Bulk screen prints don't match the approved strike-off colour. How do we settle it?
Colour disputes are settled by agreeing how to look: under which light, against which reference, and how much difference is acceptable.
The red logo on our bulk hoodies looks darker than the strike-off we approved. The factory says it is within normal variation. How do we decide who is right, and how do we prevent it next time?
Main answer
Start by agreeing how the comparison will be made. Colour judged under different lighting, or against a strike-off that has faded or been printed on a different colour of garment, can look different even when the ink is the same. Compare bulk with the approved strike-off side by side, under the same light source, ideally a controlled viewing light that both sides agree on.
Check what changed
If the difference is real, ask the factory three things. Was the same ink formula and supplier used as for the strike-off? Was the garment fabric colour the same? A red printed on a slightly different base colour, or with a different underbase, can shift. And were the print set-up and curing the same, since ink thickness and curing affect how a colour looks?
Decide on this order
Once you have compared under agreed light, decide whether the bulk is acceptable for sale. If it is visibly different from the approved standard and the brand colour matters, raise it as a deviation. If the difference is small and the factory can show the same ink and process, accepting it with a note may be reasonable. Record the decision and the reason.
Set a tolerance for next time
For future orders, approve a strike-off on the bulk garment fabric. Keep it sealed and protected from light, and agree the viewing conditions. If colour matters a lot, agree an instrumental colour check and a tolerance with a laboratory. Write it into the order with the ink reference.
Check durability too
While you are reviewing the print, confirm that it holds colour in washing. Wash colourfastness can be checked with a method such as ISO 105-C06, and print appearance after a named laundering procedure such as ISO 6330. A colour that matches when new but fades quickly will cause complaints of its own.
The goal is a shared, written method of judging colour, so that the next disagreement can be settled quickly.
Keep a record of each approved strike-off with its ink reference, garment colour and date. Over several seasons, that history shows whether colour drift comes from one supplier, one ink or one garment colour, and makes the next conversation shorter.
Sources and further reading
- ISO 105-C06:2010 — Colour fastness to domestic and commercial laundering
- ISO 6330:2021 — Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
Standards and rules are summarised from their published scope or official guidance. Use the current edition and confirm requirements for your market.
Three perspectives on this question
Purchasing perspective
I'd write the ink reference and the approved strike-off number on the purchase order. If the factory changes ink supplier, that becomes a change it has to raise with us, not something we find on the finished goods.
Merchandising perspective
For a logo in the brand colour, I'd give the factory a physical colour standard as well as the artwork file. Screens and printouts aren't reliable references for colour.
QC perspective
We compare print colour under the agreed light against the sealed strike-off at first bulk, before the full run is printed. Catching it on the first pieces is much cheaper than at final inspection.
Working on a similar program?Send your tech pack, fabric references and test requirements. We reply with a quote and the questions we need answered.
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