ISO/IEC 24711:2006

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 24711
First edition
2006-12-15


Method for the determination of ink
cartridge yield for colour inkjet printers
and multi-function devices that contain
printer components
Méthode pour la détermination du rendement de cartouche d'encre pour
les imprimantes couleur à jet d'encre et pour les dispositifs
multifonctionnels qui peuvent contenir des composants d'imprimantes




Reference number
ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
©
ISO/IEC 2006

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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions. 1
4 Test parameters and conditions . 3
4.1 Set-up. 3
4.2 Sample size . 4
4.3 Print mode . 4
4.4 Print environment . 5
4.5 Paper . 5
4.6 Maintenance . 5
4.7 Test files . 6
5 Test methodology. 6
5.1 Testing procedure. 6
5.2 Procedure for handling streaks. 7
5.3 Procedure for handling a defective cartridge, printhead or printer . 8
6 Determination of the declared yield value and declaration. 9
6.1 Yield of primary cartridges . 9
6.2 Yield of supplemental cartridges . 10
6.3 Test data reporting . 11
6.4 Declaration of the yield . 12
Annex A (informative) Examples of fade. 18
Annex B (informative) Examples of streaks . 19
Annex C (normative) Testing reporting form . 20
Annex D (informative) Process flowchart . 24
Annex E (informative) Method for comparison of inkjet performance to ISO/IEC 19752. 26

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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 24711 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 28, Office equipment.
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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
Introduction
The purpose of this International Standard is to provide a process for determining the ink cartridge yield for a
given colour inkjet printer model (i.e. integrated ink cartridges and ink cartridges without integrated printheads)
using a standard consumer type test suite. Ink cartridge yields determined on one printer model and cartridge
configuration are not applicable to another printer model or cartridge configuration even if the ink jet cartridges
used in testing are the same. This test page suite is not focused on printing of photographs, but is intended to
be a sampling typical business consumer pages.
This International Standard prescribes the following:
• The test method that manufacturers, test labs, etc. use to determine ink cartridge yield;
• The method for determination of declared yield values from the test results; and
• The appropriate method of describing the yield of cartridges in documentation supplied to the
consumer by the manufacturer.
The cartridge yield is determined by an end of life judgement, or signalled with either of two phenomena: fade,
caused by depletion of ink in the cartridge, or automatic printing stop, caused by an Ink Out detection function.
It is envisioned that one of the uses of this International Standard will be for the calculation of cost per page
(CPP). While this International Standard measures a portion of this cost, it is not used as the sole component
of CPP calculation. Additional factors are considered for CPP calculations.

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)

