prEN 16641

• Abstract:

  This document gives guidance in case of complaints when a colour deviation is observed before or after installation of a textile floor covering by the installer and/or end user.; The colour deviation can be observed within different parts of the installation or between the installed textile floor covering and the initially presented reference sample of the manufacturer on which the choice for ordering was made.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 27-Feb-2028
• ICS: 97.150 - Floor coverings
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 134 - Resilient and textile floor coverings
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 134/WG 8 - Textile floor coverings
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 08-Oct-2026
• Due Date: 12-Nov-2026
• Completion Date: 08-Oct-2026
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 16641:2026 - Textile floor coverings - Guidelines for acceptable colour deviations

• Revises: EN 16641:2019 - Textile floor coverings - Guidelines for acceptable colour deviations
• Effective Date: 24-Dec-2025

prEN 16641 is a draft CEN European Standard on textile floor coverings, prepared by CEN/TC 134. It gives guidance for handling complaints about colour deviations observed before or after installation, and it helps installers, end users, assessors and manufacturers judge whether the difference is acceptable.

What does prEN 16641 specify?

prEN 16641 specifies how to deal with complaints about colour deviation in textile floor coverings, whether the difference is seen in different parts of one installation or between the installed floor and the manufacturer’s reference sample used for ordering. The document is organized into clauses 1 to 7, followed by a bibliography.

Clause 1 sets the scope, clause 2 names the referenced standards, clause 3 points to the relevant vocabulary, clauses 4 to 6 explain the background, assessment and acceptance approach, and clause 7 defines the report content. This structure matters in practice because it takes the reader from the complaint situation to the assessment method and the final written record.

What are the key requirements of prEN 16641?

prEN 16641 focuses on practical acceptance of colour differences rather than on manufacture or product performance in general. The main idea is that small colour variations can occur in textile floor coverings, so the decision depends on where the difference is seen, how it is assessed, and whether the overall appearance is still acceptable.

Manufacturing and installation context

Clause 4 explains that slight colour differences can arise from dyeing methods, visual colour assessment, changes in manufacturing processes, different completion dates, or later deliveries. For users, this means the presence of some variation is treated as a normal risk to consider during ordering, delivery and project planning.

Clause 4.2 recommends installing textile floor covering from the same production batch in one room, and says colour uniformity is mainly relevant for the whole floor area in that room, basically up to the doors unless otherwise agreed. For larger projects, the document recommends an installation plan with the manufacturer so the total order can be divided into smaller, colour-equal batches.

Assessment method

Clause 5 requires colour deviation to be assessed with the larger grey scales according to EN 20105-A02. The assessment is based on comparison with the grey scale pair that most closely matches the observed colour difference, and a result of grade 5 means no deviation is observed.

Clause 5 also says the assessment should be made on an area representative of the complaint. When a manufacturer’s uninstalled reference sample is available, it should be compared with the floor covering before installation. In practice, this means the assessor needs both the affected area and a suitable comparison sample if one exists.

Assessors and result handling

Clause 5 requires trained and qualified assessors, preferably three, and the median of all assessments becomes the final result. This is important because the document is meant for complaint handling, where a single opinion should not control the outcome.

Acceptance criteria

Clause 6 states that in larger areas, insignificant tone deviations are not a reason for complaint if the overall appearance is not substantially affected. It also notes that furniture, artificial lighting and shadows can hide differences in a finished room, so the final installed condition matters.

Clause 6 treats a colour difference corresponding to grade 4 or higher as production-bound and acceptable. A result of grade 3 or 3-4 depends on how much the deviation affects the overall view, while grade 2-3 or lower is not acceptable. For a comparison with an uninstalled manufacturer reference sample, grade 3 or higher is treated as production-bound and acceptable.

Reporting

Clause 7 requires a written report with the product identification, colour reference, reference sample identification if applicable, assessment location, room situation, number of assessors, each assessor’s result, the median result, and a reference to prEN 16641:2026. This gives a traceable record for disputes, warranty claims and project documentation.

