material changes a tartan?

[fluter]

That makes some sense with that first example... but when I saw the GREY pattern with heavy green - I was like, HUH?

Let us not forget: you are looking at a computer screen, not at fabric. So, you've been given good advice: get some fabric to inspect.

The effect you observed on your computer screen may even have to do with the way(s) the samples were scanned for the Web site, and the qualities of the different yarns in some particular kind of light. We don't know, and we can't know. I have certainly seen black fabric that looks green in certain situations (old jackets, for instance).

Variations like this come with the tartan territory! For instance would you say these samples were the same sett? (Click to enlarge.)




In tartan terms, they are the same. Here we have not a composite but a single photo, under "color corrected" lighting, but there may still be variations according to fabric composition (wool, polyester/wool, polyester/rayon, and polyester/unknown). You may take the photographer's word that the effect is similar to visual inspection; but if I were you, I'd order swatches before choosing one of them.

[Smayniac]

The effect you observed on your computer screen may even have to do with the way(s) the samples were scanned for the Web site, and the qualities of the different yarns in some particular kind of light. We don't know, and we can't know. I have certainly seen black fabric that looks green in certain situations (old jackets, for instance).

Scooby's mom used to make formal wear for an opera company. She discovered that in the early twentieth century, with the introduction of incandescent light, many makers went to midnight blue for formal jackets because it still appeared black under artificial lighting conditions.

Bob