D01.56 - Printing Inks

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This test method is the procedure of choice for determining volatile content of sheet-fed and coldset web offset inks. This information is useful to the ink manufacturer and user and to environmental interests as part of the determination of the mass of volatile organic compounds emitted from the ink.
Note 3: Since these inks do not contain water or any materials currently classified by US EPA as negligibly photochemically reactive (exempt solvents), volatile organic compound content is the same as volatile content. The volatile organic compounds in these inks are high boiling hydrocarbon oils which are, according to US EPA guidelines, 95 % retained in the printed substrate or oxidized into the ink film. Therefore, the mass of volatile organic compound emitted from the ink would be calculated as only 5 % of the volatile organic compound content of the ink as derived from the results of this test method.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for determination of the weight percent volatile content of sheet-fed and coldset web offset printing inks. Test specimens are heated at 110 °C ± 1 °C for 60 min.
Note 1: Coldset web offset printing is often (also) referred to as non-heatset web offset printing.  
1.2 This test method is also applicable to sheet-fed and coldset web offset printing ink vehicles.
Note 2: Vehicle is the liquid portion of the printing ink. Any substance that is dissolved in the liquid portion of the ink is a part of the vehicle.  
1.3 This test method is not applicable to ultra-violet (UV) or electron beam cured materials, which must be cured by exposure to UV light or an electron beam as part of the test for volatile content.  
1.4 This test method is based on Test Method D2369, in which the allowable ranges are ±0.1 g for specimen weight and ±5 °C for oven temperature. Interlaboratory studies have shown that specimen weight and oven temperature must both be more tightly controlled in order to improve the precision of test results for sheet-fed and coldset web-offset inks. Such inks typically contain a wide range of high-boiling hydrocarbons and often have a volatile content below 25 %.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For a specific hazard statement see 7.5.1  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 When formulating printing inks and overprint varnishes that dry primarily by oxidation it is important to know the stay open time so that premature drying does not occur on the printing press rollers and other components.  
3.2 The applied ink or OPV film used for testing is thicker than the film printed on the substrate and nominally represents the film on the printing press rollers.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers a manual procedure for determining the stay open time of oxidative drying printing inks and overprint varnishes by a finger transfer method. Open is defined as a wet ink/varnish film.  
1.2 The amount of time required to reach the endpoint is recorded in hours.  
1.3 Typical inks and overprint varnishes that dry by oxidation are oil based sheetfed offset, letterpress, and screen inks.  
1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, to ensure conformance with the standard, each system shall be used independently of the other, and values from the two systems shall not be combined.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Tinting strength is an essential property of printing ink dispersions. Although test results on wet drawdowns and tints do not guarantee equivalency of dry printed ink films, they provide useful parameters for quality assurance of established formulations, gaging relative degree of dispersion, and estimating the color value of colorants from different batches, sources, or grades.
SCOPE
1.1 These test methods cover procedures for determining the relative tinting strength of paste-type printing ink dispersions by visual or instrumental evaluation of tints prepared by manual or automated mixing.  
1.2 These test methods are applicable to paste-type printing inks, flushed pigments, and other pigment dispersions that are essentially nonvolatile under ordinary room conditions and for which there is a wet reference standard of the same pigmentation and consistency. With proper choice of tinting base, they are applicable to dispersions of any color, including black and white.  
Note 1: The instrumental procedures for tinting strength are similar in principle to those described in Test Methods D387, D2745, D4838, and D6531.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Nonvolatile content of printing inks is useful for specification acceptance between the producer and the user.  
4.2 In order to obtain accurate results for heatset systems within the specified 3-h heating time, the specimen film thickness must be less than 100 g/m2, and the oven must have forced ventilation. Thickness of the specimen film is less critical for liquid ink systems.
SCOPE
1.1 These test methods cover the determination of weight content of nonvolatile matter in two types of printing inks.  
1.2 Test Method A is applicable to heatset-type printing inks and resin solutions; solvents in such systems typically have initial boiling points in the range from 240 to 275°C (470 to 535°F) and vapor pressures less than 0.2 mm Hg.  
