Separate matching the shade from keeping the colour
A colour reference describes the desired appearance under agreed viewing conditions. Colourfastness concerns how that appearance or transfer behaviour changes under a specified exposure. A sample can match the reference initially and still need separate testing for its intended use.
Record whether the brief concerns a plain dyed cloth, a printed cloth or a combination of coloured components. Each can create a different sample and artwork approval question.
Why the material and process matter
Polyester, polyamide and other fibres do not necessarily use identical colouration routes. Mixed-material constructions and finishes add further variables. Obtain a supplier statement for the actual proposed product instead of assuming one dyeing process for the entire catalogue.
This guide describes procurement checks, not SINOCLEAN’s dyehouse recipe or in-house colouration capability. Dyeing responsibility and any subcontracted stage should be identified where the buyer’s programme requires that traceability.
Choose the exposures that match use
A wet kitchen cloth, a dry glass cloth and a repeatedly washed car cloth may face different conditions. Distinguish dry and wet rubbing, washing, staining of another textile and contact with the intended finish. Agree relevant methods and grades with the buyer or laboratory.
A white-cloth rub can be a simple screen under recorded conditions, but it should not be presented as a formal fastness certificate. State what was observed and use the specified laboratory procedure where a contractual or printed claim requires it.
Read the report against the sample
Check colour, material, print, finish, specimen date and reference code. A report for an unprinted light-colour sample does not automatically cover a darker printed variant or a new finishing treatment.
Ask what a reported grade means under that method and compare it with the agreed requirement. Do not accept a bare pass without the test scope, or copy a grade from another item into the product description.
| Question | Record | Avoid assuming |
|---|---|---|
| Shade match | Reference and viewing/measurement conditions | Initial match proves wash performance |
| Rubbing transfer | Dry/wet condition and relevant method | A casual screen is a certificate |
| Washing/staining | Care or test exposure and adjacent material | One result covers every colour |
| Batch repeatability | Approved sample and change records | A material code alone controls shade |
Approve repeat batches and changes
Keep the approved colour sample with the specification revision and define viewing or measurement conditions. Agree how shade variation and any claimed transfer requirements will be checked on production, including changes to colour or finishing responsibility.
Use SM21001 or another confirmed code to anchor the product request, then specify the desired colour and relevant evidence separately. The catalogue listing identifies the item but does not establish colourfastness results for every possible colour.
Fields for your supplier enquiry
Product: [code, material, colour, print and finish]. Define shade reference, viewing conditions, intended use/care, relevant rubbing/washing/staining methods and limits. Match reports to the specimen and record which changes require new approval.
Sources and what this guide establishes
The item links below identify published SINOCLEAN catalogue references. They do not establish a specific upstream manufacturing route, test result, factory capability or certification. Confirm any proposal-specific information against the quotation and representative sample.
Related reading: What evidence supports fluorescent-free or food-contact claims for a cleaning cloth?; How do prewashing and setting relate to cleaning-cloth shrinkage and distortion?.