With the continuous advancement of technology, the methods for testing color fastness are also constantly being updated. Spectrophotometer is currently one of the preferred methods for testing color fastness. It can not only measure the level of color fastness, but also measure the characteristics of color and color matching effects.
Why is Colour Fastness Important?
There are numerous reasons as to why colour fastness is important. It affects the quality of products and causes dissatisfied clients. There is a possibility of returning products whose fastness is not satisfactory. This will negatively affect the image of a brand. 3NH knows your issue and provides an answer to it by providing color measurement solutions to guarantee high quality.
It is good to know a fabric is colorfast and does not undergo changes in color. As an example, black and white fabrics are stitched. During washing, they are not to bleed. It is important to give proper washing instructions and, therefore, give a quality item, creating trust.
The manufacturers should make products that are fit to be used. They have to comply with international laws and undergo intense testing.
Definition of color fastness
Color fastness is defined as the ability of a color to penetrate an object or surface. It is often used to measure a pigment’s ability to withstand weathering.
Color fastness testing method using spectrophotometer
Spectrophotometers can help you improve your manufacturing process and test the durability of textiles under specific environmental conditions, thereby enhancing the colorfastness of silk. When you treat raw silk with mordants and fabric dyes, you can first test the fabric’s optimal color when exposed to sunlight, rubbing, and washing. By testing test samples of dyed silk with a spectrophotometer, you’ll see how quickly your product fades under these conditions, allowing you to optimize your mordant and dye formulations for improved colorfastness.
The spectrophotometer sets the product’s initial color standard (the color it will appear when it’s first dyed), and you can then compare future measurements to this standard. For example, if you dye a silk sample and use an aluminum mordant to set the dye, you might find that your sample begins to fade after five washes. In response, you could use an iron mordant and coat your silk with a polymer film to improve colorfastness. To test whether these changes have indeed had a positive impact on the colorfastness of your silk, you could wash the sample five times to see if color retention improves. Furthermore, once you’ve perfected your manufacturing process and dye formula, you can test future silk products to ensure consistent color from batch to batch.
Spectrophotometers require only a small sample of silk to test for color fastness and color consistency, making them a cost-effective solution for manufacturers of silk and other textiles. By using a spectrophotometer to identify the most durable dyes and mordants, you will significantly improve the quality of your silk products and maximize your limited time and resources.
Color fastness results and evaluation
According to the results of color fastness, the color fastness can be evaluated as excellent, good, pass, or poor.
Excellent: Color fastness is very good, no fading or bleeding will occur.
Good: The color fastness is relatively good, and there will be no obvious fading or bleeding.
Pass: Color fastness is acceptable, but there will be a certain degree of fading and bleeding.
Poor: Poor color fastness, with obvious fading and bleeding.