1.3 Test Method B is applicable to liquid-type printing inks and vehicles based on aqueous or organic solvents that evaporate readily at ordinary room temperatures.
Note 1: Test Method A (for heatset systems) specifies a specimen film thickness that is much thinner than those produced by related test methods; one exception is Test Method B in Test Methods D1259, which is recommended as a referee test.
Note 2: Test Method B (for liquid ink systems) is similar to Test Method D2369 except that a solvent is not required for spreading the test specimen.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method is used as a manufacturing or laboratory process control tool by providing a visual comparison of the ability to resist solvent break-through against an established control. The test method is designed to indicate a potential problem caused by an undercured condition but does not identify what caused the condition.  
5.2 This test method does not duplicate the conditions on a printing press but does provide a means to determine whether the test sample meets specifications as agreed upon between supplier and customer.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes the procedure for evaluating the relative cure of printed energy-cured (ultraviolet or electron beam) ink or coating by a mechanical solvent rub test using a motorized Crockmeter.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to laboratory and production prints on any flat substrate that is no thicker than 3 mm (0.125 in.), durable enough to withstand the test conditions, and for which a control (reference) sample is available.  
1.3 This test method applies to comparisons between energy-cured inks and coatings of the same chemistry and film weight and should not be used to compare different ink or coating chemistries or various applied film weights without first establishing process performance.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Oversize particles in a printing ink may damage a printing plate, plug a cell, clog a nozzle and adversely affect the appearance of printed ink films. Fineness of grind measurements are useful for deciding when to stop the dispersion process and for determining if the test material meets specifications as agreed upon between the supplier and the customer.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes the procedure for determining the fineness of grind of printing inks using a NPIRI Grindometer. It evaluates the size of the largest particles in a finished dispersion but not average particle size or concentration of sizes.  
1.2 This test method covers both manual and automatic drawdowns using an A1 scraper.  
1.3 This test method is applicable to any dispersion that is fine enough to fall within the 0 to 25 μm range of the specified grind gauge. With a minor variation in procedure, it is applicable to both paste (nonvolatile) and liquid (volatile) inks.  
Note 1: The 0 to 25 μm gauge specified in this test method is similar in principle to the 0 to 100 μm Hegman gauge described in Test Method D1210 and the various gauges described in ISO 1524:2000. Sieve analysis for concentration of particles above 45 μm is covered in Test Method D2067.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 The lithographic printing process requires that some dampening solution be emulsified into the ink. These test methods provide a rapid means for determining water pickup under laboratory conditions. Test results may be useful for specification acceptance between the supplier and the customer.  
3.2 In order that results be comparable, the tests must be run at the same temperature and with the same type and quantity of liquid added prior to mixing.  
3.3 The emulsions obtained in these test methods are of larger particle size than those typically produced in printing nips. Because of these and other variables in the printing process, water pickup results do not by themselves predict lithographic printing performance.
SCOPE
1.1 These test methods cover two procedures for determining the amount of water picked up by lithographic printing inks in a laboratory mixer.  
1.2 Test Method A covers single-point water pickup; Test Method B covers the rate of water pickup. Both test methods are applicable to any printing ink and vehicle intended for the lithographic printing process.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Laboratory proofing of inks is necessary to establish a reproducible prediction of print appearance and performance properties, most of which are highly sensitive to ink film thickness. The apparatus described in this practice has found wide use for routine control proofing because it provides an economical method for producing reasonably large prints at film thicknesses comparable to those obtained on production presses.
FIG. 1 Schematic Diagram of Printing Gages (not drawn to scale)  
4.2 A unique advantage of printing gages is that, depending on the design selected, prints can be produced at a range of tapered film thicknesses or at several levels of uniform thicknesses in a single proofing. Because of the built-in film thickness control, ink metering is not necessary. Relatively small quantities of test samples are used, and less than two minutes are required to ink a gage, pull a letterpress print, and clean up. In addition, problems due to ink distribution systems are eliminated, two inks may be proofed at the same time, and multi-color printing is possible.  
