Repeatability of Dyeing in Regard to the Position of the Colour in Colour Space

Abstract

The repeatability of the recipe colour is a very important aim in coloration practice. In the present research the question about the nature of eventual dependence of the repeatability of the recipe colour upon the position of the target colour in colour space has been investigated in laboratory-scale experiments. For 8 target colours and according to 3-4 recipes per each target 20 repeated laboratory dyeings of PAN fabric with basic dyes were carried out. Scattering of colour in all particular groups (of 20 samples per recipe) was evaluated and mutually compared. Standard deviation of colour in groups of samples for light neutral targets was up to 2-times larger than the standard deviation of colour in groups of samples for medium-lightness neutral or intensively chromatic target colour. In case of light neutral target colour the introduction of electronic pipette instead of the standard graduated pipette resulted in 30-40 % lower scattering of colour in the corresponding groups of samples.