Keeping Lining Shades Consistent When Your Factories Are in Bangladesh and India
Lining shades stay consistent across Bangladesh and India when both factories work from one colour standard, one set of measurement rules and, ideally, one source of fabric. Most mismatches start before sewing. Two factories each buy "navy" lining from different mills, and those mills dye different batches to their own reading of the same reference. Sungil Tex sees this from both sides of the border. When a single supplier serves both countries, one shade can ship to factories in both.
TL;DR
Shade drift between countries usually starts at sourcing. Separate mills and separate dye lots produce separate shades.
Set a number, not a feeling. Agree a written Delta E tolerance for linings with your supplier and both factories before bulk production.
Pair spectrophotometer readings with light-booth checks under D65 and TL84 to catch metamerism.
Measure lot-to-lot as well as lot-to-standard. Two lots can both pass and still clash with each other.
Reordering an existing stocked shade carries less risk than commissioning a new dye batch for every order.
About the Author: This article was written by the Sungil Tex team. Sungil Tex is a lining and sustainable textile supplier that has built regional teams since 2008 and reports serving 200 global brands in 20 countries, including brands that produce in Bangladesh and India.
Why do lining shades drift between factories in Bangladesh and India?
A colour name describes a target, and every dye batch is a separate attempt to hit it. Two countries mean more attempts, often by more mills, and so more variation.
Think of house paint mixed from the same code on two different days. The cans come out close but not identical, which is why painters buy enough for a whole wall at once. Dyeing works the same way. Water chemistry, bath temperature, fibre batch and dyeing time all move the final shade slightly.
Source of drift | What happens | Control |
Separate local sourcing | Each factory's mill dyes to its own recipe | Nominate the lining centrally |
Split dye lots | One order arrives in several slightly different shades | Allocate lots by style; request shade band reports |
Different approval references | One factory approves a swatch, the other a digital value | One master standard, physical and digital |
Different lighting at approval | A shade passes under one light and fails under another | Agreed illuminants in a colour matching cabinet |
What colour tolerance should you set for linings?
Once you accept that some drift is unavoidable, the next step is deciding how much is acceptable. Delta E (ΔE) is a single number that expresses the measured colour difference between a sample and a reference. The right tolerance depends on the colour, the end use and the brand's own standard, so agree it in writing before bulk production.
Multi-country programmes often miss one point here. A tolerance against the standard does not guarantee a tolerance between lots. If the Bangladesh lot sits 2.0 off standard in one direction and the India lot sits 2.0 off in the opposite direction, both pass. Measured against each other, they can be almost twice as far apart.
Check each new lot against the master standard.
Also check it against lots already in production for the same style.
Give visible linings, such as open-front jackets or contrast sleeves, a tighter internal target than fully hidden ones.
How does spectrophotometer color matching work alongside visual checks?
A tolerance only works if both countries measure it the same way. Spectrophotometer color matching measures how a fabric reflects light across the visible spectrum, then calculates Delta E against a reference such as Pantone or RAL. Visual assessment in a colour matching cabinet under standard illuminants, typically D65 daylight and TL84 retail lighting, completes the check.
You need both because of metamerism: two fabrics match under one light and split under another. The cause is the dye recipe. Different dye combinations can produce the same colour under daylight while reflecting quite differently under a store's fluorescent tubes. Two mills hitting one standard with two recipes is exactly the setup where metamerism shows up.
Calibrate instruments in both countries on the same schedule.
Use identical illuminant and observer settings at both sites.
Store the digital standard centrally so neither factory re-measures its own copy.
How should apparel supply chain management be structured to keep shades aligned?
Measurement catches drift, but sourcing decides how much drift there is to catch. That makes the lining source the strongest lever in apparel supply chain management for multi-country programmes.
Nominate centrally. Specify the lining article and supplier for both factories rather than leaving it to each factory's local network. Both India garment manufacturing and Bangladesh garment factories then cut from the same fabric family.
Keep one recipe. One supplier dyeing to one recipe sharply reduces metamerism risk between countries.
Allocate by lot. Where possible, put one style on one dye lot. If a style must split, ship the lots with shade documentation.
Reorder from stock. Pulling an existing stocked shade avoids a fresh lab dip each season.
This is the model Sungil Tex is built around. The company reports that its running colour stock items carry no minimum order quantity and can be delivered quickly. It supplies colour books for most of its products, so buyers can pick from existing shades without waiting on lab dips. Its range covers several lining types, and it serves buyers across multiple regions.
What does a step-by-step shade control workflow look like?
The principles above become a repeatable textile quality control routine once they are written into steps that both factories follow:
Set the master standard. Approve one physical swatch and record its spectral reading.
Define tolerances. Write down ΔE limits against the standard and between lots, plus the illuminants used.
Nominate the lining. Give both factories the same article number and supplier.
Inspect on arrival. Measure every incoming lot before cutting, not after sewing.
Check against the shell. Confirm the lining still works beside the outer fabric under both light sources.
Share results. Keep readings from both countries in one shared record.
Retain samples. Hold a cutting from each lot for reorders and disputes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can each factory approve lining shades on its own?
They can, but only against the same master standard, tolerances and illuminants. Separate approvals without these shared rules are how two countries end up with two shades.
What Delta E is acceptable for lining?
There is no single figure for every lining. Agree a ΔE limit with your supplier based on colour and end use. Apply it between lots as well as against the standard.
Do both countries need a spectrophotometer?
Ideally, yes, calibrated the same way. If one site lacks an instrument, send its incoming lots for measurement before cutting.
Is pongee lining fabric harder to shade-match?
Pongee's smooth surface can show lustre, so viewing angle affects how the shade looks. Assess it at a consistent angle in the light booth.
How do I keep reorders consistent months later?
Reorder a stocked shade from the same supplier and measure the new lot against your retained cutting as well as the standard.
Who should own the shade standard?
The brand. Factories execute against it, but a single owner stops each factory's copy from drifting.
About Sungil Tex
Sungil Tex is a lining and sustainable textile supplier with group companies and offices across Asia, Europe and beyond, including India and Bangladesh. It reports more than 100 types of linings and more than 10,000 running colour stocks in its supply chain, with no minimum order quantity on colour stock items. Its sustainable range covers recycled polyester, BCI cotton and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose. It offers what it describes as certified, fully biodegradable viscose, with fibre biodegradability certified for LENZING fibres. That mix of stocked shades and regional teams helps brands keep one lining standard across multiple production countries.
If your programme spans factories in Bangladesh and India and you want one lining shade across both, visit Sungil Tex to explore its colour stock and talk to the team about your next season.
References
Google (google.com)
Comments