• Sofa covers
    • Aniline leather – The best leather for your sofa?
    • From leather to sofa cover
    • How to find the right sofa fabric!
    • Different types of fabric for sofa fabric
  • Sofa types
    • German Ostfriesensofa
    • Chesterfield Sofa
    • Ottoman, Recamiere & Chaiselongue
  • Care
    • Remove stains from the sofa
    • Cleaning sofa – 7 quick tips
  • Furnishing tips
    • 10 sofa manufacturer brand check
    • The big 5 colors for sofas
    • 5 examples of how to place your sofa
  • Buying advice
    • 15 tips for buying a sofa
    • How much should a sofa cost?
    • Buy modern sofa cheap
    • Dog sofa – favorite place for your pooch
    • Seat depth and seat height
  • Knowledge
    • The zig zag spring
    • Recover sofa – Is it worth it?
    • Diolen cover – briefly explained
    • Difference between sofa and couch
    • Light fastness of sofa fabrics
    • Making a sofa
    • History of fabric production
    • Leather production
    • Sofa – Glossary
Sofa-Advisor
  • Sofa covers
    • Aniline leather – The best leather for your sofa?
    • From leather to sofa cover
    • How to find the right sofa fabric!
    • Different types of fabric for sofa fabric
  • Sofa types
    • German Ostfriesensofa
    • Chesterfield Sofa
    • Ottoman, Recamiere & Chaiselongue
  • Care
    • Remove stains from the sofa
    • Cleaning sofa – 7 quick tips
  • Furnishing tips
    • 10 sofa manufacturer brand check
    • The big 5 colors for sofas
    • 5 examples of how to place your sofa
  • Buying advice
    • 15 tips for buying a sofa
    • How much should a sofa cost?
    • Buy modern sofa cheap
    • Dog sofa – favorite place for your pooch
    • Seat depth and seat height
  • Knowledge
    • The zig zag spring
    • Recover sofa – Is it worth it?
    • Diolen cover – briefly explained
    • Difference between sofa and couch
    • Light fastness of sofa fabrics
    • Making a sofa
    • History of fabric production
    • Leather production
    • Sofa – Glossary
  • Knowledge around the sofa

Light fastness of sofa fabrics

  • 11. May 2020
  • No comments
  • 2 minute read
  • The Sofa Advisor
Light fastness of sofa fabrics

Overview

  • The wool scale – the DIN measuring method
    • Light fastness according to wool scale
  • Classification by stars
    • Light fastness in stars
  • Color fastness of upholstery fabrics

If your sofa is not in the darkroom of an establishment, it is permanently exposed to light. The UV component of the light is responsible for the fading and decomposition of the upholstery fabric. Areas that are exposed to sunlight change their appearance significantly after some time. The colors of the sofa fabric fade.

Lightfastness is determined by the wool scale (grades 1-8) or by the assignment of stars (classification system from 0 to 5 stars).

The wool scale – the DIN measuring method

To determine the degree of lightfastness via the wool scale, the sample material, together with eight wool strips, is exposed to UV light. The wool strips are each dyed with blue dye in different light fastness.

To perform the test, a part of each of the wool strips and the test fabric is covered, i.e. not irradiated with UV light.

When the wool strip with the most lightfast coloration starts to fade, the test is stopped and the sample is used for comparison. Depending on which wool strip is closest to the degree of fading of the sample, the lightfastness is determined.

Light fastness according to wool scale

Level according to wool scaleRatingDays*
8excellent700
7superb350
6very good160
5good80
4pretty good40
3moderate20
2low10
1very low5

* Number of days a fabric is exposed to the sun outdoors in Central Europe before a color change occurs.

Classification by stars

Another system divides the lightfastness of cover fabrics into six different classes. Here, five stars are awarded for the highest lightfastness and zero stars for very low lightfastness.

Light fastness in stars

Level in starsCorresponds to wool scaleRating
5 StarsLevel 8very high lightfast
4 StarsLevel 7high lightfast
3 StarsLevel 5-6lightfast
2 StarsLevel 4limited lightfast
1 StarsLevel 3low lightfast
0 StarsLevel 1-2volatile

Color fastness of upholstery fabrics

Rub fastness (also abrasion resistance according to the Martindale method), perspiration fastness, saliva fastness, wash fastness and bleach resistance provide information about the color fastness of a fabric.

You May Also Like
Zig Zag sofa springs
View Post
  • Knowledge around the sofa

The zig zag sofa spring – explanation with 5 examples.

  • 1. August 2021
  • The Sofa Advisor
The processing of leather into a sofa cover
View Post
  • How to find the right sofa cover

The processing of leather into a sofa cover

  • 30. July 2021
  • The Sofa Advisor
Ein Sofa neu beziehen erfordert viele Arbeitsschritte
View Post
  • General

Reupholstering a sofa – is it worth the effort? These 13 answers provide information.

  • 1. September 2020
  • The Sofa Advisor
Sofa cross section: what is a diolen cover
View Post
  • Briefly explained

Diolen cover – briefly explained

  • 25. May 2020
  • The Sofa Advisor
Ottoman, Recamiere and Chaiselongue
View Post
  • Knowledge around the sofa

Ottoman, Recamiere and Chaiselongue

  • 17. May 2020
  • The Sofa Advisor
Sofa-Advisor - Information about sofas
View Post
  • Information about sofas & upholstered furniture

The sofa advisor – many tips for your next sofa purchase.

  • 20. February 2020
  • The Sofa Advisor
Sofa vs. Couch difference
View Post
  • Knowledge around the sofa

The difference between a sofa and a couch

  • 15. February 2020
  • The Sofa Advisor
What costs a sofa?
View Post
  • Buying advice

How much should cost a sofa?

  • 14. February 2020
  • The Sofa Advisor

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sofa-Advisor
  • Imprint
  • Privacy
Information about sofas & upholstered furniture

Input your search keywords and press Enter.