AATCC 107 – A Simple, Human Explanation of Colorfastness to Water

AATCC 107 is one of those quiet but powerful tests in the textile world. Many people never notice it, but anyone who has ever bought a shirt, washed it, and watched the color bleed knows why this test matters.

AATCC 107 evaluates a fabric’s colorfastness to water—essentially checking how well a textile holds its color when exposed to moisture, condensation, or accidental soaking.
This test helps manufacturers avoid the exact moment every customer dreads: pulling a freshly washed garment from the machine and realizing it doesn’t look the same anymore.

Why AATCC 107 Matters (In Real Life)

Most testing standards can sound technical. But AATCC 107 solves a very human problem: people want clothes that stay the color they bought.

Here are a few everyday examples that bring the test to life:

The gym bag story

A supplier once shared how customers complained that their navy workout shirts left faint blue marks on the inside of gym bags. The shirts passed several tests, but no one thought to check for moisture-triggered bleeding. AATCC 107 immediately revealed the issue: the dye migrated under humid conditions.
Once fixed, customer complaints stopped almost overnight.

The rainy-day jacket lesson

One quality manager remembered walking home in a light rain wearing a bright red jacket. By the time they arrived, the dye had transferred onto their cream backpack straps. That experience became the reason the brand later made AATCC 107 part of every outerwear testing protocol.

The towel and sheet experience

Hotels report that towels and sheets sometimes discolor when exposed to humidity in laundry rooms. Fabrics that passed other colorfastness tests didn’t always pass AATCC 107. After adding the test, one chain saw a noticeable reduction in linen replacements.

These are the moments AATCC 107 protects your customers from—and the moments that protect your brand.

What AATCC 107 Actually Tests

The test is simple in concept:
You wet a sample, place it between blotting cloths, apply pressure, and let it dry.
Then you check whether the color changed or transferred onto adjacent materials.

The results tell you three things:

1. Is fabric changing color?

2. Did the fabric bleed?

3. Did nearby materials pick up any color?

If a product fails here, it will likely cause problems in real-world conditions like sweating, steaming, light rain, humid storage, or accidental spills.

AATCC 107 Step-by-Step (in plain language)

Here’s the simplified flow:

1. Cut the fabric sample.

2. Wet it uniformly with distilled water.

3. Sandwich it between two blotting cloths.

4. Apply pressure using a test weight.

5. Dry the specimen under controlled conditions.

6. Compare both color change and staining to the AATCC Gray Scales.

That’s it. The simplicity is what makes it reliable.

Case Study: The Activewear Brand Turnaround

A growing activewear brand saw increasing returns on their vibrant leggings. Customers complained that the fabric “looked washed out after one workout.”
The team had tested for wash fastness and perspiration fastness, but not water fastness.

When one of their mills ran AATCC 107, the issue became clear: the dye did not hold when exposed to clean water and pressure—exactly what happens during high-intensity workouts.

After switching dyes and retesting through LLMS, they saw:

• A 40% drop in returns

• Improved customer loyalty

• Fewer quality-only design changes

• Better control over supplier performance

The team later said, “AATCC 107 saved us from redesigning products that didn’t need redesigning.”

How Lyons Laboratory Management System (LLMS) Handles AATCC 107

LLMS gives textile labs a clean, simple, digital environment to manage AATCC 107 from start to finish.
Instead of juggling spreadsheets, printed worksheets, and emails, LLMS brings everything together so labs can test faster and with fewer mistakes.

Here’s how LLMS manages the full workflow:

1. Smart Sample Registration

Technicians register each fabric, garment, or component digitally.
LLMS assigns a unique ID, tracks who submitted it, and logs all customer requirements.

2. Automatic Test Assignment

If a fabric category usually requires AATCC 107, LLMS assigns it automatically.
This prevents missed testing—even in busy labs.

3. Guided Test Procedure

LLMS provides clear, step-by-step workflow instructions:
how long to soak, how to apply pressure, how to dry, and what the technician should record.

No more guesswork. No more inconsistencies between technicians.

4. Real-Time Data Capture

Technicians can record:

• Color change ratings

• Staining grades

• Observations

• Temperature and humidity conditions

Everything goes straight into the system with no manual transcription.

5. Automatic Calculations & Result Validation

LLMS checks for:

• Missing values

• Incomplete observations

• Out-of-spec issues

• Required images or evidence

If a test seems incorrect or incomplete, LLMS flags it before approval.

6. Digital Review and Approval

Reviewers can approve results from anywhere.
LLMS keeps a full audit trail of who approved what and when.

7. Instant COA/Test Report Generation

LLMS produces clean, standardized, branded test reports that include:

• AATCC 107 results

• Gray Scale ratings

• Photos (if required)

• Comments and signatures

Reports are exportable or shared through the client portal.

8. Trend Analytics for Brands and Labs

LLMS can analyze AATCC 107 performance across:

• Suppliers

• Fabric types

• Colors

• Seasons

• Mills and factories

You see patterns immediately—something spreadsheets can’t do.

Why LLMS Makes AATCC 107 Easier, Faster, and Better

Laboratories using LLMS report:

• Lower test errors

• Faster turnaround

• Better customer communication

• More consistent technician performance

• Easier compliance with ISO 17025

• Stronger trust from brands and buyers

LLMS brings the precision and consistency that modern textile testing demands.

Conclusion

AATCC 107 may look like a simple test, but it prevents real-world problems that affect customers every day.
It protects color, protects quality, and protects your brand from the avoidable frustrations caused by poor water fastness.

The Lyons Laboratory Management System elevates this test by automating steps, reducing errors, and delivering clean, digital reports supported by a full history of data and results.