Verified from FlooringFX archives and carton-end notes only · no invented SKUs · last updated 2026-10-28
A dye lot (also called a batch, run, or shade code) is a production-run mark printed on many flooring carton ends. It tracks color consistency within one manufacturing window. Leftover boxes with the same brand strip and model string can still look slightly different if the dye lots diverge. This page explains how lot fields relate to a visual match, when thickness / wear / locking still block a match even if lots agree, and how to write lot notes on a FlooringFX Match listing. Model strings stay plain text. No invented SKUs.
Related: carton-end label decoder · what to photograph on a carton · how to write a Match listing · shipping leftover boxes · how many boxes repairs need · thickness / wear layer · name collisions (Fresh Oak) · LifeProof Fresh Oak mil note · locking systems · leftover search channels · discontinued flooring index · Match board.
Have leftovers with a readable lot stamp — or need boxes and can share your installed dye lot? Post brand + model + lot on the Match board.
Free for a limited time · normally $10
Listing craft: how to write a Match listing · carton photos: what to photograph on a flooring carton · shipping 1–5 boxes: shipping leftover flooring boxes · repair quantity: how many leftover boxes most repairs need.
Photograph lot / batch marks. Before you buy, ship, or post leftovers, shoot the full carton end in daylight so the dye lot, batch, run, or shade stamp is readable in the same frame as brand strip, color name, model, thickness, and wear mil when printed. Field checklist: what to photograph on a flooring carton. Map the lot field with the carton-end label decoder. If the stamp is missing, say “lot not visible” and still attach the full-end photo — do not invent a code.
Honest limit: Matching dye lots improves the odds of a close visual blend. It does not override a different model string, wear mil, thickness (with pad), or locking profile. FlooringFX does not broker deals and does not guarantee a color match.
What a dye lot / batch code is
On many carton ends the label decoder maps a field labeled dye lot, lot, batch, run, or shade. The mark sits beside brand strip, color name, model string, thickness, and (on vinyl) wear-layer mil. FlooringFX leftover guides treat the lot as a color-consistency clue: boxes from one production run usually blend more evenly than boxes pulled from several unrelated purchases.
Same model, same lot
Best starting point for a repair plank. Still compare in daylight before installing a whole room.
Same model, different lots
Often usable if you mix boxes across the floor. Tone can shift enough to show as a patch if you drop one box into a finished field.
Lot missing on the label
Common on older or warehouse photos. Photograph the full carton end anyway; Match posters can still list brand + model + city.
Carton field map (lot in context)
BRAND ………. TrafficMaster · LifeProof · Harmonics
COLOR ………. Baytown Oak · Fresh Oak · Antique Hickory
MODEL ………. HL704 · I96711L · AH404S
THICKNESS …… mm (with or without pad)
WEAR / MIL ….. vinyl clear coat (when printed)
DYE LOT / RUN .. lot · batch · shade code
UPC / INTERNET . barcode or HD Internet #
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Full decoder with photograph checklist: Flooring carton-end label decoder.
Verified FlooringFX examples (why lots alone are not enough)
These rows reuse model strings already documented on FlooringFX. They show cases where people search by color words, then discover a second field that blocks a match.
| Pattern (public) | Verified model / mark | What still blocks a match | FlooringFX source |
|---|---|---|---|
| LifeProof Fresh Oak | I96711L (6 mil) vs I96711LP (22 mil) |
Same color name, two wear layers. A shared dye lot on the wrong mil line still will not match the other mil line in one continuous floor. | name collisions — Fresh Oak; LifeProof Fresh Oak mil callout; decoder; thickness / wear |
| Costco Harmonics Antique Hickory | AH404S |
Color phrase collides with Lowe’s Style Selections and older Pergo Traditional Living Antique Hickory. Brand strip + model decide; lot alone does not. | Costco / Harmonics; name collisions |
| TrafficMaster Baytown Oak | HL704 (pallet listing HL704-18) |
Laminate ID lives in the model string, not “oak.” Confirm thickness (~7 mm on FlooringFX notes) and locking style before mixing leftovers. | Baytown Oak specs; decoder Example D; index |
| TrafficMaster Dimensions African Chestnut | Uniclic; Match marks 8436004228287 / 281-454 |
Locking system is part of the public pattern name. A same-color leftover with a different click profile will not seat. Confirm codes on the carton end. | Match listing (closed); index |
When thickness, wear, or locking still win
- Wear mil collision. Fresh Oak’s 6 mil (
I96711L) and 22 mil (I96711LP) models share marketing words. Mixing them leaves a sheen and wear-rate seam even if lots look similar on paper. Soft pointer: name collisions — Fresh Oak · LifeProof Fresh Oak mil callout. - Overall thickness / pad. Rigid-core vinyl and laminate cartons list mm with or without attached underlayment. A taller plank will sit proud of the field.
