Colorfastness Tests

Colorfastness to
 Washing
 Drycleaning
 Rubbing
 Light
 Perspiration
 Sea water
 Chlorine Bleach
 Non Chlorine Bleach
 Chlorinated pool water

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 Color fastness Properties
Colorfastness to laundering is important in garments and textiles
that undergo frequent laundering.
Perspiration may cause some color change and/or color transfer,
and some colors may be lost or diminished by heat.
Some dyes tend to crock, or rub off on fabrics or other materials
with which they come in contact.
Chlorine bleaches removes color from many dyed fabrics. Some
dyes are more sensitive to the action of chlorine bleaches than
others.
Sunlight causes many dyes to fade over time.

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 Color fastness Properties
Factors affecting colorfastness:
- Type of colour (dye or pigment)
- Type of material
- Dyeing parameters (time, temp., etc)
- Finishes applied
- Type of washing, rubbing, pressure
- End use condition

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 Color fastness Properties
Some manufacturers include colorfastness information on labels. Such labels
generally describe the conditions under which the fabric is colorfast, such as
‘colorfast to laundering but not to chlorine bleaching’ or ‘colorfast to sunlight.’
The colorfastness of vat dyes, is so consistently good for laundering that the term
‘vat dyed’ on labels has been accepted as an assurance of good colorfastness.
Color fastness is usually assessed separately with respect to:
 Changes in the color of the specimen being tested, that is color change.
 Staining of undyed material which is in contact with the specimen during the
test (Garments are often in contact with each other, especially while being worn
or cleaned. The migration of color from one garment to another can result in
the stained article becoming unwearable).

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 Wet tests
 Single fibre adjacent fabric - A small rectangular specimen of the fabric to be tested is sewn between two
specimens of undyed fabric,
one made from the same fibre as the test fabric, and the other made from a different fiber.
This composite specimen is then treated for the required test method (washing, perspiration, etc.)

If first piece is: Second piece to be:

cotton wool
After the treatment, the composite sample is opened
woolout and dried. cotton
The coloured specimen is assessed for change in silk cotton fabrics for staining.
shade and the adjacent undyed
linen cotton
viscose wool
acetate viscose
polyamide wool or viscose
polyester wool or cotton
acrylic wool or cotton

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 Wet tests

Multifibre adjacent fabrics: It is made of yarns of various generic

kinds of fibres, each of which forms a strip of specified width
providing even thickness of the fabric.
AATCC

Wool Wool
Acrylic Rayon
Polyester Silk
Nylon
Nylon
Cotton
Cotton
Acetate
Acetate

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 Color fastness Properties

GRAY SCALE
 In order to give a more objective result a numerical assessment of each of
these effects is made by comparing the changes with two sets of standard
grey scales, one for color change and the other for staining.
 Nine pairs of non-glossy neutral grey colored chips, which illustrate the
perceived color differences.
 Give a corresponding fastness rating of 5, 4-5, 4, 3-4, 3, 2-3, 2, 1-2, and 1
Grade of 5: No change in color. No staining
Grade of 1: Substantially different. Heavily stained

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 AATCC Gray scales

Gray scale for Gray scale for

colour change staining

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 Grey scale grading

Grey scale for assessment

of colour change

Grey scale for assessment

of staining

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 Interpretation of the grades
The end result of any colorfastness test is a grade given to the
tested sample.

Grade 5 - NO CHANGE

Grade 4 - SLIGHT CHANGE

Grade 3 - NOTICEABLE CHANGE

Grade 2 - CONSIDERABLE CHANGE

Grade 1 - SEVERE CHANGE

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 Color fastness Properties
Lighting Used For Evaluation

When a test specimen is examined under sunlight and then under

fluorescent light, the color seen may not necessarily be the
same due to metamerism.
When two objects are seen to have the same color under one
light source but a different color under another light source,
this phenomenon is called metamerism and the two objects
are said to make a metameric pair.

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 Color fastness Properties
Lighting Used For Evaluation
 When visually evaluating or comparing,
standardized light source should be used.
COLOR MATCHING BOOTH frequently used for
color checking.
COLOR MATCHING BOOTH
 Contains 4 different standardized lights:
 D65 - daylight
 Incandescent Light
 Cool White Fluorescent Light
 Ultraviolet Light
Each used to view specimens by pushing a switch.
Daylight used when evaluating colorfastness as
color appears closer to way usually seen.