Method for the determination of ink cartridge yield for colour
inkjet printers and multi-function devices that contain printer
components
1 Scope
The scope of this International Standard is limited to evaluation of ink cartridge page yield for ink-containing
cartridges (i.e. integrated ink cartridges and ink cartridges without integrated print heads) for colour inkjet
printers. This International Standard can also be applied to the printer component of any multifunctional device
that has a digital input printing path, including multi-function devices that contain inkjet printer components.
Both liquid and solid ink products can be tested using this International Standard.
This International Standard is only intended for the measurement of ink cartridge page yield when printing on
plain paper. No other claims can be made from this testing regarding quality, reliability, etc.
This International Standard can be used to measure the yield of any cartridge that is used in a significant
amount during the printing of the test suite defined in ISO/IEC 24712.
This International Standard is not for use with printers whose minimum printable size is equal to or greater
than A3 or for printers designed or configured to print photos (for example, maximum printable size less than
A4 or a printer configuration intended for photo only printing). In addition, it only applies to drop on demand
printing systems.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 24712 Colour test pages for the measurement of office equipment consumable yield
ISO/IEC 19752, Information technology — Method for the determination of toner cartridge yield for
monochromatic electrophotgraphic printers and multi-function devices that contain printer components
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
fade
phenomenon in which a significant reduction in uniformity occurs due to ink depletion
NOTE 1 In this test, fade is defined by a significant increase in lightness, L*, or a decrease in density on the bands
surrounding the edge of the last page in the test page suite (Diagnostic Page). This decrease in density does not have to
occur completely across the page. This comparison is made using the second diagnostic test page generated during
testing (the 10th page printed). For examples of fade, please consult Annex A.
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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
NOTE 2 In some printer systems, fade can occur prematurely due to the way that ink is provided to the printing system.
If a printer exhibits fade, a five minute pause is allowed to provide for recovery of the ink delivery system and printing can
continue. If fade appears on the next suite, then the cartridge is judged at end of life and the additional diagnostic page
printed is not counted in the yield calculation. If fade does not appear on the next diagnostic page, then printing can
continue until the next fade or ink out is encountered and the additional diagnostic pages will be counted.
3.2
streaks
very thin lines of colour, other than intended in the bands surrounding the edge of the last page in the test
page suite (Diagnostic Page)
NOTE Streaks differ from fade in the width and severity of increase in lightness, L*, or reduction in density. Streaks
can appear due to a number of reasons, thermal issues and clogged nozzles being two of the main causes. If these
streaks occur in three consecutive diagnostic pages, then a streak removal operation is required. Comparisons are made
using the phenomena sample provided in Annex B
3.3
streak removal operation
procedure used to restore the print performance by removing streaks
NOTE If streaks are observed on three consecutive diagnostic pages, first the printer can be left idle for five minutes.
Then an additional three test suites are printed. If the streaks are still observed, then a streak removal operation is
conducted according to the latest printer manufacturer documentation. Due to the significant amount of ink that is used for
cleaning, the maximum permissible number of times that the streak removal operation can be used on a given cartridge is
prescribed in 5.2.1.2. All test page suites printed during this process will be included in the page count for determining the
yield.
3.4
print head alignment operation
function that aligns newly installed print heads
NOTE If it is mandatory according to the latest printer manufacturer documentation, this operation is performed
during testing. The pages used in the alignment procedure are not counted in the measurement of yield.
3.5
ink low
warning generated by the printing system when it has determined that the amount of ink is such that a
cartridge change may be required soon
NOTE It does not indicate that the system is out of ink.
3.6
ink out
signal generated by the printing system when the useable ink in the system is depleted and the printer stops
printing
3.7
end of life
a condition determined by one of two mechanisms:
⎯ fade as defined in 3.1, or
⎯ ink out as defined in 3.6.
NOTE For cartridges with more than one colour of ink in a single cartridge, end of life is defined when the first colour
within the cartridge exhibits fade or ink out. In the event that the printer can continue printing after ink out is reported, the
cartridge will still be considered at end of life.
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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
3.8
test page suite
series of five pages defined by ISO/IEC 24712 that are printed consecutively as a single job, ending with a
diagnostic page
3.9
individual cartridge yield
value determined by counting the number of diagnostic pages (last page of the test page suite) printed
between cartridge installation and end of life (as defined in 3.7) and multiplying by five
NOTE 1 If the printer stops due to ink out in the middle of a test page suite, the number of the diagnostic pages printed
is counted. Then, the first diagnostic page of the remaining print job is included in the subsequent cartridge yield.
NOTE 2 The number of test page suites counted may contain some pages that show visible fade. To simplify the
testing, determination of end of life is only made on the diagnostic page (last page of the test page suite).
3.10
declared cartridge yield
at or below the lower 90 % confidence bound of the mean as prescribed in section 6.1 and 6.3.
3.11
primary cartridge
cartridge containing full density black, cyan, magenta or yellow ink or a combination of full density cyan,
