Investigation of the effects of colour on the user's fabric handle perception and warm/cool feeling

Abstract

Colour has been an indispensable element for humanity from past to present. Colour, which in the past was used only to add visual appeal and to differentiate from others, is now also used for various functional purposes (such as textiles that change colour with heat). The aim of this study is to investigate whether the fabric colour has an effect on the handle perception and warm/cool feeling of the user. Studies have shown that, in subjective evaluations, fabrics with warm colours (yellow, red and orange) cause softer and warmer feeling than those with cool colours (blue, green and purple). In fact, considering that there is no statistically significant difference between the handle and temperature values determined by objective test methods, it can be said that this perception may arise from the psychological effect of colour. All these results reveal that colour, beyond adding visual appreciation to the fabric, also has an effect on handle perception and warm/cool feeling, which play an important role in the purchasing process for customers.