A beautiful shade that bleeds onto a lining or fades on a south-facing wall is not a beautiful shade. Color fastness is the set of lab measurements that predicts this, and every serious fabric buyer should be able to read the grade card. Here is the working knowledge version.
How fastness is graded
ISO 105 family tests rate change and staining on a grey scale from 1 (severe change/stain) to 5 (no change/stain). Light fastness uses a separate blue wool scale from 1 to 8. Higher is better in all cases.
The four tests that matter for upholstery and curtains
- Crocking / rubbing (ISO 105-X12): dry and wet rubbing of the colored surface. Watch the wet grade especially on dark chenilles and spray-dyed goods — a common complaint source on light hands and cleaning cloths. Typical spec: dry ≥4, wet ≥3–4.
- Washing / laundering (ISO 105-C06 or domestic equivalents): color change and staining of adjacent fabrics after repeated cycles.
- Lightfastness (ISO 105-B02): the make-or-break test for curtain fabrics. Grade 4+ on the blue wool scale is the usual benchmark for window treatments; polyester yarns dyed with disperse dyes generally perform well, which is part of why polyester jacquard dominates the curtain wall.
- Crocking vs rub tests aside — water spots and sea air: coastal-hotel projects should additionally check ISO 105-E01 (salt water) and E04.
Practical buying rules
- Ask the mill for the fastness card per colorway and per batch, not one sheet per fabric family — dye lots differ.
- For dark heavy-uses (navy, charcoal, bottle green), require the wet crocking value in writing.
- Match the test to the market: EU contract buyers often reference EN ISO standards; US hospitality may specify AATCC methods (AATCC 8 rubbing, AATCC 16 light, AATCC 61 washing). The scales are translatable — grades are not identical, so keep the report language consistent.
What Huaming supplies
All our jacquard and chenille production runs through in-house lab dips and strike-offs before bulk, and shade lots are recorded for reorder consistency. Fastness test data is provided per batch on request; third-party testing can be arranged for specific market requirements. Certificate context: the mill is OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 Class I certified (SH015 264621).
Send your fastness spec sheet with the model number to [email protected] or WhatsApp +86 180 6701 0111. Stock colors ship from 1 meter; new colorways are developed at 600 meters per color.