Jeff, yes, there is that. But surface coatings (like paints) are subject to wearing and adding weight. Dyes are very much lighter, they simply do not contain any binder. I don’t know exactly the process they are using, but I would guess they are much heavier tent fabric’s. Likely, 1.0oz/yd or so. This kind of doesn’t make sense when most of us use DCF/Cuben for light weight. Silnylon is 1.1oz/yd and at least as rugged and likely more durable due to better abrasion resistance/packed size.
I think a Magic Marker will put a relatively permanent color on DCF/Cuben but it would be expensive. And the various chemicals (xylene, benzene, alcohol) really just carry pigment and glue (ink.) Never tried it, but I am guessing that doing a large area would also tend to stiffen and degrade the the fabric somewhat. Without some form of bonding no inks would stick. For example, writing on window glass. While DCF/Cuben is somewhat better in that regard, it still doesn’t allow much to penetrate and bond. To make colored glass, the pigment is embedded on the glass structure. Painted glass is possible (usually as a mistake for me,) though. Generally, I think at least one extra layer would be required.
Anyway, because DCF/Cuben is very thin (when considering the base three layer fabric) I am not sure you could really make a good opaque film in 51oz/yd or the .71oz/yd. Kind of like stretching a black garbage bag, it goes to olive and stretching a blue bag goes to light crystal blue, these are done now. (And mixes for camo, but camo colored DCF/Cuben is always heavier because of the chemistry involved.) I am going out on a limb and guessing that the colored DCF stuff would be similar to camo, a heavier material. As I remember, doped plastics is how you change the characteristics of a plastic…hardness, stiffness, elasticity, etc. You might not want to do that with all the color chemicals available.
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