You may find that the actual colour of a piece of tartan fabric differs from what you expect, compared to what you've seen on a computer display; or compared to the 'same' tartan from a different weaving mill; or even compared to a previous piece from the same source. This is not uncommon and is becoming consistently a marketing approach for the weavers who want to build loyalty to ?their shades? of colors in the tartans.

Tartans are made up of two main ingredients namely the sett [a number of threads crossed by a number of threads that make up the actual design] and the colors. The sett is the foundation of the tartan and this is what controls the tartan after its design is completed and registered with the Tartan Authority. It is this registered sett that the weavers must adhere to in order that the authenticity of the tartan remains constant, regardless of which reputable weaver actually weaves the cloth. Without this commitment to maintaining the designs as they?ve been registered, eventually we could see several clearly different tartans that are supposed to be the same but have drifted from the standard because of someone?s personal interpretation.

Even today, just as with any textile manufacturer such as carpet, one batch might not quite match another exactly, but with technology finding its way into the weavers? looms, the consistency we experience from our weavers is extremely good. However, when viewing ?actual? samples on your computer screen, well these can never display reliably... just look at a range of television sets in the shop side by side, and see how the colours vary!

So the only advice we can give is that if you are making a major purchase such as a kilt and you are concerned with exactly what the colours will be, please order a fabric swatch from us in advance. We do not charge for these sample swatches.