4.3 This practice does not duplicate the dynamics of a high speed press, nevertheless, it is useful for quality control and for specification acceptance between the producer and the user.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the procedure for preparing laboratory prints of paste inks using a printing gage in conjunction with a flat-bed proof press.  
1.2 This practice is applicable to the preparation of solid-area prints by direct letterpress or by dry offset on a flat substrate such as paper, paperboard, or metal.  
1.3 This practice is applicable primarily to lithographic and letterpress inks that dry by oxidation or penetration. With the addition of appropriate drying or curing equipment, it is also applicable to other paste ink systems such as heat-set or energy-curable.  
1.4 The instructions in this practice are intended to minimize the within-print and among-operator variability inherent in hand operations.  
1.5 This practice features built-in ink film thickness control. It does not measure the film thickness transferred to the print; however, film thickness equivalence may be evaluated by visual or instrumental comparisons of optical density.  
1.6 Values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautions are given in Section 7.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The setting speed of heatset printing inks is important because it influences the efficiency of the drying process. This test method provides a means for comparing the setting of a heatset ink directly against a standard at the same conditions of temperature and exposure time. While the method does not determine the setting speed of an ink on a production press, it is useful for specification acceptance between the supplier and the customer.  
5.2 The setting speed of a printing ink depends on a number of variables such as the substrate on which it is printed, the film thickness on the print, the temperature of the forced air, the rate of air flow, and the time that the print is subjected to heat. For these reasons, it is important to conduct the tests under conditions that are controlled and as realistic as practical.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes the procedure for determining the relative setting speed of heatset inks using a tester consisting of a forced hot air oven and print delivery system.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to printing inks intended to be dried by the application of heat and for which a suitable reference standard is available.  
1.3 Although heatset inks are normally printed by the offset process, this test method specifies the direct letterpress mode because the higher ink film thicknesses obtained tend to amplify subtle differences in ink setting speed. Prints are prepared by a flatbed printing apparatus using a constant depth printing gage.  
1.4 This tester reads temperature and belt speed in nonmetric terms; therefore, instrument settings in this test method are stated first in U.S. Customary Units (inch pound units of measurements). The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
6.1 One of the key properties for printing in the lab or on production equipment is the intensity of the color, color balance and uniformity. This test can be used to ensure that the proper amount of ink is transferred to the substrate by obtaining a target density value, in addition to determining whether the print is uniform by measuring the reflection density over a wide print area. This then allows the use of the print for controlled testing of other appearance properties, such as gloss and color, and performance properties, such as resistance to abrasion and chemicals.  
6.2 This test can be used to help achieve consistent color reproduction of printed color on flat surfaces.  
6.3 Transfer of density readings from one set of inks to another, or from one substrate to another, carries a high risk of producing a color or tone shift. It is not in the scope of this test method to use density readings as digital proof of target points for printing process control.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for measuring reflection density of printed matter using a reflection densitometer or spectrodensitometer.  
1.2 This test method is intended primarily for process colors (yellow, magenta and cyan) and black. With appropriate instrumentation, it may also be used for other colors.  
1.3 This test method applies to prints made by any printing process on a flat surface, with reflection density values ranging from just above zero, on the unprinted substrate, through to around 2.5 for very dense prints.  
1.4 This test method can be used for prints on paper, film or board but not for those on metal or foil. It can be conducted in the pressroom or laboratory.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Coarse particles in printing inks reduce the efficiency of the dispersion process, requiring not only extra milling passes, but also frequent changes in pump filters. In printing processes, they may cause excessive wear to metal plates, piling or localized retention of ink on blankets and plates, and water balance problems. Coarse particles also reduce color strength and the gloss of printed matter.  
4.2 This test method is suitable for quality control. The precision may be improved by the use of a specimen size larger than that prescribed.  
