Fastness to light test provides the general procedures which are currentlty in use for determining the colorfastness to light of textile materials. Samples are exposed to an artificial light which is similar to sunlight source, and Xenon or Carbon is used as artificial illuminant.

TruFade is James Heal’s Xenon Arc Light Fastness Tester with onboard weathering, that features a 2200W, long-lasting xenon lamp. A light fastness test measures the resistance of pigmented or printed materials to colour change or even fading, due to exposure to sunlight or even an artificial light source. Materials that TruFade can test include:

Apparel
Sportswear
Outdoor wear
Tents and awnings
Curtains

The most common scales and test materials used to test light fastness are Blue Wools, which are individually dyed wool pieces, each with a different degree of fastness to light. TruFade’s high performance, long lasting, air-cooled xenon lamp works in “controlled irridance” and “blue wool” mode, which comply with international standards for textiles, leather and other materials. The TruFade design of the tri-sided specimen holders ensure they are closer to the xenon lamp, making it more effective, therefore extending its lifespan.