How to Prevent Color Variation in Melamine Tableware

Start with a matched set. Consider a restaurant chain reordering sage-green plates and bowls. The new bowls look warmer than the original plates under the restaurant’s lighting, even though the order lists the same color code. At Dongxin, we recommend approving the full set together before production and checking the reorder against retained samples.

Approve a physical color master. When ordering custom-color melamine moulding compound, send a Pantone or RAL reference and, if available, an existing part. Approve a moulded sample in the target finish and keep a reference on both sides. This is especially useful when matching a brand color across retail sets or replacement orders.

Control the material lot. Keep the approved melamine moulding compound for plates and bowls grade and color formulation on the purchase specification. Where practical, use one qualified powder lot for each matched production run and record which lot went into each batch of finished parts. When a new lot arrives, trial-mould a sample before releasing it.

Check the moulding and finish. Compare parts from the same powder lot before changing the color formulation. Review preheating, actual mould temperature and cure time by shape, and check whether gloss differences are changing how the shade looks. For glazed A5 tableware, trial LG220 melamine glazing powder with the approved base compound and assess the finished part.

Inspect under agreed lighting. Compare cooled parts with the approved samples under D65 simulated daylight and, when relevant, under lighting representative of the restaurant or store. For instrument checks, agree on the ΔE formula and limit, measurement locations and instrument settings. For mixed sets, also check plates, bowls and pieces made from colored melamine compound for cutlery together.

Set the rules for reorders. Put the master sample ID, material grade, finish and acceptance criteria on the purchase order. Recheck finished samples at start-up and after powder lot changes. For a new project, send Dongxin your color reference, target finish and list of shapes so we can recommend a compound and plan the trial before bulk production.