Do you know what is the most common issue for textile importers when they are importing from Indonesia? Yes! fabrics fade or bleed in during washing or drying under the sun, or anywhere else. However, how can you ensure that the textiles you produce maintain their color over time?
Inspecting and testing your cloth before shipment is the best approach to assure that the color will stand still in any situation. Color Fastness testing will help you ensure that your fabric’s colors stay fresh and do not change over time.
There are many international standards for color fastness testing that will help you to assess the durability of your dyed fabrics. In this article, we’ll discuss five of the most frequent color fastness tests to get you started.
WHY TEXTILE IMPORTERS SHOULD CONDUCT COLOR FASTNESS TESTING
Color fastness refers to a fabric’s resistance to color change or colorant(s) transfer to adjacent materials.
Poor color fastness can cause fabric shade variation or the staining of other products. Any number of activities associated with regular use can reveal these issues, including:
- Washing
- Rubbing
- Sun exposure
- Dry cleaning
- Bleaching
- Ironing
Indeed, there are no mandatory legal requirements for color fastness testing. However, color fastness testing is essential to ensure customer satisfaction with fabric products.
As I stated at the beginning, the color fastness issue is the most common issue in the textile and apparel industry that can cause consumers to reject the product and return it or submit a claim. In the worst cases, the customer will lose confidence in your brand if they perceive poor performance and durability in your products.
Color Fastness Standards to Check Your Product
1. COLOR FASTNESS TO DETERGENT WASHING TES
One of the main concerns of textile importers is color fastness during washing. A textile product must be able to maintain its color during repeated washing without losing its color or staining other items that washed together with it.
The resilience of textile colors to household or commercial laundry techniques is determined by detergent washing tests. ISO 105 C06 and AATCC 61 are the two standards that are mostly used to test the color fastness using detergent washing standards.
2. COLOR FASTNESS TO CROCKING TEST
The term “crocking” refers to the transfer of a colorant through rubbing. The crocking test determines a textile color’s resistance to rubbing off and staining other materials. Colorants may be rubbed off on furniture, other textiles, or other items if a fabric has poor color fastness.
The primary standards for measuring color fastness to crocking are ISO 105 X12 and AATCC 8. In terms of test methods, the standards are partly equivalent and largely similar.
3. COLOR FASTNESS TO LIGHT TEST
The color fastness to light test determines how natural sunlight affects the colors of textiles.
As a matter of fact, all textile colorants fade under the sunlight. However, as a seller, we understand that you don’t want your colored fabric to fade too quickly over time.
Color fastness to light testing is important especially for brands that sell clothing for outdoor activities. Even retail display lighting, however, can cause fading. As a result, all textile importers should think about this test for their products.
ISO 105 B02 and AATCC 16 are the most common international standards for color fastness to light. Both standards test fabrics under a Xenon Arc lamp that closely resembles natural sunlight. But the standards vary significantly in their assessment methods.
4. COLOR FASTNESS TO PERSPIRATION TEST
The color fastness to perspiration test determines textile colors’ resistance to human perspiration.
Fabric dyes and human perspiration frequently react, causing color fading in clothing. A perspiration color fastness test is important especially for sportswear and swimwear, which will most likely be subjected to heavy perspiration.
The two main standards for perspiration testing are ISO 105 E04 and AATCC 15. To measure staining, the lab attaches a strip of multifiber fabric to the test specimen for this test. This multifiber fabric contains swatches of various fibers, including nylon, cotton, acetate, polyester, wool, and acrylic fabrics.
5. COLOR FASTNESS TO WATER TEST
This test may sound similar to the washing test. Color fastness to water testing, on the other hand, is used to determine the migration of color to another fabric when wet and in close contact. Because of the addition of detergent, the washing test typically uses a basic PH solution, whereas this test is performed at neutral PH levels.
The most commonly used standards for color fastness tests to water are ISO 105 E01 and AATCC 107. Although the standards are technically equivalent, the testing methods differ slightly.
Color fastness issues usually happen when the products are already in your customers’ hands, which means it is unnoticeable in your supplier’s factory. It can cause serious problems for your business as this issue can affect your brand’s reputation.
By hiring a professional third-party inspection and testing company to test your fabrics and ensure optimal color fastness levels before your next shipment, your fabrics’ vivid and vibrant colors will last long after the initial sale, keeping your customers satisfied and returning for more.
Contact us for more information about the inspection and testing in Indonesia.