Fading is one of the most common complaints about woven labels: after a few washes the brand colors on a main label look washed out, white backgrounds turn yellowish, and in severe cases color bleeds onto the garment. The cause is almost always upstream — the choice of yarn, dye and process. This woven label colorfastness guide helps you understand the test standards and screen out the risk at the sourcing stage.
A useful rule up front: for garments exported to Europe and North America, woven label wash colorfastness of grade 4 or higher is recommended. Dark and highly saturated shades are harder to achieve — they need dedicated color matching and physical testing, not ordering on faith.
1. What Is Colorfastness: Four Common Tests
Colorfastness is a color's ability to resist fading, bleeding and staining under washing, light, rubbing and perspiration. The industry-standard tests are the ISO 105 series, accepted by international buyers and third-party labs alike.
| Test | Standard | Simulates |
|---|---|---|
| Wash colorfastness | ISO 105-C06 | Fading, bleeding and staining in machine and hand washing |
| Rubbing (crocking) fastness | ISO 105-X12 | Dry and wet rubbing; critical for dark labels |
| Lightfastness | ISO 105-B02 | Fading under long-term sun exposure; key for outdoor and swimwear |
| Perspiration fastness | ISO 105-E04 | Color change and staining caused by perspiration on next-to-skin wear |
Results are graded against grey scales: wash, rubbing and perspiration fastness on a 1–5 scale, lightfastness on 1–8; higher is better. In practice grade 4 is the common pass line, while some buyers accept 3–4 for rubbing on dark shades with a stated tolerance.
2. Why Woven Labels Fade
- Yarn quality: yarn dyed with insufficient washing carries excess loose dye that washes straight out; dye-house standards vary widely — and so does the price
- Dye–fiber mismatch: polyester needs disperse dyes, cotton and viscose need reactive dyes; use the wrong dye class and fastness collapses
- The color itself: deep reds, navy and black carry heavy dye loads, so wash and rub fastness are inherently harder to pass
- Process and finishing: excessive heat-setting or chemical residue damages dyes; batch-to-batch variation in fastness usually traces back to process drift
3. Sourcing Checks: Five Actions for Buyers
- State the export market and testing requirements at the quotation stage: whether OEKO-TEX or buyer-specified test reports are needed
- Write the fastness grades into the contract and approved-sample record, e.g. wash ISO 105-C06 grade 4 or higher
- Run your own wash trial after sampling: five machine washes at 40°C, checking fading, bleeding and staining of white areas
- For dark shades, require batch test reports from the supplier; on critical orders use a third-party lab for spot checks
- Keep sealed reference samples with batch numbers, so complaints can be judged against the approved sample
4. Handling Fading Complaints
First determine responsibility: was it consumer washing practice (bleach, high heat, harsh sun) or a genuine fastness failure? Ask the end customer for photos and washing details, then re-test your sealed reference sample under the same conditions. If the re-test really falls below the agreed grade, the supplier is responsible — negotiate replacement or compensation. Real prevention is always upstream: put fastness in the spec sheet and approved sample, and test dark or saturated colors before bulk production.
Dongguan TAGE Packaging weaves labels with quality dyed yarn and a matched dye system, supports ISO 105 testing and provides test reports; dark and highly saturated colors are always sample-tested before bulk production — fading complaints are prevented at the source.
Need woven labels that survive washing without fading? Sample and test before you order.
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