Color is a key element in fashion and aesthetics of clothing and has great value to both the user and the brand. Color is one of the most important features to attract customers and make them buy products/clothing. Retention of primary color is the main quality parameter of colored textiles. Color fastness will be rated poorly if it fails the color fastness test for washing, light, rub and other factors such as heat and perspiration.
Color fastness includes fastness to washing, fastness to light, fastness to rubbing, fastness to ironing and fastness to perspiration. The color fastness test evaluates the color fastness of the product by observing the fading and staining of the sample after the exposure experiment. It is also one of the important standards to evaluate the quality of the dye used in the fabric and the printing and dyeing process.
Test of colorfastness to laundry includes washing, dry cleaning, laundry with detergent, while washing strength can be graded into household, commercial and industrial.
Colorfastness to light includes exposure to sun and to UltraViolet.
A tester of colorfastness to rub is called crockmeter. The types of crockmeter are different according to rubbing methods, which include flat grinding, rotation, and Gakushin, while each also includes dry/wet rubbing, with or without organic solutions.
Test methods for color fastness to ironing include dry heat and hot pressing (dry, damp, wet)
Color fastness to perspiration can detect the discoloration of the sample after being soaked in acid solution (simulating sweat), alkali solution (simulating sea water) and water at body temperature.

Y571M-III Rotary Crockmeter for printed fabrics.