Colour is the most frequent source of disappointment in production, because everyone involved is looking at a different version of it.
Why screens cannot be trusted
Monitors emit light, fabric reflects it. No screen can reliably communicate a colour to a dye house. Colour approval requires physical standards.
Lab dips
A lab dip is a small swatch dyed to match your standard, submitted for approval before bulk dyeing. Reviewing and approving lab dips is the control point that prevents a run arriving in the wrong colour.
Metamerism
Two colours can match under one light source and visibly differ under another. Evaluate colour under consistent, specified lighting, and check under more than one condition if the garment will be seen in varied environments.
Dye lot variation
Separate dye batches can differ slightly. If a style will be produced across multiple lots, agree an acceptable tolerance, and avoid mixing lots within a single garment.
Practical process
- Provide a physical colour standard rather than a screen reference
- Review lab dips under agreed lighting
- Approve or reject in writing with specific direction
- Keep the approved swatch as the reference for production