As you may or may not know, a rub test gauges the degree of abrasion or scuff that package handling, shipping, or perhaps storage can cause.

Labels such as those placed on medications and pharmaceutical products must not only be clear and legible, but also need to stand the test of the time. Rub testing for print is crucial on products such as these, as people have come to depend upon the reliable, rub-resistant printing.

The Sutherland rub test procedure, utilizing the SUTHERLAND® 2000™ Rub Tester, is the process that continues to set the industry standard for testing abrasion resistance, and has for the past 60 years.

This article will briefly discuss the Sutherland rub test procedure, and why we believe it’s the best way to check the ink and color hold of labels, fabrics, and more.

How the Sutherland Rub Test Procedure Works

To test labels, a rub test machine such as the SUTHERLAND® 2000™ Rub Tester places one label into the machine while a second label is attached to a weight. The labels are then rubbed together at an optimized speed for a predetermined time period, and afterward the shipper or tester can check the labels to assess the abrasion resistance.

For fabrics and textiles, a rub test can show how well a certain garment or fabric will hold color in the face of abrasion or wear. As you can understand, this is a necessary test for most any textile or garment.

A garment’s fastness to rubbing will also determine how easily a fabric will stain. In this case, the fabric being tested can be either wet or dry.

To conduct the fabric color and stain tests, you will need a piece of the fabric in question as well as a test cloth. White is typically the preferred color for test cloths. The test cloth is placed on the grated side of the rub tester, and the colored fabric is rapidly rubbed against the white test cloth to determine how easily color bleeds off.

Lastly, the person operating as the Sutherland rub tester who is conducting the test will use the grey scale to gauge how drastically the color changed on the test cloth.

The Sutherland rub test procedure has been honed over time and developed by experts with decades of experience in rub testing for print and textile color testing.

While there may be other methods to determine the hold and last of ink or garment dye, we believe that Sutherland rub test procedure is the most effective way to conduct these tests and determine the quality of color or ink print.

Trust Sutherland for All Your Label Testing Needs

If you are testing the quality of your shipping labels or rub testing for ink, we strongly suggest that you use the SUTHERLAND® 2000™   rub test procedure, as decades of experience have taught us the best ways to ensure that your packing labels are intact and immaculate upon arrival.

Continue to trust all your rub testing to Danilee for your print and shipping labels. Contact us for a quote to learn more.