder), DyeMore for Synthetics (liquid 7oz), and various color shades. Sold through retail and direct-to-consumer channels.
- Dye Kits and Accessories: Bundled products including Back to Black Kit, Back to Blue Denim Kit, Tie-Dye Accessory Kit, and Indigo Shibori Tie Dye Kit. One-time purchase of complete dyeing solutions.
- Laundry Additives: Adjacent products including ColorStay Dye Fixative, Color Remover, Whitener Brightener, and White-Wash for fabric care and maintenance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard dye products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Rit Dye product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rit Dye manufactures and sells consumer fabric dyes for clothing, home décor, and crafts. Its core lines are All-Purpose Dye (for natural fibers like cotton, wool, silk, linen and synthetics like nylon and rayon) and DyeMore for Synthetics (for polyester, acrylic, acetate, and synthetic blends), supported by the ProLine professional formula and accessory kits including Back to Black, Back to Blue Denim, Tie-Dye, and Indigo Shibori kits, plus dyeing aids like ColorStay Dye Fixative and Color Remover.
Product overview
Rit Dye offers a comprehensive fabric dyeing product portfolio organized around three core dye lines: All Purpose Dye for natural and synthetic fabrics with nearly 1,000 color blend possibilities; DyeMore for Synthetics specifically formulated for polyester, acrylic, and acetate fabrics; and ProLine for professional and large-scale dyeing projects. The product ecosystem is supported by accessory kits including Back to Black and Back to Blue Denim restoration kits, tie-dye and shibori specialty kits, and laundry treatment products including ColorStay Dye Fixative (to reduce bleeding/fading), Color Remover (for stripping existing color), and Whitener Brightener. All products are non-toxic and safe for sewer and septic systems. Founded in 1918, the company is owned by Nakoma Products LLC and operates globally with dedicated regional stores.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rit All-Purpose Dye: Versatile dye for natural fibers like cotton, wool, silk, and synthetics like nylon and rayon. Offers nearly 1,000 color blend possibilities.
- Rit DyeMore for Synthetics
- Rit ProLine
- Rit Back to Black Dye Kit
- Rit Back to Blue Denim Dye Kit
- Rit Tie-Dye Accessory Kit
- Rit Indigo Shibori Tie Dye Kit
- ColorStay Dye Fixative
- Color Remover
- Rit Laundry Additives
Products and services
- Rit All-Purpose Dye Versatile fabric dye for washable fabrics containing natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk) and synthetics (nylon, rayon). Offers nearly 1,000 color blend possibilities. Available in liquid (8 oz) and powder formats for DIY consumers, home crafters, and textile projects.
- Rit DyeMore for Synthetics Specialized dye formulated for synthetic fibers including polyester, acrylic, and acetate. Works on fabric blends containing more than 35% synthetic fibers, as well as 3D printed items, lacrosse sticks, wigs, and most plastics. Requires stovetop method for application.
- Rit ProLine
Quantifiable outcome
- Saving four shirts you love with non-toxic dye versus buying new reduces CO2 emissions by 74%
Companies that use Rit Dye
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rit Dye technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Rit Dye partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.
- MichaelscoreMichaels is a major US craft retailer partner for Rit Dye products. The company launches exclusive products at Michaels, including the Plum Berry DyeMore for Synthetics shade.
- WalmartcoreWalmart serves as a major mass-market retail partner for Rit Dye, carrying products including Back to Black Kit and Back to Blue Denim Kit.
- JOANNscoreJOANNs is a primary craft retail partner for Rit Dye products in the US, particularly for the Back to Blue Denim Kit and general dye products.
- Hobby LobbycoreHobby Lobby serves as a retail partner for Rit Dye products including the Back to Blue Denim Kit, targeting the craft and DIY consumer segment.
- LincraftregionalAustralian craft retailer distributing Rit Dye products across Australia.
- SpotlightregionalAustralian retailer distributing Rit Dye products, available in stores and online.
- WoolworthsregionalAustralian supermarket chain with Rit Dye products in their craft/household sections.
- Facebook RemarketingminorFacebook provides behavioral remarketing services to advertise Rit Dye products to users who have visited the website.
