A Detailed Guide to Light Fastness Testing


Color accuracy and performance are two of the most important factors for manufacturers. From plastics to fabrics, the durability and longevity of color is the single most important indicator of quality.

Most products are designed for outdoor environments, where they are constantly exposed to the sun, especially textiles.
If a product fades under the sun, it might be a reason to stop production, but most items are already sold by then. Light fastness testing helps anticipate and prevent these product recalls ensuring quality.
This guide breaks down light fastness testing, standards of color fastness to light test, and applications of a tester like the YG611M.

What Is Light Fastness Testing?

Light fastness testing is a way to test the resistance of pigment (color) in a material by exposing it to artificial lighting environments to check how well it retains its color.
Fastness testing uses artificial light sources like UV lamps or Xenon Arc lamps to accelerate the fading effect of sunlight over a much shorter time, allowing you to assess the resistance of the specimen quickly. Some lightfastness testers can control environmental conditions to test weathering effects.

Light Fastness Testing Methods

Primarily, the light fastness test is a type of color fastness test to check the stability of a material to color degradation under any light. There are many types of tests designed to test material fading.

What Factors Influence Light Fastness

From humidity and temperature to the colour and dye itself, several factors can change the results of a light fastness test.
Chemical Composition of The Dye
There are natural and synthetic dyes popular in textile manufacturing. Almost all dyes go through a reaction called photo-degradation breaking the chemical bonds and molecular structures. Some dyes can resist sunlight better than others.
Plus, certain colours like red fade more than colours like blue.
Environment and Temperature
Temperature alters the fading rate because the photo-degradation reactions are catalyzed or sped up. Temperature control is the single biggest factor to control in your xenon arc test chambers.
Exposure Time
The way you test the light fastness of your material produces different results. Continuous tests and prolonged exposure produce a different result from an exposure with breaks even when the total exposure time are same.

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