YKK Zip Colour Card – How to Specify an Exact Colour

What the YKK zip colour card is

The YKK zip colour card (Global Color Card) is a catalogue of real zip tape samples, each marked with a standard number – for example 580 is black. In its specifications YKK states the tape colour precisely by this card, and when the required shade is missing it offers dyeing to a sample (dye-to-match, DTM). The card shows the actual material with its texture and sheen, which makes it a key tool for designers, technologists and buyers. Polkom offers original YKK zips and helps customers work with the YKK colour system.

What is specified by colour and what by finish

Why colour is specified by number

A description such as “navy” or “sand” means different things to different people, and on-screen colours depend on the monitor. YKK also warns that photos and printed materials do not accurately reproduce the real colour. The card number solves the problem:

• accuracy – the supplier knows exactly which shade you mean;
• repeatability – on a repeat order of the same model the colour is reproduced without new samples;
• easy communication – the number goes into the tech pack and is passed between design, production and purchasing.

How many colours there are

YKK does not publish a total number of colours on the card, and the range differs by line and size. As a guide: for water-repellent AquaGuard® with transparent film YKK states 234 colours, and for the version with matt coloured film 39. With the recycled NATULON® line, the chain colour may differ slightly from the standard colours because of the recycled materials. That is why, with every enquiry, we check whether the chosen number is available for the specific model.

Tape colour across different lines

Different tapes take up dye in different ways. The cotton, satin and grosgrain tapes of metal zips have their own texture, and the knitted tapes of invisible zips look softer than woven ones. So the same number can look slightly different depending on the tape type – for a critical colour, approve a sample of the specific model, not just the card.

How to use the card correctly

• compare the sample with the fabric in daylight or under standardised lighting;
• place the sample on the fabric, not next to it;
• be especially demanding with CONCEAL® invisible zips – the tape sits in the seam itself;
• if you are torn between two numbers, the darker one is usually less noticeable;
• record the number together with the line, size and finish in the tech pack.

Example colour specification

Colour approval process

• Selection – the designer chooses a number from the card or submits a fabric sample;
• Check – we confirm whether the number is available for the line, size and type;
• Sample – for a new colour or DTM you approve a zip sample before the series;
• Record – the number, line and finish are entered in the tech pack;
• Repeat – the next order is placed by the same number without new samples.

This routine saves time every new season, especially for basic styles that are repeated for years. When you have several elements in one colour – for example zips, ribbons and labels – the card number helps you keep them in the same tone.

For brands with many styles in the same base colour – black, navy or beige – it is useful to define one “core” card number for all products. This way the zip matches across the entire collection and purchasing is simplified.

If you do not have a colour card

Send us a physical fabric sample – a piece of a few centimetres – and we will select the closest standard colour or request dyeing to the sample. If needed, we provide a zip sample for approval before the bulk order. See also YKK metal zips for choosing a finish and the YKK zips section for all lines. For samples and questions, contact us via Contacts.