EN ISO 11642:2025

Leather - Tests for colour fastness - Colour fastness to water (ISO 11642:2025)

This document specifies a method for determining the colour fastness to water of leather of all kinds at all stages of processing.

Leder - Farbechtheitsprüfungen - Farbechtheit gegenüber Wasser (ISO 11642:2025)

Cuir - Essais de solidité des coloris - Solidité des coloris à l'eau (ISO 11642:2025)

Le présent document spécifie une méthode permettant de déterminer la solidité des coloris à l’eau des cuirs de toutes catégories à toutes les phases du traitement.

Usnje - Preskušanje obstojnosti barve - Obstojnost barve proti vodi (ISO 11642:2025)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 16-Dec-2025
• ICS: 59.140.30 - Leather and furs
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 289 - Leather
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 289/WG 3 - Fastness test methods
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 17-Dec-2025
• Completion Date: 17-Dec-2025
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO 11642:2026 - Leather - Tests for colour fastness - Colour fastness to water (ISO 11642:2025)

Relations

• Replaces: EN ISO 11642:2012 - Leather - Tests for colour fastness - Colour fastness to water (ISO 11642:2012)
• Effective Date: 24-Apr-2024

Overview

The EN ISO 11642:2025 standard, titled Leather - Tests for colour fastness - Colour fastness to water (ISO 11642:2025), establishes a uniform method to evaluate how leather products resist color changes and staining when exposed to water. Published by CEN in collaboration with ISO and IULTCS, this standard applies to leather of all types and at every stage of processing, ensuring reliable and consistent assessment essential for quality control in the leather industry.

This standard specifies test procedures, apparatus, and evaluation criteria designed to measure the color fastness to water-one of the critical properties influencing the durability and aesthetic quality of leather products.

Key Topics

• Scope and Application
  EN ISO 11642:2025 covers testing leather’s resistance to color change and staining caused by exposure to water. It applies to all types of leather and stages of production, including raw, finished, and processed leather.

• Test Principle
  The test involves soaking a leather sample and adjacent fabric in demineralized water, assembling a composite test piece under controlled pressure, and incubating it at a set temperature. After drying, changes in color and staining are assessed visually or instrumentally according to standardized grey scales.

• Testing Apparatus and Materials
  The method requires specific apparatus including a stainless steel frame with a calibrated weight to apply consistent pressure, glass or acrylic plates, ovens, vacuum desiccators, and precise grey scales for color evaluation. Demineralized water compliant with ISO 3696 is used to ensure test consistency.

• Preparation of Samples
  Samples can be tested with the leather finish intact or deliberately broken to simulate abrasion effects. Adjacent fabrics representing various fiber types are used to assess staining. The method includes guidelines for specimen size and preparation to achieve reproducible results.

• Evaluation and Reporting
  The standard uses internationally recognized grey scales to assess color change and staining intensity. Both visual and instrumental assessments are accepted, improving objectivity and precision in evaluation. The results provide a basis for quality control and product development decisions.

Applications

EN ISO 11642:2025 is essential for manufacturers, laboratories, and quality assurance professionals involved in leather production and product testing. Practical applications include:

• Quality Control in Leather Manufacturing
  Ensuring finished and semi-finished leather meets water resistance requirements affecting consumer satisfaction and product longevity.

• Product Development and R&D
  Testing new tanning, dyeing, or finishing processes to improve water fastness while maintaining desirable leather aesthetics.

• Performance Verification for Industrial and Commercial Uses
  Leather components used in upholstery, footwear, automotive interiors, and fashion accessories benefit from verified water fastness to prevent color degradation in normal use.

• Regulatory and Compliance Testing
  Providing standardized, reproducible data that can support adherence to national and international product specifications and trade regulations.

Related Standards

EN ISO 11642:2025 references and complements several important standards which enhance test accuracy and comparability:

• ISO 7906 – Leather - Tests for colour fastness - General principles of testing
• ISO 2418 – Leather - Position and preparation of specimens for testing
• ISO 105 Series – Textiles - Tests for colour fastness (including sub-parts A02, A03, A04, A05, F01-F10 related to grey scale ratings and fabric specifications)
• ISO 3696 – Water for analytical laboratory use - Specification and test methods

Together, these standards form a comprehensive framework used worldwide to ensure leather products are assessed with precision and reliability for colour fastness to water, supporting industry best practices and consumer confidence.

