From Lab Dip to Bulk: A Clearer Colour Approval Process

Before you choose a sample

Colour approval works best when the brief is specific enough for everyone to evaluate the same target. A colour name such as “warm white” or “deep navy” can introduce a direction, but it should not be the only reference used to approve production fabric.

Before asking for lab dips, decide which fabric is being developed, who can approve the result and how comments will be recorded. A small amount of organisation at this stage gives later sampling rounds a clear decision to resolve.

Start with a defined colour standard

Supply the agreed physical standard and, where the workflow supports it, its authorised digital colour data. Identify the reference system and version, and state which standard takes priority if more than one reference is supplied. A garment photograph can communicate inspiration, but ask the dyer what usable standard is required for formulation and assessment.

CottonWorks’ lab-dip process begins with a specified colour and substrate, followed by formulation, laboratory dyeing, finishing and evaluation. A lab dip is therefore a development sample on a particular material, not simply a colour chip detached from the fabric brief.

Approve the intended fabric and finish

Record composition, construction and the proposed finish with each submission. If these change during development, ask whether the approved colour remains representative or whether new sampling is needed. Keep the material reference visible in every approval email or development record.

Ask the supplier to identify each submitted option clearly. Give feedback that a colourist can use: which option is preferred, what differs from the reference and whether the comment applies under the agreed viewing condition. “Please improve” leaves too much room for interpretation.

Agree how colour will be assessed

Two samples can match under one light source and differ under another, a phenomenon called metamerism. Konica Minolta explains this effect. Choose the relevant viewing conditions with the supplier rather than assuming that an office lamp, daylight and retail lighting will produce the same judgement.

If instrumental colour measurement is part of approval, agree the method, settings, colour-difference calculation and acceptance tolerance. Do not copy a numerical tolerance from an unrelated programme. Keep visual assessment requirements alongside the instrumental criteria so the approval procedure is explicit.

Keep lab approval separate from bulk release

Laboratory development helps establish a colour recipe, but scaling to production may require adjustments. CottonWorks notes that lab samples approximate the production process and can require several iterations before approval. See the complete lab-dip workflow.

Define the next approval gate before bulk production: for example, whether a production sample or shade submission must be reviewed. Agree how rolls or dye lots will be identified, which reference is retained and who decides when a deviation needs escalation. These are commercial and quality arrangements to set for the order, not universal rules.

Colour approval is not a fastness report

A shade match answers a different question from colour retention or transfer during use. Ask for the relevant colourfastness assessment for the garment’s care and use, with the test method and required result agreed in advance. AATCC lists distinct methods for laundering, rubbing and perspiration, among others. Consult the AATCC method directory.

Questions for your colour brief

• What is the controlling colour reference and fabric specification?
• Which viewing conditions and acceptance criteria apply?
• Who gives final approval, and how are versions identified?
• What bulk shade checks are required after lab approval?
• Which colourfastness requirements apply to the intended garment?

Retain an approved reference and a dated decision record. Clear ownership and traceable samples make the colour conversation easier to continue from development into repeat orders.