magenta and yellow
NOTE These colours represent the primary inks used in a traditional four-colour printing process.
3.12
supplemental cartridge
cartridge other than the full density cyan, magenta, yellow and black cartridges
NOTE The determination of yield for a supplemental cartridge is made according to 6.2.
4 Test parameters and conditions
4.1 Set-up
Place the printer on a horizontal surface and set-up the printer according to the installation guide provided in
the printer user’s manual. Use the most recent printer driver available from the manufacturer's website or the
supplied driver with the printer. The driver version will be specified on the test report. Cartridge installation
shall be completed following the instructions in the cartridge installation guide. If there is a contradiction
between the printer and cartridge manuals for the cartridge installation, the cartridge manual will take
precedence except if changes are recommended for printer or driver settings.
At the start of the test, all printers shall be set-up using a set of priming cartridges to insure that the ink used in
testing is primarily for printing, not for initial priming/cleaning. After the printer is set-up according to the
manufacturers instructions, the priming cartridges shall be used to print a minimum of 25 pages, 5 cycles of
the standard test page suite. The priming cartridges shall be removed and replaced with new cartridges that
will be used for testing yield.  The pages printed during this step are not counted towards yield. Even if
required by the printer, print head alignment does not have to be performed on the priming cartridges. The
number of pages used in the priming operation will be included in the test report. The replacement of the
priming cartridges with the first test cartridges may be done all at once or staggered individually. If done all at
once, all test cartridges begin with test suite number 1 and continue until end of life. If the staggered start
method is used, the test suite number must be tracked separately for each cartridge. The test start method
will be included in the test report.
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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
All image and print quality modifiers shall be at their factory pre-set configuration for the printer and default-
installed condition for the driver. If auto media detection is available on the printer, it shall be disabled and
media-type set to plain paper. This is to avoid inaccurate sensing of the media. If the printer and driver
settings differ, then the driver defaults shall be used. Any user selectable ink conservation modes, (e.g. draft)
shall be disabled during testing.
To assure that the test page suite is printed correctly, any page size modifiers such as Fit to Page and font
substitution shall be turned off. The files shall be printed using the fonts embedded in the file and shall be
printed on the page in a size corresponding to the dimensions in the test suite standard (ISO/IEC 24712).
Page placement modifiers such as page centering can be used to place the image properly on the page.
To facilitate automated testing, the test suite may be pre-generated using the printer driver. This is often
accomplished using a print to file command. This method is only valid if it does not affect the measured yield.
If a pre-generated file is used, it shall be noted on the test report.
NOTE The application software (for example, PDF Reader©), printer driver and printer may have page size modifier
functions, such as Fit to Page. Make sure that all of these functions are disabled.
4.2 Sample size
Inkjet cartridges are designed in two common styles, single colour and multi-colour. The sample size shall be
determined such that for each calculated yield value, a minimum of three physical cartridges are tested in
each of three printers. In the case of a typical four colour printer with four single primary colour cartridges this
would result in 36 cartridges being tested, 9 Black (K), 9 Cyan (C), 9 Magenta (M) and 9 Yellow (Y). For a
typical multi-colour cartridge system where one cartridge contains C, M and Y and another cartridge contains
K, the testing would use 18 total cartridges, 9 Black and 9 CMY.
In some printer configurations, supplemental cartridges may be installed. Please see the procedure in section
5.4 for details on the treatment of supplemental cartridges
When testing additional engines and cartridges above the minimum, an effort shall be made to test an equal
number of cartridges on each engine. For example, if an additional engine were to be tested then the
minimum number of cartridges to be tested would be 48 (3 cartridges X 4 colours X 4 printers) for a four-
cartridge system.
When testing cartridges for a commercially available product, it is recommended that cartridges and printers
be procured from various sources, or sampled from different production lots. The printers and cartridges must
be within their useful life as stated in their user’s manual.
NOTE It is recommended that additional engines and/or cartridges be used in testing.
4.3 Print mode
For reporting cartridge yield, the test will be run in semi-continuous simplex printing and set in the driver
default print mode at or near rated print speed.  Each copy of the test suite shall be printed as a separate five
page print job. This allows for some intra-job servicing and calibration to take place. Additional pauses can
take place due to paper refills and idle time due to end of work days.
NOTE This does not mean that the printer must stop between printed jobs.
Colour inkjet printers commonly need to service the printing system after a number of prints, or when the
device has been powered down or not used for a given amount of time. This servicing uses ink that could
have been used to print additional pages. It is realized that customers do not normally print in a continuous
fashion, but these changes are made to decrease testing time and increase the repeatability of the testing
process.
NOTE Depending on use conditions, the yield experienced by a given user may vary significantly from the yield
measured by this test method.
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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
4.4 Print environment
The temperature can have a profound effect on test results. For this reason, the test must be carried out
according to the following test conditions:
Temperature: Testing room average 23.0ºC ± 2ºC