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 Conditions of Viewing

 The source under which

the comparison is made
can be-
D65 - daylight

 The specimen should be

placed on a flat, uniform
surface having no
distortions. The
surrounding field shall be
uniform grey.

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 Conditions of viewing

 The specimen plane is at 45° angle to horizontal. The light

is incident upon the surfaces at an angle of approximately
45°, and the direction of viewing is approximately along the
perpendicular to the plane of the surfaces.

 For assessment, a piece of the original and the tested

specimen, or the undyed and stained adjacent fabrics, are
arranged side by side in the same plane and oriented in
the same direction.

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CHROMATIC TRANSFERENCE SCALE

This scale is used to visually evaluate color transfer or

staining.
 The scale has five hues which are red, yellow, green, blue
and purple.
 Each set is graduated from light to dark with different
rating.
 Class 5: negligible or no color transfer
 Class 1: color transfer equivalent to step 1 on the
chromatic transference scale.

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CHROMATIC TRANSFERENCE SCALE

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You must have observed that the fabric looses colour
resulting from detergent solution & abrasive action
during hand or machine washing.
One garment do stains other garments when washed
together.

Colourfastness to Washing

Change in colour and staining of adjacent fabrics are

assessed in this test.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLORFASTNESS TO WASHING
 Ability of the fabric to withstand the effect of laundering.
 In this test method, the test specimens are laundered under appropriate
conditions of temperature, bleaching, and abrasive action. The abrasive action
results from throw, and slide and the impact of an appropriate number of steel
balls, together with the use of a low liquor ratio.
 The instrument used in this test method -Launder-o-meter.
 The washing of fabric results in the removal of dye, therefore staining can
occur, in order to determine the staining, a white multi-fiber strip is attached to
the specimen being tested for CF to washing.
 Rating of the staining effect on each fiber in the multi-fiber test fabric.
 Rating of the change in the original color/shade of the specimen.
 Rating should not be worse than 3 or 4.

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 Color fastness Properties

COLORFASTNESS TO WASHING
TEST PROCEDURE
SPECIMEN PREPERATION:
 Cut the specimen 2 x 6 inches, stapled with the multi fiber fabric.
PROCEDURE:
 Place the sample in the container along with the steel balls and detergent
 Run the machine for 45 minutes
 After taking the specimen rinse it with water and soak it in acetic solution and rinse
it again with water.
 Remove the excess solution
 Dry the specimen and test fabric together using an hand iron
 Remove the test fabric and compare it with the gray scale to find the fastness.

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Condition for preparation of COLORFASTNESS TO
WASHING
TEST Liquor Temp C Time (min) Reproduces action of

0.5% soap Hand washing

C01 40 30

0.5% soap Repeated Hand washing

0.2% soda ash
C02 50 45

0.5% soap Medium cellulosic wash

0.2% soda ash Severe wool wash
C03 60 30

0.5% soap Severe cellulosic wash

0.2% soda ash
C04 95 30

0.5% soap Very Severe cellulosic wash

0.2% soda ash
C05 95 240

4 g/l detergent + perborate Domestic laundering

C06 various various

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Apparatus

Launderometer

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22
 Failures and Improvement

 Why do samples fail in colour

fastness to washing:

 Dyes are held loosely by the fibre

 Dyes have not penetrated well into the
fibre core
 Dyes are incapable of forming strong
bond with the fibre

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COLORFASTNESS TO WASHING
The important elements to be considered in a washing test are:
1. The washing temperature used has a very great affect on colors.
2. Time of treatment is also important.
3. The additions to the bath (besides detergent or soap) also affects the test
results. Some wash tests are made with the addition of sodium carbonate
and/or bleach.
4. Mechanical action to which fabrics are subjected during laundering must be
included in the washing test.
5. The proportion of liquid to the amount of material washed is also important
in laundering.

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 Color fastness to light
After washing procedure, clothes are dried in sun…..

Window curtains are exposed to direct sunlight…

Beachwear is subjected to prolonged sun exposure…

Sometimes, change in color is observed when Textiles are exposed to

direct sunlight…

COLORFASTNESS TO LIGHT
The resistance to degradation (or fading) of fabric dyes and prints due
to light.

