Light has long been the enemy of natural color. Too much time in the sun will cause many natural pigments to fade.
Testing for Lightfastness
The best way to determine the lightfastness of a pigment is to put it in the sun. Cover a portion of your sample with thick black paper or cardboard to retain a reference of the original, unfaded color.
Lightfastness Ranking
Below is my generalized ranking of pigment lightfastness. Referencing the test results below will give the best information.
Most
Earth Pigments & Minerals
Carbon black (charcoal)
Indigo
Cochineal
Tannin + Iron
Tannins (oak, walnut, seeds, barks, etc.)
Botanical & fungi yellow & orange
Anthocyanins (berries, hollyhock, scabiosa, purple cabbage, etc.)
Least
Paint & Ink Lightfastness Test
All pigments were prepared in 2023-2024 and sat in the same sunny window for 8+ months (May-Jan).
Dye Lightfastness Test
All yarn samples were dyed in 2023 and sat in the same sunny window for 8+ months (May-Jan).