- Pinterest RemarketingminorPinterest provides interest-based advertising services for Rit Dye targeting users interested in DIY, crafts, and fashion.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rit Dye competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dylon: Dylon (owned by Reckitt) is one of the most recognized consumer fabric dye brands in Europe and other markets, offering machine- and hand-dye products for the home. It directly competes with Rit across the same DIY consumer segment, with overlapping retail placement in craft and mass channels.
- Jacquard Products: Jacquard Products manufactures fabric dyes, paints, and textile art supplies including the iDye line for natural and synthetic fibers. It serves overlapping DIY, craft, and small-batch professional customers with similar dual-formula coverage of natural and synthetic substrates.
- Tulip (Duncan Enterprises): Tulip is a leading DIY fashion and tie-dye brand with one-step spray dyes, fabric markers, and tie-dye kits sold through craft and mass retailers. Its tie-dye kits compete head-to-head with Rit's Tie-Dye Accessory Kit and Indigo Shibori Kit at Michaels, JOANNs, and Walmart.
- Dharma Trading Co. Dharma Trading is a major US fiber arts and textile dye supplier serving both hobbyists and small-batch professional dyers with reactive dyes, acid dyes, and pigment dyes. It overlaps with Rit's ProLine and DyeMore offerings, particularly for crafters and textile artists.
- ProChemical & Dye: ProChemical & Dye is a US supplier of professional-grade fiber reactive, acid, and disperse dyes for textile designers and small studios. It overlaps with Rit's ProLine on the professional/scale-up use case for natural and synthetic dyeing.
- Pébéo: Pébéo produces fabric paints and dyes (including Setacolor) widely used by crafters, textile artists, and DIY consumers. Its products compete with Rit's accessory and crafts lineups in the same retail and hobbyist channels.
Regional players
- Tintex: Tintex is a Portuguese textile dye manufacturer serving both industrial and craft segments with reactive and pigment dyes. It is comparable in product category but historically focused on European markets where Rit competes via its ritdye.eu storefront.
Broad incumbents
- Plaid Enterprises: Plaid Enterprises is a large craft supplies manufacturer (Mod Podge, FolkArt, Martha Stewart Crafts) with broad retail presence. While not specializing in fabric dyes like Rit, it competes for shelf space and DIY consumer wallet share across the same craft aisles.
- Duncan Enterprises: Duncan Enterprises is the parent of Tulip and a major US craft arts manufacturer with broad product coverage across tie-dye, fabric paints, and DIY kits. It competes with Rit through the same retail channels and through its depth of tie-dye-specific product extensions.
Emerging players
- Createx Colors: Createx Colors manufactures water-based airbrush and fabric paints used by textile artists and customizers. It overlaps with Rit's dye-adjacent fabric customization applications, particularly for crafters and DIY garment artists.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rit Dye social profiles
Digital presenceRit Dye compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Rit Dye financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rit Dye leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rit Dye funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rit Dye M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rit Dye
What does Rit Dye do?
Rit Dye manufactures and sells consumer fabric dyes for clothing, home décor, and crafts. Its core lines are All-Purpose Dye (for natural fibers like cotton, wool, silk, linen and synthetics like nylon and rayon) and DyeMore for Synthetics (for polyester, acrylic, acetate, and synthetic blends), supported by the ProLine professional formula and accessory kits including Back to Black, Back to Blue Denim, Tie-Dye, and Indigo Shibori kits, plus dyeing aids like ColorStay Dye Fixative and Color Remover.
Is Rit Dye a public or private company?
Rit Dye is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Rit Dye founded?
Rit Dye was founded in 1918. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rit Dye based?
Rit Dye is headquartered in Bridgeview, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rit Dye make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Dye Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are dye Kits and Accessories and laundry Additives.
Who are Rit Dye's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dylon, Jacquard Products, Tulip (Duncan Enterprises), Dharma Trading Co., ProChemical & Dye and Pébéo. Tintex is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Plaid Enterprises and Duncan Enterprises. Createx Colors is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rit Dye have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rit Dye.
What industry is Rit Dye in?
Rit Dye's product category is Fabric Dyes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAHAJ, Pigments & Dyes, with a secondary code of CRAAAMAJ, Dyeing, Printing & Finishing (Chemical & Mechanical). Its NAICS code is 32513 and its SIC code is 2890.