Consumers not only focus on the ornamental and comfort of textiles, but also on the durability and safety of textiles. They need high-quality products. Market research shows that most of the time consumers buy textiles based on color. Therefore, the ability of the fabric to maintain primary color is one of the most important properties of textiles.
Material composition affects a great deal for color fastness. By nature, some materials are always better than others when color fastness is concerned.
For instance, the color fastness of Polyester and Nylon fabrics are normally one grade better than Denim's and Canvas's. Therefore, the common standard for Denim, Canvas, Print Textiles, Velvet Textiles and Genuine or Suede Leather is set at a relatively lower level, which is only Dry: 3.0 and Wet: 2.0, as people in the industry understand and expect that it is difficult for these materials to achieve a high color fastness standard.
As such, during product development, when these fabrics are involved, it is better to pay special attention to make sure that the material suppliers would handle the fabrics carefully. Otherwise, you might end up with a product that will stain clothes.
Color also affects color fastness. Materials in darker colors tends to have lower color fastness than lighter color materials. Also, due to the chemical properties of the dye, there are a few colors that are now widely known to be more problematic, such as Red, Navy Blue & Black.
Other factors that affect color fastness include the specific dye used in the dyeing process, the dyeing process itself, any additives, fixatives or softeners used, and the way of washing of the fabrics etc.
