Resources / Color and lab dip
Color and Lab Dip Guide for Custom Apparel
Color is approved in stages, and each stage answers a different question. A lab dip approves dyed fabric; a strike-off approves print; a sew-out approves embroidery. Treating them as one approval is how a correct color arrives on the wrong material.
The approval chain
The reference the color will be judged against, named and dated.
A physical lab dip, strike-off or sew-out on the intended substrate.
A stated light condition and a recorded decision, not an impression.
The approved proof kept with its revision and the bulk it applies to.
Color approved on a screen is a preference. Color approved on a swatch is a decision.
Who it is for
Who this guide is for
For buyers specifying color for fabric, print, embroidery or trims, and for anyone signing off a bulk shade.
Buyer setting a color
Stage 1
You have a color direction and need it to become a reference a mill and a garment factory can both work to. Start with the standard, not the swatch.
Buyer reviewing a dip
Stage 2
You have a lab dip in hand. Judge it against the standard under the agreed light, then record the decision rather than replying with an adjective.
Buyer checking bulk
Stage 3
Bulk fabric arrives. Compare it to the archived approved dip, not to the original standard, because the approved dip is what production was matched to.
Before a lab dip is requested
A dip requested against a vague reference produces a debate, not an approval.
Approval logic
Which proof answers which question
Matching the proof to the process is the difference between an approval and an assumption.
Color proof to question mapping
| Proof | What it approves | What it cannot approve |
|---|---|---|
| Lab dip | Dyed fabric color on a stated substrate using a stated dye route. | Print color, thread color, or how the garment reads after washing. |
| Strike-off | Printed color, coverage and registration on the intended fabric. | Dyed fabric shade, or durability through the full care cycle. |
| Embroidery sew-out | Thread color and how it reads against the substrate at production density. | Print or dye color, or the garment's appearance after pressing. |
| Trim or hardware sample | Component color and finish as supplied. | How the component reads next to the bulk fabric under another light. |
| Bulk fabric check | Whether production fabric sits within the approved relationship to the archived dip. | Whether the original standard was right for the product. |
A single light source can make a poor match look acceptable. Judge under the condition the product will be seen in, and state which condition was used.
Method
How to run a color approval that holds
The method matters more than the vocabulary. These steps produce a record that survives a change of staff on either side.
Color approval method
| Step | What to do | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fix the standard | Name the reference and its version. Note the substrate it was measured on. | Standard ID, date, and who issued it. |
| 2. Prepare the proof | Ask for a physical proof on the intended substrate, produced by the intended process. | Proof type, substrate, process route, and submission date. |
| 3. Judge under stated light | Compare proof and standard under the agreed condition, not office lighting. | Light condition, observer, and whether a measured reading was taken. |
| 4. Record the decision | Approve, approve with comment, or reject with a reason. Avoid adjectives alone. | Decision, date, approver, and the specific difference accepted. |
| 5. Archive the approved proof | Keep the approved physical proof, not a photo of it. | Storage location, revision, and the program it applies to. |
| 6. Check bulk against the archive | Compare bulk fabric to the approved proof, not to memory. | Batch, date, result, and any concession granted. |
Where a measured color difference is used, the measurement is only meaningful with its instrument, light source and tolerance stated. A number without those conditions is not a standard.
Name the standard
A reference with a version and a substrate, not a color word.
Proof on the real substrate
The same process, on the same material, as production.
Judge and record
State the light, the decision and the accepted difference.
Archive and compare
Bulk is checked against the archived proof.
Common mistakes
Six color approvals that fail later
Each of these looks like an approval at the time and cannot be defended afterwards.
Approving from a photo
A photograph carries the camera, the light and the screen. It cannot approve a shade.
One light source only
A pair that matches under one lamp can separate under daylight. Check the condition the product will live in.
Approving a dip for a print
A dyed swatch does not approve ink on a surface. Use a strike-off for print.
No archived proof
If the approved swatch is lost, bulk has nothing to be compared against and the argument restarts.
A color word as a standard
Forest, sand or clay describe an impression. Without a reference they describe a disagreement.
Ignoring the substrate
The same dye route on two structures reads differently. The proof must sit on the intended fabric.
How KnitCertain uses this information
Color as a recorded approval
KnitCertain works on made-to-order apparel made from knitted fabrics. A color decision is reviewable when it names the standard, names the substrate it was approved on, and keeps the approved piece as a physical reference.
What can be agreed at review depends on the process. A print program and a dyed program need different proofs, and one does not substitute for the other.
A tolerance depends on the process, the substrate and the visual standard of the product, so it is settled for each program rather than published as a universal number.
When a dip does not meet the agreed color target, confirm the next round with the supplier before it is booked: what will be redyed, how much time it adds, and who carries the cost.
The same applies to scheduling. Ask whether the greige has to be at the dyehouse and the color approved before your order gets a slot, and what happens to the date if either is missing, because this differs between mills.
Use it now
Copyable color approval record
One record per proof. The value is in the record, not the swatch alone.
Blank color approval record
| Field | Your detail | Date | Approver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color standard and version | |||
| Substrate | |||
| Process route | |||
| Proof type received | |||
| Light condition used | |||
| Decision and accepted difference | |||
| Archive location | |||
| Bulk batch checked |
No downloadable file is published for this guide. The table above is the current working version.
Color and lab dip questions
Questions buyers ask about color approval
These answers cover the boundary between a visual match and an approved standard.
What is the difference between a lab dip and a strike-off?
Can I approve a lab dip from a photograph?
What does a color difference measurement tell me?
Why does bulk fabric look different from the approved dip?
Does KnitCertain publish color tolerances?
Start project evaluation
Send the color standard and the process.
State whether the color is dyed, printed, embroidered or a trim, and which standard it is judged against.
- Color standard with reference
- Substrate and process route
- Where the color appears on the garment
- Any proof already approved
- The light condition used for judgment
Choose one starting route
State whether the color is dyed, printed, embroidered or a trim, and which standard it is judged against.