Rug lab dip and colour matching, explained

Approval

Lab dip approved before production

Viewing light

D65 daylight, TL84 store light, A incandescent

Timing

Inside the 5 to 20 day sampling window

You send

A colour reference: swatch, photograph or physical sample

A lab dip is a small piece of yarn dyed to match your colour reference, made so you can judge the colour before any bulk yarn is dyed. It answers one question: is this the colour you meant? It is a colour check only. Construction, pile and density are approved through a sample or strike-off. The difference is set out on samples, strike-offs and lab dips.

A colour can match under one light and drift under another. We approve under standard viewing conditions:

• D65, standard daylight.
• TL84, typical store lighting.
• A, incandescent light.

Checking all three before production reduces surprises when the rug is seen in a shop, a home or by a window.

• A physical swatch or sample, which is the most reliable.
• A colour reference you already use, such as a swatch card or a fabric piece.
• A photograph, understanding that screens and cameras change colour. Tell us which colour matters most.
• Which light the rug will mostly be seen in, if you know.

Lab dips fall inside the 5 to 20 day sampling window, so colour approval does not add a separate stage in front of sampling. Once colour is approved, the sample or strike-off follows the sampling process, and bulk production is 8 to 16 weeks. Before dispatch, finished colour is checked against the approved reference, as described in rug quality control. Hand-dyed wool and natural fibres can show slight variation, which is covered in why handmade rugs fail quality checks.

Core references: OEM and private label, rug specifications, how to order, wholesale rugs and the sample program.

See also: Samples, strike-offs and lab dips · Rug quality control · Sending artwork for custom rugs · Our standards · Rug sampling process · OEM and private label · Rug specifications · Wholesale rugs