How many colors of pysanka dyes are there?

How any colors are there in a rainbow? There are two types of dyes used for making pysanky: natural (less common today) and chemical aniline dyes. There are many, many colors of aniline dyes available commercially in North America. The four commercial suppliers of such dyes packaged specifically for use in making pysanky are UGS (Ukrainian Gift Shop), Eggcessories, Surma and Pysanky Showcase. The first three have many of the same names for their dyes, but the actual colors can vary a lot. The reds are a good example: UGS's scarlet (formerly bright red) is quite orangey, as opposed to the Eggcessories bright red, which is a full, darker red. The same is true for many of the other colors--there is much variation as all are custom blends. *UGS: 17 different colors *Surma: 13 different colors *Eggcessories: 13 different colors *Pysanky Showcase: 38 different colors The Pysanky Showcase dyes have a much greater spectrum, including several "brilliant" shades among the 38 offered. You can also create custom pastel colors by adding 2 T of dye (already mixed) to a cup and a half of water plus a T of vinegar. And you can blend your own dyes by mixing together varying amounts of dyes to create new colors. (Mix the actual dyes, not the powders. DO NOT mix together vinegar-free dyes with those that contain vinegar.) For example, adding a small amount of light blue to pink gives a deeper pink color. Additionally, using various combinations of dyebaths in succession can produce interesting colors: orange to green will give olive, dark green to pink will give purple. Play around a bit and see what happens! There is a huge spectrum of color out there!