What is color fastness? In general, color fastness refers to the degree of fading of dyed fabrics under the action of external factors during use & processing. Such as squeezing, rubbing, soaping, raining, sun exposure, etc. It mainly includes the properties of product washability and friction resistance. And below you can learn some related knowledge. And 3 color fastnesses to consider when choosing a zipper.
Textile color fastness test
It is a routine testing item in the intrinsic quality testing of textiles. Textiles are exposed to light, washing, ironing, perspiration, friction, and chemicals during their use. Some printed and dyed textiles also undergo special finishing. Such as resin or flame retardant finishing, sand-washing, sanding, etc. So, it requires that the color and luster of printed and dyed textiles maintain a certain fastness.
Test process
- Fill out the test application form.
- Detection. Send the samples to the testing department or testing company to test each standard.
- After they finish the test, the relevant laboratory personnel will first fax the report to your company. Afterward, they will process it according to the report method selected by the client on the application form.
Types of color fastness
For the color fastness rating, except for the color fastness to light, which is grade 8. The other rest are grade 5. The higher the grade, the better the color fastness.
Color fastness to light
Light fastness refers to the degree to which colored fabrics are discolored by sunlight. The test method is to simulate the degree of fading of the sample after exposure to sunlight. Then, compare it with a standard color swatch. And, it has 8 levels. Grade 8 is the best, and grade 1 is the worst. Then, we should not expose the fabrics with poor light fastness to sunlight for a long time. It is suitable to be placed in a ventilated place to dry in the shade.
Color fastness to washing
It refers to the degree of the color change of dyed fabrics after washing with washing liquid. Usually, we use a gray grading sample card for the evaluation standard. The washing fastness has 5 grades. Level 5 is the best, Level 1 is the worst. Fabrics with poor wash fastness should be dry cleaned. In the case of wet cleaning, we should add extra attention to the washing conditions. For example, the washing temperature should not be too high. And the time should not be too long.
Color fastness to crocking/rubbing
It refers to the degree of fading of dyed fabrics after rubbing. Besides, we classify it into dry friction and wet friction. Then, we take the degree of staining of white cloth as the rubbing fastness. And it has 5 grades. The larger the value, the better the rubbing fastness.
Color fastness to perspiration
It means the degree of fading of dyed fabrics after a small amount of perspiration.
Ironing fastness
It refers to the degree of discoloration or fading of dyed fabrics when ironed.
How to choose a zipper by colorfastness?
When choosing a zipper for clothing, pay attention to the color difference, or the color fastness of the zipper tape. For the manufacturer, the color fastness of the zipper should reach the standard level. In addition, we should consider whether there will be a color shift between the zipper and the garment. If you want to customize a zipper and zipper puller, please let us know. We are a zipper supplier. If you want stock products without a custom logo, please refer to the online zipper on fedrio.com.
As a manufacturer, you should know what is color fastness, and its type. When choosing a zipper supplier, you should focus on the 3 color fastnesses of the zipper. Such as light fastness, color migration, and soaping fastness. Thereby, you can avoid the occurrence of problems and improve the quality of clothing.
Fastness to light
In general, sweat stains occur with sun exposure. Therefore, with some precautions, the light fastness of this composite can be enhanced. So that the color of the zipper remains bright for a long time. Therefore, when choosing some zipper products, we should choose those zippers that factories make an anti-ultraviolet treatment. Or we directly choose a zipper with high light fastness.
Color migration problem
Many apparel manufacturers often use materials with special properties. Such as PVC, PE cloth, and various functional coated fabrics. These fabrics are more complicated to process. Usually, some chemical additives like plasticizers and solvents remain. These auxiliaries may penetrate inside the fiber cloth. If the fabric is white or light-colored, the fabric can be easily stained.
Therefore, it is necessary to solve the problem of the color shifting of the zipper tape due to diffusion. The best way is to see if the dye can have a better combination with the polyester fiber when choosing a zipper.
Soaping fastness
The soaping fastness of the zipper tape is also an important indicator. The general zipper tape is woven with 100% polyester. They are dyed at high temperatures with disperse dyes.
Therefore, the quality of soaping fastness depends on two aspects. One is the size of the interaction force between the dye itself and the fiber molecules. The second is the residual amount of dye molecules on the fiber surface in the finishing process after dyeing. But there are many standards for soaping. Such as the soaping temperature has 40°c, 60°c, or even 95 °c. There are many types of detergents. And the washing time is also long and short.
Therefore, under different washing standards, the fastness of the zipper tape obtained is not comparable. Moreover, the high soaping strength will cause the tape fastness to decrease. Therefore, it is necessary to tell consumers that the general temperature should not exceed 40 °C when washing. So, it is best to use neutral and weak alkaline detergents. Also, washing time should be no more than 30 minutes. But, the most important thing is that when choosing zipper products, choose some products with higher soaping fastness as much as possible.
The above is the relevant knowledge about What is color fastness and its types. Hope this helps you to choose the right zipper.