4.3 Test results are sensitive to the type of washout solvent used. Strong solvents are to be avoided because they may dissolve large particles of resin in the ink vehicle.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the weight concentration of coarse particles in printing ink dispersions by sieve retention.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to printing inks, flushed pigments, and other pigment dispersions that contain particles larger than 45 μm. With proper choice of solvent, it is applicable both to paste and liquid inks.  
Note 1: This test method is similar in principle to Test Methods D185. For particles under 25 μm, see Test Method D1316.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Ink mileage on a production press is of economic importance of the user of printing inks, the lower the mileage figure, the less ink is required to produce a job. This test method provides a procedure by which news inks can be assessed for mileage or newsprint stocks for ink receptivity in the laboratory.  
5.2 Because of the many variables that exist among laboratory and production presses, this test method is apt to yield more meaningful information when results are expressed on a relative rather than an absolute basis.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the laboratory procedure for determining the relative mileage of news inks on newsprint. The test method utilizes a proofing press, analytical balance and a reflection densitometer.  
1.2 This test method is intended for black oil-based news inks that dry by penetration (that is, letterpress or web offset) and for which a suitable reference standard is available. With appropriate optical instrumentation, it is also applicable to colored news inks.  
1.3 This test method may also be used to determine the relative ink receptivity of test newsprints versus a reference standard.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 A common set of definitions is essential to improve communication and avoid misunderstanding among ink makers, substrate makers, and printers.  
3.2 The term “paper” in this standard also encompasses the term “paperboard.”  
3.3 Definitions that are verbatim from one of the referenced sources are indicated by giving the acronym of the organization or the author of the book at the end of the definition.
SCOPE
1.1 This terminology standard gives definitions for problems that develop with printed matter as a result of deficiencies in the ink, substrate, press, or combinations thereof.  
1.2 These definitions cover the three major printing processes and are given in the following sequence: lithography, flexography, and gravure. For further information see Refs (1-4) at the end of this standard.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 It is generally recognized that the best method for evaluating printing properties of ink-substrate combinations is by actual printing. this practice provides a convenient method for preparing repeatable laboratory prints at realistic conditions of printing speed, printing pressure and ink film thickness.  
5.2 This practice is useful for quality control, specification acceptance between producer and user, product development and research. Printed samples have found widespread applications for color matching, gloss-ink holdout and other appearance properties, permanency, abrasion, drying time and many other tests of interest to the printing ink, paper and allied industries.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice describes the procedure for preparing laboratory prints of paste printing inks using a motor-driven printability tester.  
1.2 This practice covers printability testers of four different designs, referred to as Tester A, B, C, and D. These testers feature “push-button” control of printing speed and pressure and facilitate measurement of exact ink film thickness.  
1.3 This practice is intended primarily for lithographic and letterpress inks that dry by oxidation or penetration. With appropriate drying or curing equipment, it is also applicable to other systems such as heat-set or energy curable.  
1.4 This practice is applicable to the preparation of single-color solid-area prints by dry offset (also know as letterset) or by letterpress on any flat surface including paper, paperboard, plastic film, textiles, and metal.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The only other unit of measurement used is fpm.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Many types of printed matter, notably container labels, packaging materials, magazine and book covers, must be resistant to liquid materials that may contact them advertently or inadvertently. This practice permits an assessment of resistance of printed matter to several types of liquids.  
4.2 The requirement that a reference print be run at the same time as the test print minimizes effects of atmospheric conditions (humidity and temperature) and other variations which may develop.  
4.3 This practice can be used to determine whether new formulations are suitable for the end-use purpose and for specification acceptance between producer and user.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the evaluation of the relative resistance of printed matter to liquid chemicals, as evidenced by lack of discoloration, bleeding, or loss of gloss.  
1.2 This practice utilizes a sandwich procedure similar in principle to ISO/TC 130 N 589. Spotting or immersion procedures are covered in Test Methods D1308, D1647, and D2248.  