Readings to be made with a running average of 1 hour with readings recorded at
least every 15 minutes, all running average temperatures are to be between
20.0°C and 26.0°C.
Example: An example of the calculation of the temperature is shown below for temperature
readings taken on 15-minute intervals for the testing of one cartridge.
Testing Room
t t t t t t t t t t t t Average
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Temperature t 24.0 23.4 20.5 24.2 23.6 22.0 25.5 24.7 22.1 20.8 22.0 23.5 23.0
i
Running Average T N/A N/A N/A 23.0 22.9 22.6 23.8 24.0 23.6 23.3 22.4 22.1
i
Table 1 — Running temperature calculation example
Running Average T = (t +t +t +t )/4
i i-3 i-2 i-1 i
Testing Room Average = (t +t + … +t )/12
1 2 12
From this the testing room average would be 23.0°C, the maximum running average
reading 24.0°C and the minimum running average reading 22.1°C. These values can
be found highlighted in the table of temperature measurements. It shall be noted that
the testing room average for temperature are averages of all measurements, not the
running averages.
Environmental conditions shall be included in the test report. The maximum and minimum running averages
for temperature shall be reported for each cartridge tested. Please see Annex C for a sample reporting form.
All materials shall be temperature acclimated to the test room environment. Prior to testing, the printer, paper
and cartridges shall be acclimated to the above conditions. Before acclimation, packaging and shipping
materials shall be opened with care to prevent damage to the cartridges during acclimation. Paper may be
acclimated in the ream wrapper.
Any water condensation must be avoided when printer, paper and cartridges are carried in the test
environment
4.5 Paper
The paper used in this test shall represent a common medium weight paper and must conform to the printer’s
list of approved papers. The paper manufacturer, weight and size, A4 or equivalent, used in the test will be
noted on the report. If auto media detection is available on the printer, it shall be disabled and the media type
set to plain paper. The auto-detect process can have a significant effect of the yield performance. .
4.6 Maintenance
Printer maintenance shall be performed per the printer and cartridge user’s manual.
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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
4.7 Test files
The test files are outlined and specified in ISO/IEC 24712. The test must be conducted using the most recent
official electronic test files as the input. The most recent official file can be located at
(http://www.iso.org/jtc1/sc28). Failure to use the exact file specifications will invalidate test results. In addition
to the test files a publicly available PDF Reader will be used in conjunction with the printer driver to generate
the printer input and send the files directly to the printer. The method used for connection between the host
computer and the printer shall be recorded on the test report. For automated testing, a pre-generated print file
can be used if the results are equivalent to direct printing methods. This will be recorded on the test report.
The version of the test file, the printer driver version and the PDF Reader version will be included in the test
report. Before starting the test, a sample file set shall be printed to check the image and assure the proper
size. The proper size for each of the pages in the test suite is specified in ISO/IEC 24712.
Note: There are often several PDF reader versions available; each version can have an impact on the yield results. It is
recommended that the latest version of the chosen PDF reader be used for testing.
To reduce test variability due to other programs, it is recommended that test file generation be conducted on a
printer with a “clean” install of the operating system with only the printer driver, PDF reader and any test
control software installed. Testing has shown that old installed drivers from the same or different printers can
affect the yield results.
Note: To aid in counting and tracking pages, a header or footer can be added to the test page suite. Every attempt shall
be made to reduce the size of this addition to minimize the effect on calculated yield. If this information is included
in the test suite, it shall be documented in the test report.
The host computer environment such as Operating System (OS), RAM size, CPU type and application software
may affect the yield test results, the computer environment recommended by the printer's user manual shall be
used for the test. All of this information will be recorded on the test report.
5 Test methodology
5.1 Testing procedure
5.1.1 Preparation
1) Install at least three printers following the user’s manual.
2) Install a priming cartridge for each colour into the printers.
3) Using each priming cartridge, print at least 5 complete test page suites.
4) Remove each priming cartridge.
5.1.2 Installation of test cartridges
1) Remove all packaging material from a new complete set of cartridges to be tested and install these
cartridges by following the cartridge installation guide. Weigh each cartridge individually to within
0.01g and record the weight.
NOTE: If there is a contradiction between the printer and cartridge manuals for the cartridge installation, the
cartridge manual will take precedence except if changes are recommended for printer or driver
settings.
NOTE: In the case that the printing system does not use supplemental cartridges, weighing of the cartridges
is not mandatory.
2) If the printer has a mandatory print head alignment operation, it will be conducted according to the
printer manual.
NOTE:  These pages are not to be counted in the measured yield.
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ISO/IEC 24711:2006(E)
5.1.3 Testing
1) Begin test and start tracking the number of test page suites printed on each test cartridge.
NOTE: When the 10th page (second full test suite) is printed for the first set of cartridges, save page for use
as the fade reference.
2) When End of Life is reached on any cartridge, execute the End of cartridge life procedure according to
the section 5.1.4.
NOTE: The end of cartridge life shall be determined as prescribed in section 3.7.
5.1.4 End of cartridge life procedure
1) Record Individual Cartridge Yield of the depleted cartridge as described in section 3.9.
2) Remove the depleted cartridge, weigh and record the final weight. Replace depleted cartridge with
new cartridge that has had i
...