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This standard is a critical tool for professionals engaged in leather testing and production, enabling consistent evaluation of water-induced color changes to uphold high product quality and enhance market competitiveness.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN ISO 11642:2024
01-december-2024
Usnje - Preskušanje obstojnosti barve - Obstojnost barve proti vodi (ISO/DIS
11642:2024)
Leather - Tests for colour fastness - Colour fastness to water (ISO/DIS 11642:2024)
Leder- Farbechtheitsprüfungen- Farbechtheit gegenüber Wasser (ISO/DIS 11642:2024)
Cuir - Essais de solidité des coloris - Solidité des coloris à l'eau (ISO/DIS 11642:2024)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN ISO 11642
ICS:
59.140.30 Usnje in krzno Leather and furs
oSIST prEN ISO 11642:2024 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

oSIST prEN ISO 11642:2024
oSIST prEN ISO 11642:2024
DRAFT
International
Standard
ISO/DIS 11642
IULTCS
IUF 421
IULTCS
Leather — Tests for colour fastness
Secretariat: ISO
— Colour fastness to water
Voting begins on:
Cuir — Essais de solidité des coloris — Solidité des coloris à l'eau
2024-09-23
ICS: 59.140.30
Voting terminates on:
2024-12-16
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENTS AND APPROVAL. IT
IS THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
AND MAY NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD UNTIL
PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
ISO/CEN PARALLEL PROCESSING
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
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.
Reference numbers
ISO/DIS 11642:2024(en)
IULTCS/IUF 421:2024(en)
oSIST prEN ISO 11642:2024
DRAFT
ISO/DIS 11642:2024(en)
International
Standard
ISO/DIS 11642
IULTCS
IUF 421
IULTCS
Leather — Tests for colour fastness
Secretariat: ISO
— Colour fastness to water
Voting begins on:
Cuir — Essais de solidité des coloris — Solidité des coloris à l'eau
ICS: 59.140.30
Voting terminates on:
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENTS AND APPROVAL. IT
IS THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
AND MAY NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD UNTIL
PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
© ISO 2024
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
ISO/CEN PARALLEL PROCESSING
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO copyright office
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
Phone: [phone]
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Reference numbers
Published in Switzerland ISO/DIS 11642:2024(en)
IULTCS/IUF 421:2024(en)
ii
oSIST prEN ISO 11642:2024
ISO/DIS 11642:2024(en)
IULTCS/IUF 421:2024(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 2
5 Apparatus and materials . 2
6 Test pieces . 3
7 Procedure . 3
8 Evaluation . 4
9 Precision . 4
10 Test report . 4
Annex A (informative) Commercial sources for apparatus and materials . 5

iii
oSIST prEN ISO 11642:2024
ISO/DIS 11642:2024(en)
IULTCS/IUF 421:2024(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
IULTCS, originally formed in 1897, is a world-wide organization of professional leather societies to further
the advancement of leather science and technology. IULTCS has three Commissions, which are responsible
for establishing international methods for the sampling and testing of leather. ISO recognizes IULTCS as an
international standardizing body for the preparation of test methods for leather.
This document was prepared by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee
CEN/TC 289, Leather, in collaboration with the Fastness Tests Commission of the International Union of
Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IUF Commission, IULTCS), in accordance with the Agreement
on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 11642:2012), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— Update of normative references, in particular to ISO 2418 and to ISO 7906.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
oSIST prEN ISO 11642:2024
ISO/DIS 11642:2024(en)
DRAFT International Standard
IULTCS/IUF 421:2024(en)
Leather — Tests for colour fastness — Colour fastness to water
1 Scope
This document specifies a method for determining the colour fastness to water of leather of all kinds at all
stages of processing.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 7906, Leather — Tests for colour fastness — General principles of testing
ISO 105-A02, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part A02: Grey scale for assessi
...