Measuring the Color of Fabrics

In the fabric industry, color is an important element. Fabrics, made of either natural or synthetic fibres, are usually produced in large batches. Matching them in terms of their lightness, color and brightness are essential yet challenging. Factors such as surrounding color and lighting conditions can interfere our color judgement, hence, many fabric manufacturers utilize color measuring instruments to ensure color consistency throughout the fabric manufacturing process.

Since final products are only as consistent as its raw materials, verifying the color of the dyes and fibres helps minimize color variance and improve production yield. Dyes can be divided into 2 groups, natural or artificial dyes. Natural dyes require higher dosage than artificial dyes to achieve similar shade. When using natural dyes, the use of color measuring instruments can help prevent unnecessary costs and wastage.

For blended fabrics, the combination of one or more fibres can alter color appearance due to the dye adsorption capabilities of different fibres. Monitoring of fabric color during this process can help ensure they remain accurate and consistent.