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 Why Do Colour Fade in Sunlight

 There is no universally accepted mechanism

 It is suggested that fading is due to some kind of break
down in the dye molecule
 UV rays initiate chemical reaction that causes fading
 Reaction is accelerated in presence of moisture

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 Colourfastness to Light
Principle :
Fading from exposure to sunlight is measured in a machine that stimulates, at an
accelerated rate, the fading action of the sun.
The assessment of fastness to light requires the use of a reference standard.
AATCC has developed such a reference standard, known as blue wool standard
system.
The test instrument used in the colorfastness to light tests is called Fade-o-meter
and/or Weather-o-meter.
This instrument uses, as a light source, either a carbon- or xenon-arc lamp,
respectively.
In order to be reliable, the light source under consideration should simulate the
effects of natural sunlight.

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 Colourfastness to Light
The specimens are exposed alongside eight samples of standard dyed fabrics with different
light fastness (blue standards), and each test specimen and standard sample is partly
covered during the exposure.
The change between the exposed and covered parts of the test specimen is compared with
the changes between the covered and exposed areas of the standard samples.
The number of the standard showing the same change as the test specimen is the light
fastness grade of the fabric.

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Light Fastness Tester- Xenon Arc

Frame & rack

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XENOTEST
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 Colourfastness to Light
Standard Reference Materials
 AATCC Blue wool lightfastness standards
One of a group of light fastness standards distributed by AATCC for
use in determining the amount of light exposure of specimen during
light fastness testing.
L2 to L9 - Increasing degree of light fastness. Each higher numbered
specimen is twice as colourfast as the proceeding number.

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 Color fastness Properties
Colorfastness to Rubbing
A girl wearing blue embroidered skirt sits in car having white seat
upholstery. And when she leaves the car the seat covers are stained
blue.
The reason is transfer of colourant from the surface of a colored yarn
or fabric to another surface or adjacent area of the same fabric
principally by rubbing.
 Dark shades
 Printed fabrics
 Wet fabrics
Colorfastness to Crocking is especially important for fabrics used
for apparel and upholstery.

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 Color fastness Properties
Colorfastness to Rubbing/Crocking
 The rubbing off of colors is called as crocking.
 Fabrics with large amount of surface dyes like dark color
cotton fabric tend to have poor colorfastness to crocking,
pigment dyed or printed fabrics also face the same problem.
 Some time in order to increase the depth of the colors the
surface dyes are not washed off which also results in crocking.

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 Color fastness Properties
Colorfastness to Rubbing
Crock Meter
 The crock meter is used to find the color fastness to
crocking.
 This instrument has a finger covered by a white cotton
fabric which would rub against the specimen.
 This test should be performed both as wet and dry test.
 The wet test is an severe test since moisture helps in
removal of dyes

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 Color fastness Properties
Colorfastness to Rubbing
Test Procedure
 A colored test specimen fastened to the base of a Crockmeter
is rubbed with a white crock test cloth under controlled
conditions.
 Color transferred to the white test cloth is assessed by
comparison with the AATCC chromatic transference scale or
gray scale for staining.
 Perform a wet crocking test by the same procedure.

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 Procedure
 Prior to testing, condition the test sample and crock square in the
standard conditions for specified time.
Dry Rub :
 Fasten each test specimen by means of clamps to the baseboard of the
testing device.
When testing multicoloured sample, care should be taken to position the
specimen in such a way that all colours of design are rubbed in the test.
 Mount crock square on finger such that warp of crock square parallel to
direction of rubbing.
 Lower finger to front end of the machine.
 Turn crank handle 10 turns at a rate 1 turn/sec.

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 Procedure

Wet Rub :
 To be performed on fresh specimen in consequence with dry rub and
with a rubbing cloth that has been wetted with water to ensure required
pickup.
 After each test remove crock square from finger
 Air dry the test specimen, then condition before evaluating.
 Evaluate the specimen using Gray scale for staining.

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 Weight

Rubbing peg

Rubbing area

Clamp

Crockmeter

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39
 Color fastness Properties
Crocking problems

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COLORFASTNESS TO PERSPIRATION
This method is intended for use in determining the fastness of colored textiles
to the effects of perspiration.
Applicable to dyed, printed, or colored textile fibers, yarns, and fabrics of all
kinds and to the testing of dyestuffs as applied to textiles.
Human perspiration is acidic/alkaline in nature which sometimes causes colour
change in colored textile materials and staining to other adjacent textile
material.
In humans, sweating is primarily a means of temperature regulation.
As human body temperature is around 38 deg C, the test is performed at same
temperature.

Purpose & Scope: This method is used to determine the fastness of colored
textiles to the effects of acid perspiration and / or alkaline solution.

