Abstract: Cotton-containing toweling is dyed in a dye bath solution containing a coloring amount of at least one phosphonic acid fiber reactive dye together with sufficient acids such that the fiber reactive dye reacts with and attaches to the cotton of the toweling. The deybath-saturated toweling is passed through a high expression roll until the wet pickup is in the range of about 40-55 percent wpu, and then the toweling is heated to a temperature of at least 200 degrees F. for a time sufficient to fix the dye onto the cotton producing a fully penetrated, evenly dyed toweling. The toweling may be printed in a predetermined pattern with a print paste after passage through a high expression roll and before final heating.