- Locking profile. Uniclic, generic click, and glue-down are not interchangeable. Dimensions African Chestnut is documented on FlooringFX with an Uniclic callout; do not assume every “African Chestnut” leftover shares that profile.
- Name collisions across retailers. Antique Hickory and similar phrases appear under Costco Harmonics, Lowe’s Style Selections, and Pergo depleted rows. See the name collisions table before buying by color words alone.
How to compare leftovers before you buy or install
- Photograph the full carton end in daylight: brand, color, model, mil/thickness, and dye lot in one frame.
- Write the model string and lot as plain text (examples already on-site:
I96711L,AH404S,HL704). - Compare a sample plank to the installed floor in the same daylight, not under store LEDs alone.
- When the original install guide allows it, open several boxes and mix planks across the repair zone so small tone shifts spread out.
- If you are buying from several sellers, prefer one seller’s sealed lot over a patchwork of tiny purchases (FlooringFX leftover how-tos flag multi-lot shopping as a common miss).
Why Match listings should include lot photos
A readable dye-lot / batch / shade stamp lets a NEED or HAVE decide whether boxes from one production run can sit beside an installed field — without guessing from color words alone. FlooringFX Match craft treats the lot photo as part of the carton-end set, not an optional extra.
Listing craft
Write brand strip, model string, quantity, area, and lot (or “lot not visible”) as plain text, then attach the carton-end frame. Guide: how to write a Match listing.
Quantity context
Most FlooringFX repair threads move a small sealed carton count, not a whole-room pallet. Pair lot photos with an honest box count: how many leftover boxes most repairs need.
Shipping sealed cartons
Keep factory cartons sealed when you can ship 1–5 boxes. Photograph lot marks before tape covers the end label. Thread notes: shipping leftover flooring boxes.
Photo shoot list (lot / batch row included): what to photograph on a flooring carton. Field map: carton-end label decoder. Do not invent batch-code formats — copy only what is printed, or say the stamp is missing.
What to put on a Match listing
| Field | What to write | Photo tip |
|---|---|---|
| Brand strip | As printed (LifeProof, TrafficMaster, Harmonics, …) | Full carton end |
| Pattern / color | Marketing name + locking note if printed (e.g. Uniclic) | Color name line |
| Model / SKU | Plain text only — never invent | Close-up of model + mil |
| Dye lot | Lot / batch / shade if printed; else “lot not visible” | Lot stamp or full end |
| Quantity + area | Box count and city or ZIP | Optional stack photo |
Post on the Match form. Replies stay in listing comments; FlooringFX does not broker. Browse open and closed proof on the Match board success strip. Full craft checklist: how to write a Match listing. Shot list: photograph the carton.
Ready to match leftovers with dye lot confirmed? Post brand + model + lot photo — or browse open NEED / HAVE threads.
Free for a limited time · normally $10
Listing craft: how to write a Match listing · carton photos: what to photograph on a flooring carton · shipping 1–5 boxes: shipping leftover flooring boxes · repair quantity: how many leftover boxes most repairs need. Fresh Oak mil trap: name collisions — Fresh Oak · LifeProof callout.
More FlooringFX matching references
- What to photograph on a flooring carton
- How to write a Match listing
- Shipping leftover flooring boxes
- How many leftover boxes do most repairs need?
- Carton-end label decoder
- Name collisions — Fresh Oak
- Discontinued LifeProof colors (Fresh Oak mil)
- Locking systems and leftover discontinued flooring
- LifeProof vs TrafficMaster thickness / wear layer
- Where people look for leftover discontinued flooring
- Discontinued flooring index
Sources: FlooringFX carton-end label decoder (dye lot / batch / shade field; Fresh Oak I96711L vs I96711LP; Harmonics AH404S; Baytown Oak HL704); photograph-carton and Match listing craft guides; shipping leftover boxes; repair box-count how-to; LifeProof colors Fresh Oak mil callout; name collisions Fresh Oak anchor; thickness / wear table; locking systems; discontinued flooring index (Dimensions African Chestnut Uniclic Match marks). Eras and plant marks vary; photograph the panel in hand. No invented batch-code formats.