AATCC

Definition and Overview

AATCC is an organization that develops test methods and evaluation procedures for textiles, dyes, and chemical finishing. In the apparel industry, in addition to the organization name, “AATCC” may also refer to the test methods established by the organization itself.

AATCC is not a system that grants certification to products or factories, nor is it a law or regulation itself. It is a standard for unifying test conditions, procedures, and judgment methods, and whether test results meet the standard is determined by the requirements set by the brand, customer, or applications.

How to think about target items and standards

For fabrics and products, AATCC test methods are used to evaluate color changes, staining to other materials, dimensional change, and appearance change caused by washing, friction, sweat, light, and other factors. The performance covered varies depending on the fiber type, dye, finishing, applications, and expected care method.

Even for the same colorfastness, results cannot simply be compared if the dry/wet distinction, washing conditions, adjacent fabric, or evaluation method differs. In specifications, it is important to specify not only the test method number, but also the edition, conditions, required grade, or pass/fail criteria.

• The evaluation targets include not only color change and fading, but also staining, shrinkage, and appearance.
• The test method and the acceptance criteria are separate pieces of information.
• Results may differ between the fabric stage and the product stage due to the sample, sewing, and accessories.

Checks for fabric procurement and product development

When procuring fabric, organize the required test items and criteria in advance based on the target sales region, item applications, care label, dark or light colors, and combinations with other materials. If you receive a test report, confirm the target lot, sample name, test method, conditions, results, and testing laboratory.

Before mass production, confirm the required performance not only for the selected fabric, but also for products combining print, garment dyeing, washing, interlining, lining, tape, and other components. Color transfer and appearance changes may be difficult to understand from the test results of the fabric alone.

Notes on labeling and certificates

Whether AATCC testing was performed, or whether a specified result was obtained by a particular test method, should be confirmed in the test report. If you label this as “AATCC certified” without a basis, there is a risk of confusing a test standard with a certification system.

When listing performance on product labels or sales materials, confirm the test subject, test conditions, criteria, and the correspondence with the target lot. Certification indicating safety or chemical management, environmental certification, and legal compliance have different purposes and verification methods, so confirm any separately required proof.

Differences from similar terms

JIS L 1096 is a standard for textile test methods used in Japan. Even when a test is similar in scope to AATCC, the procedures, conditions, and judgment methods do not necessarily match, so the test method name cannot be simply replaced.

Oeko-Tex, GOTS, and GRS are certification systems and certification standards related to chemical substances, organic raw materials, recycled materials, and similar topics. AATCC is primarily a framework that defines test methods, and its position is different from that of a certification system.

Frequently Asked Questions