Lightfastness of advertising parasols & tents

What does lightfastness mean?

The word “lightfastness” is used to describe the light resistance of a colour or material.

Lightfastness of parasols

The UV radiation contained in sunlight has a decomposing effect on many materials, causing colours to fade or change. It goes without saying that this is undesirable for parasols and other products (e.g. clothing).

Lightfastness as material protection

Lightfastness as a measured value does not refer to the protection of people. Rather, it is exclusively about the protection of the textiles. A higher lightfastness offers protection against rapid fading and colour changes. It also ensures that materials do not become brittle and fragile too quickly in the sun.

Quality and lightfastness

Generally speaking, every fabric will eventually fade when exposed to direct and indirect light. However, the quality of the fabric influences how quickly the fading process becomes noticeable. For example, the lightfastness of chemical fibres is higher than that of natural fibres.

The Wool Scale

The degree of lightfastness is defined by the Wool Scale (Blue Wool Scale). The wool scale according to DIN 53952 corresponds to the sun exposure time in days, based on European weather conditions. As can be seen from the chart, the printing techniques used for parasols have an influence on their lightfastness.