Abstract: Natural dyes have been widely applied in functional textiles and sustainable printing and dyeing due to their characters of non-toxic, harmless, biodegradable and non-irritating to the human body. For further understanding of the application and research progress of natural dyes, the paper comprehensively introduces its classification, extraction method and application in the dyeing and finishing process.

Additionally, by further exploring the new processing technology of natural dyes, the existed problems in the practical application of natural dyes were discussed in depth. Finally, the paper looks forward to the future source standards, the extraction process, durability and multifunctional application of natural dyes.

Key words: natural dyes; classification; dyeing and finishing; dyeing technology; research progress