What terms does prEN 16641 define?

prEN 16641 uses the vocabulary from ISO 2424 for its terms and definitions. The document also relies on a few key concepts in its own wording:

• Colour deviation - the observed difference in colour between parts of the installation or between the installed product and the manufacturer’s reference sample.
• Reference sample - the manufacturer’s uninstalled sample used when the buyer chose the product.
• Grey scale - the comparison scale from EN 20105-A02 used to judge the size of the colour difference.
• Colour fastness grade - the grade on the grey scale that expresses the assessed level of deviation.
• Production-bound - a deviation treated as arising from manufacture rather than from installation or use.
• Median - the middle result from the assessors’ assessments, used as the final reported result.

Who uses prEN 16641?

prEN 16641 is for installers, end users, manufacturers, assessors and anyone handling complaints about the appearance of textile floor coverings. It is relevant in flooring projects, quality checks, delivery acceptance, dispute handling and post-installation inspections.

It is especially useful when a project involves multiple production batches, large rooms, or a comparison between the installed floor and the original reference sample. In those cases, it gives a shared basis for deciding whether the colour difference is acceptable and how to record the outcome.

What changed in prEN 16641 from the previous edition?

prEN 16641 will supersede EN 16641:2019. The foreword states three technical changes: a reference to CEN/TS 14472-2 was deleted from clauses 2 and 4.2 because that document was withdrawn in 2023; clause 5 now describes the assessment and assessors more clearly; and clause 6 gives more detailed acceptance criteria.

Which standards are used with prEN 16641?

prEN 16641 refers to these standards in its text:

• EN 20105-A02 - provides the grey scale used to assess colour deviation.
• ISO 2424 - provides the vocabulary used in clause 3.

The bibliography also lists EN ISO 105-A01, which gives the general principles of testing for colour fastness and supports the grey-scale testing context used in the document.

What does the prEN 16641 document contain?

prEN 16641 contains a short, complaint-focused procedure rather than a full product test standard. It includes the scope, normative references, terms and definitions, background on manufacturing and installation, the assessment method using grey scales, acceptance rules, and the required report contents.

The report clause is practical for inspections and disputes because it tells the user exactly what to record about the product, the room, the assessors and the final result. The bibliography points to EN ISO 105-A01 as related background for colour fastness testing principles.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2026
Tekstilne talne obloge - Smernice za sprejemljiva barvna odstopanja
Textile floor coverings - Guidelines for acceptable colour deviations
Textile Bodenbeläge - Richtlinien für akzeptable Farbabweichungen
Revêtements de sol textiles - Lignes directrices pour les écarts de couleur acceptables
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 16641
ICS:
97.150 Talne obloge Floor coverings
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
October 2026
ICS 97.150 Will supersede EN 16641:2019
English Version
Textile floor coverings - Guidelines for acceptable colour
deviations
Revêtements de sol textiles - Lignes directrices pour Textile Bodenbeläge - Richtlinien für akzeptable
les écarts de couleur acceptables Farbabweichungen
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 134.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 16641:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 General information on colour deviation and initial requirements . 4
4.1 Manufacturing of textile floor coverings . 4
4.2 Installation . 4
5 Assessment of colour deviation . 4
6 Requirements for acceptance . 5
7 Report . 6
Bibliography . 7

European foreword
This document (prEN 16641:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 134 “Resilient,
textile, laminate and modular mechanical locked floor coverings”, the secretariat of which is held by NBN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 16641:2019.
— Clause 2 and 4.2, reference to CEN/TS 14472-2 deleted due to withdrawal in 2023.
— Clause 5, better description of the assessment and assessors.
— Clause 6, more detailed description of acceptance criteria.
1 Scope
This document gives guidance in case of complaints when a colour deviation is observed before or after
installation of a textile floor covering by the installer and/or end user.
The colour deviation can be observed within different parts of the installation or between the installed
textile floor covering and the initially presented reference sample of the manufacturer on which the
choice for ordering was made.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a wa
...