Colour fastness is the capacity of materials to retain their original colour despite exposure to external factors such as light, low and high temperatures.
Certain products are consistently exposed to environments or elements that, over time, can reduce their original colour. Clothing is the typical example: clothes are exposed to light (either natural or artificial) or water on a regular basis. Clothes that cannot retain their colour over a long period of time are less attractive for consumers. As a result, it is in the interest of clothing manufacturers to ensure that their products have a strong colour fastness.
Many factors can determine the level of colour fastness of an object. In the case of clothing, the most common include:
There are multiple ways to test the colour fastness of an object.
In the case of clothing, colour fastness is usually tested by exposing a fabric to an element like light or water over a certain period of time. Once the test is finished, the original tone of the fabric is compared to the tone after the exposure and rated.
Labeling is a powerful ally to colour fastness. For example: labels can be used to indicate the level of colour fastness of a certain object. Labels can also be used to indicate the maximum temperature to which an object can be exposed without having its original colour lost or reduced.