Abstract: Structural coloration is the production of color by micro-nano structured surfaces fine enough to interfere with visible light. It has attracted great attention worldwide and become a promising coloring technology for textile industry owing to its high brightness, fadeless, and pollution-free characteristics.

The paper introduces the relevant mechanisms of structural coloration, and summarizes the latest techniques related to structural coloration of textiles, including single-layer or multi-layer films and three-dimensional micro-nano photonic structures. In the end, the paper looks forward to the preparation technologies of structural colored fibers and fabrics.

Key words: structural coloration; photonic crystal; structural colored fibers; structural colored fabrics