Colour fastness

Colour fastness is a term—used in the dyeing of textile materials—that characterizes a material's colour's resistance to fading or running. Colour fastness is the property of dyes and it is directly proportional to the binding force between photochromic dye and the fibre. The colour fastness may also be affected by processing techniques and choice of chemicals and auxiliaries.[1][2]

The term is usually used in the context of clothes. In general, clothing should be tested for colour fastness before using bleach or other cleaning products.[3]

Lightfastness, wash fastness, and rub fastness are the main forms of colour fastness that are standardized. The light fastness of textile dye is categorized from one to eight and the wash fastness from one to five, with a higher number indicating better fastness.[4]

  1. ^ Rattee, I. D. (1964). "Bonds between dyes and fibres". Science Progress (1933- ). 52 (208): 581–592. ISSN 0036-8504. JSTOR 43426623.
  2. ^ Shore, J.; Colourists, Society of Dyers and (2002). Colorants and Auxiliaries: Auxiliaries. Society of Dyers and Colourists. ISBN 978-0-901956-78-1.
  3. ^ "Colorfastness". Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  4. ^ Oger, B. (1996). "Fastness to Light and Washing of Direct Dyes for Cellulosic Textiles". Studies in Conservation. 41 (3): 129–135. doi:10.2307/1506527. JSTOR 1506527.