What this page is for: A reference that maps ISO, AATCC and ASTM/BS standards property by property so you can see at a glance which test a fabric should be subjected to under which standard. The “typical acceptance” values in the table are indicative only; the binding threshold is always the buyer's technical specification.
Textile tests come from three major standard families: ISO (international), AATCC (USA, mostly color and fastness) and ASTM/BS (physical tests and inspection). At KARCEM we report color fastness, dimensional stability and ΔE measurements according to these standards. You can filter the table below by property, standard number or region.
| Property | ISO | AATCC | ASTM / BS | What it measures | Scale | Typical knit acceptance* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wash fastness | ISO 105-C06 | AATCC TM61 | — | Color change in washing and staining onto adjacent fabric | Gray scale 1–5 | Change ≥4 · staining ≥3–4 |
| Rubbing / crocking | ISO 105-X12 | AATCC 8 / 116 | — | Color transfer in dry and wet rubbing | Gray scale 1–5 | Dry ≥4 · wet ≥3 |
| Perspiration fastness | ISO 105-E04 | AATCC 15 | — | Acidic (pH 5.5) and alkaline (pH 8.0) perspiration, 4 h / 37 °C | Gray scale 1–5 | ≥3–4 |
| Light fastness | ISO 105-B02 | AATCC 16 | — | Fading under xenon arc (D65) light | Blue wool 1–8 | Apparel 4–5 · outdoor 6+ |
| Water / sea water | ISO 105-E01 / E02 | — | — | Color bleeding in water or sea water, 4 h / 37 °C | Gray scale 1–5 | ≥3–4 |
| Dimensional change (shrinkage) | ISO 6330 + ISO 5077 | AATCC 135 / 150 | — | Length/width % change after wash-dry | % change | ±3% – ±5% |
| Spirality / torque | ISO 16322 | AATCC 179 | — | Wale/course skewing after washing (especially single jersey) | % angle | ≤5% |
| Pilling | ISO 12945-1/2/3 | — | ASTM D4970 | Surface pilling (typically 2,000 and 5,000 cycles) | Grade 1–5 | ≥3–4 |
| Abrasion | ISO 12947-1/2/3/4 | — | — | Cycles to rupture with Martindale (9 kPa apparel) | Cycle count | Use-dependent |
| Bursting strength | ISO 13938-1 / -2 | — | ASTM D3786 | The correct strength test for knits (diaphragm, 50 cm²) | kPa | Use-dependent |
| Weight (mass per unit area) | ISO 3801 | — | ASTM D3776 | Mass per unit area | g/m² | Specification ±5% |
| Four-point inspection | — | — | ASTM D5430 | Roll fabric defect grading (1/2/3/4 points by length) | points / 100 yd² | ≤ ~40 points* |
| pH | ISO 3071 | — | — | Aqueous extract pH | pH value | 4.0–7.5 (OEKO-TEX) |
| Fiber composition | ISO 1833 series | — | — | Quantitative chemical analysis of the blend | % ratio | As declared |
| Rating scales | ISO 105-A02 / A03 | — | — | Gray scales for color change (A02) and staining (A03) | 1–5 (half steps) | — |
Can the standards be used interchangeably?
In most cases, no. The condition matrices of ISO and AATCC wash/light tests differ and the results cannot be converted directly; in rubbing, AATCC 8 is the standard crockmeter while AATCC 116 is the rotary crockmeter; AATCC 16 is light fastness, not rubbing. Clearly specify in your procurement specification which standard and which condition (e.g. AATCC TM61 2A or ISO 105-C06 C2S) applies.
AATCC TM61 accelerated wash conditions (1A–5A)
| Code | Temperature | Steel balls | Chlorine | Approximate wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | 40 °C | 10 | — | ~5 home washes |
| 2A | 49 °C | 50 | — | most common apparel condition |
| 3A | 71 °C | 100 | — | hot wash |
| 4A | 71 °C | 100 | 0.015% | chlorinated |
| 5A | 49 °C | 50 | 0.027% | chlorinated |
ISO 105-C06 wash codes
| Code | Temperature | Steel balls | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2S | 40 °C | ~10 | gentle home wash |
| C2S | 60 °C | ~25 | medium |
| E2S | 95 °C | — | commercial / linen |
ECE reference detergent (without optical brightener), 30 min, 6 mm steel balls. “S” = single, “M” = multiple wash; B/C/D codes add perborate bleach.
Why are knit fabrics tested differently?
Knits have no distinct warp/weft; therefore bursting strength (ISO 13938 / ASTM D3786) is measured instead of tensile strength. In addition, single-layer knits are prone to spirality and curling caused by yarn twist; for this reason ISO 16322 / AATCC 179 spirality and ISO 6330 + 5077 shrinkage tests are critical for knits.
What are the gray scale and blue wool scale?
Fastness results are graded with visual scales: the gray scale rates color change (ISO 105-A02) and staining (ISO 105-A03) from 1 (severe) to 5 (no change), while the blue wool scale rates light fastness from 1 to 8 (each step roughly double the durability). The instrumental equivalent is ΔE2000; KARCEM manages color consistency with a ΔE<1 target.
Related guides: color fastness tests, shrinkage and dimensional stability, pilling and abrasion, four-point inspection and the lab-dip approval process.