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 Color fastness Properties

COLORFASTNESS TO PERSPIRATION
Instrument used: Perspirometer
 A specimen of coloured textile (6 * 6 cm ) in contact with
other fiber materials (multifibre) is wet out in simulated
perspiration solution, and then subjected to a fixed
mechanical pressure and temperature for defined time.
The specimen is then dried slowly at a slightly elevated
temperature for 6 hours.
 Then the sample is evaluated for colour change &
staining on the multifiber test fabric.

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 Procedure
Procedure : ISO 105-E04
• Preparation of Alkaline solution (per litre) :0.5 g L-histidine
monohydrochloride monohydrate , 5 g of Sodium chloride, 5 g of disodium
hydrogen orthophosphate dodecahydrate (pH = 8.0 ).
• Preparation of Acid solution (per litre): 0.5 g of L-histidine monohydrochloride
monohydrate , 5 g of sodium chloride, 2.2 g of sodium dihydrogen
orthophosphate dihydrate (pH = 5.5)

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 Procedure
• Attach a specimen 40X100 mm to a piece of the multifibre adjacent fabric
or single-fibre adjacent fabric.
• Thoroughly wet one composite specimen in the alkaline solution at pH 8
at a liquor ratio of 50:1 at room temperature for 30 min.
• Remove the specimen and place between two glass or acrylic resin
plates, under a pressure of 12.5 kPa and place in test device.
• Repeat the procedure for other specimen in acid solution at pH 5.5
• Place the test devices in oven at 37 +/- 2 deg. C for 4 hrs.
• Open out each specimen and dry it in air.
• Assess the change in color and staining by Gray scale.

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Sometimes, wet clothing or products may be left in
the washing machine or in a basket for a period of
time & remain in contact with other fabrics before
drying.

Is Colourfastness to Washing test sufficient to

assess this behaviour?

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 Colour Fastness to Water

■ It is used to check transfer of color from wet textile to the

surface of other textile material or adjacent area of the same
fabric when the two surfaces are in prolonged contact with
each other.

■ A specimen of colored textile in contact with other fiber

materials (multifibre) is wet out in water and then subjected
to a fixed mechanical pressure and temperature for a
defined time. The specimen is evaluated for color change &
staining.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLORFASTNESS TO WATER
Purpose & Scope: This method is used to measure the resistance to water of dyed, printed or
otherwise colored textile yarns or fabrics.
Principle: The specimen, backed by multifibre fabric , is immersed in water under specific
temperature and time and then placed between glass or plastic plates under specific pressure,
temperature and time.
 The change in the color of specimen and staining of multifibre / adjacent fabric is assessed.
Equipments: AATCC Perspiration Tester, Perspirometer or equivalent device, Drying oven,
Multifibre test fabric no.1 or no. 10, AATCC Gray Scale, Freshly boiled distilled water or
deionized water /Grade 3 water
 Immerse the test specimen with multifibre fabric ( 60X60 mm +/- 2 mm) in test solution at room
temperature with occasional agitation (approx.15 min.)
 Remove the specimen from the solution & ensure the weight to be 2.5-3.0 times its dry weight.
 Place the specimen between glass / plastic plates and insert in perspiration tester (pressure
4.5 kg).
 Heat the loaded specimen unit in a oven at 38 +/- 1 deg. C for 18 hrs. Remove the specimen &
dry in air.
 Assess the specimen for color change & staining. 47
 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS TO ABRASION (FROSTING)
 Frosting is the change of color caused by a relatively severe,
localized flat abrasive action (such as that produced on the
back pocket of a pair of trousers where a wallet is carried).
 Fabrics that have poor dye penetration possess poor
colorfastness to frosting.
It may happen in multi-component blends in which fibers do not
match in shade, or of the abrasion of single-fiber constructions
in which there is a variation in or incomplete penetration of
dyestuff.
.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS TO ABRASION (FROSTING)
TESTING EQUIPMENT
 Emery Method
 more severe test
 Used for garments that are exposed to severe
abrasion for a long period of time.
 Also used for fabrics that have low dye
penetration.
 Test specimen – is rubbed multi-dimensionally
against an emery abradant surface for a specified
number of rubs or for a specified time.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS TO ABRASION (FROSTING)
 Screen Wire Method
 Results in mild abrasive action.
 A fine wire screen is used and rubbed
multidimensionally against a specimen mounted
over a foam rubber cushion.
 This is used for cross dyed and blended fabrics.
 Any change in color of the specimen is
evaluated by comparison with gray scale for color
change.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS TO HEAT: Hot Pressing
Many disperse dyes, when exposed to sufficient heat, will go
from a solid to a gas without passing through a liquid phase.
Fabric dyed with disperse dye – exposed to high
temperatures, dye may sublime and the dye vapor may be
absorbed by adjacent fibers.
Some dyes melt at temperatures much lower than the
temperature at which they sublime. On exposure to a high
temperature, they pass through a liquid phase.
Cause end-problems in hot pressing, wet pressing, and
storage.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS to Dry cleaning
 This method is intended for determining the colorfastness
of textiles to all kinds to dry-cleaning.
 Principle: A specimen in contact with cotton fabric, multi-
fiber swatch and non-corrodible steel discs is agitated in
dry-cleaning solution – (perchloroethylene) & dried in air.
Any change in color or staining is assessed by Grey scale.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS to Burnt Gas Fumes
This method is intended for assessing the resistance of the color of
textiles to fading when exposed to atmospheric oxides of nitrogen, as
derived from the combustion of illuminating or heating gas. (the most
susceptible fiber to these gases is Acetate dyed with disperse dyes).
A sample fabric and the test control fabric are exposed simultaneously to
oxides of nitrogen from burning fumes until the control fabric shows a
change in color corresponding to that of the standard of fading (a
change in color corresponding to step 4 on the gray scale).
The change in color of the sample is evaluated with the AATCC gray
scale for assessing color change.
If no color change is observed in the sample after one exposure period or
cycle, exposure may be continued to produce a specified amount of
color change in the sample.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS to Burnt Gas Fumes
The change in color of the control fabric corresponding to that of the
standard of fading is considered one exposure cycle.
Color change in the sample should not be worse than 4 on the
AATCC gray scale for color change after one or two exposure
cycles.
Test – also after laundering or dry-cleaning.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS to Burnt Gas Fumes

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS to Ozone
This method is intended to determine the resistance of the color of
textiles to the action of ozone in the atmosphere.
Fabrics are exposed to ozone in a test chamber at a specified
temperature and humidity.
A fading control fabric is exposed at the same time as the sample whose
resistance is unknown.
When the fading control fabric changes shade to the standard of fading, a
cycle of exposure is completed.
The samples are exposed for one or more cycles and the amount of
changes determined by using the grey scale for color change.

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 Color fastness Properties
COLOR FASTNESS to Ozone
Since the humidity is a definite factor in the rate of color change with
ozone, either of the following two conditions may be used for testing
colorfastness to ozone:
1. Ambient room temperature, relative humidity not exceeding 65%
2. 40 +/- 4 deg C and 85 + 5% relative humidity

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Fastness to Bleaching

 Sample preparation is same as washing fastness.

 For NaOCl bleaching, sample is kept in 2 gpl active content solution
with pH of 11 + 0.2 for 1 hr.
 M:L ratio of 1:50 is maintained
 Sample is the removed, washed and assessed for change in color

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 Color fastness Properties
Colour fastness to sea water
The composite specimen is wetted out in sodium chloride
solution 30 g/l and placed in a perspirometer in an oven for
4 hrs at 37 deg. C.
It is then separated, dried and assessed for colour change.

Colour fastness to chlorinated water

The specimen is agitated in a washwheel for 1 hr. at 27 deg.
C in a weak solution of sodium hypochlorite (either 20 mg/l
active chlorine for towels or 100 mg/l for swimwear), dried
and assessed for colour change.

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 Color fastness Properties
Colour fastness to saliva test & solution preparation
 Prepare saliva solution containing per litre distilled water:
3.0g Lactic acid (CH3.CH(OH).COOH)
0.2g Carbamide (H2N.CO.NH2)
4.5g Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
0.3g Patassium Chloride (KCl)
0.3g Sodium Sulfide (Na2SO4)
0.4g Ammonium Chloride (NH4Cl)
 Sampling
All baby’s products (both solid and multicoloured) including
details such as labels, badges and drawstrings need to be tested. If the
product is multi coloured, make sure all colours are included in
the specimen to be tested. More specimens could be required if
the specimens are printed, striped or have many colours. Test at least
2 specimens.

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 Color fastness Properties
Colour fastness to saliva test & solution preparation
Test procedure
 Follow same test procedure as for colour fastness to perspiration test
but prepare and use saliva solution instead of the perspiration
solutions.
 Evaluation
Assess the staining on both the 1st and the 2nd adjacent fabric with
the grey scales. If multifibre is used, assess the fibre which is most
stained. Also assess change in colour and cross staining for
all specimens.

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