1.3 This practice is applicable to prints on any flat substrate including paper, paperboard, metallic foil, metal plate, and plastic films, and produced by any printing process including letterpress, offset lithography, flexography, gravure, silk screen, and non-impact.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard statements, see Section 7.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Inadequate setting or drying of sheetfed inks, or both, can cause blocking of stacked prints with subsequent loss of product. “Setting” of an ink refers to the rapid rise in viscosity of the printed ink film, sometimes accompanied by surface drying, that prevents transference of the undried ink film to adjacent surfaces under light pressure. “Setting” is a property of the ink-substrate combination. Inadequate drying may be due to several factors, but the primary causes are: (1) omission of metallic driers from the ink, improper ink formulation (2) unusual ink-substrate interactions, and (3) use of a fountain solution that is too acidic. If the test prints are made on a standard laboratory proof press, where there is no application of fountain solution, then only the first three possible causes can be evaluated. If the prints have been made on a commercial production printing press or some other acceptable means of introducing the fountain solution into the ink agreed upon, then the effect of fountain solution can be determined. It will often be necessary to run several tests to isolate the specific cause of a drying problem.  
5.2 This test method is suitable for most combinations of oxidative drying inks and substrates. Because this test method relies on a visual assessment of the extent of drying, very light colors and clear varnishes may present difficulties in quantifying the extent of drying. In such cases, the supplier and the customer should agree upon an alternative method of assessing the drying properties of the ink.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the drying time of oxidative-drying printing inks (also referred to as “sheetfed inks”) by squalene resistance of printed ink films.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to all paste inks that dry primarily by oxidation regardless of the substrate on which they are printed. With appropriate changes in the test fluid, it may also be used with paste inks that dry by other mechanisms, such as heatset or ultraviolet light.  
1.3 This test method utilizes a modified rub tester and is intended to serve as a “referee” procedure when laboratories, using less rigorous test procedures (see Appendix X1), cannot agree on their results.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 A common set of definitions is essential to improve communication and avoid misunderstanding among ink makers, paper makers, and printers.  
3.2 Definitions that are verbatim from one of the referenced sources are indicated by giving the acronym of the organization or the author of the book at the end of the definition.
SCOPE
1.1 This terminology standard covers terms used in the description of printing inks, printing materials, and printing processes.  
1.2 This terminology standard does not include definitions related to Print Problems (see Terminology D6488).  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Laboratory proofing of ink is necessary to establish a reproducible prediction of print appearance and performance properties, most of which are highly sensitive to ink film thickness. The apparatus described in this practice has found wide use for routine control proofing because it provides an economical method for producing reasonably large prints at film thicknesses comparable to those obtained on production presses.  
4.2 This practice does not duplicate the dynamics of a high speed press, nevertheless, it is useful for quality control and for specification acceptance between the producer and the user where there is an agreed upon specification for reflection density or standard reference print.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the procedure for preparing prints of paste inks using a hand operated flat-bed laboratory proof press. The initial method was developed by the National Printing Ink Research Institute.2  
1.2 This practice is applicable to the preparation of single-color solid-area prints by the dry offset process (also known as Letterset) on a flat substrate such as paper or metal. It can readily be adapted to print by direct letterpress.3
Note 1: The proofing press described in this practice can also be used with printing gages in accordance with Practice D6846.  
1.3 This practice is applicable primarily to lithographic and letterpress inks that dry by oxidation or penetration. With the addition of appropriate drying or curing equipment, it is also applicable to other systems such as heat-set or energy-curable.  
1.4 The instructions in this practice are intended to minimize the within-print and among-operator variability inherent in hand operations.  
1.5 This practice does not measure the actual film thickness on the print, but evaluates film thickness equivalence by visual or instrumental comparisons of reflection density.  
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the users of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautions are given in Section 7.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Tinting strength is an essential property of printing ink dispersions. Although results on bulk tints do not guarantee equivalency of dry printed films, they provide useful parameters for quality control of production batches of bases and finished inks. Test results may also be used for color matching purposes.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the relative tinting strength of waterbased ink systems using a computer-aided spectrophotometer.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to waterbased printing inks and bases to be used primarily in flexographic and gravure printing applications.  
1.3 This test method applies only to single, non-fluorescent pigmented colors and black ink systems for which there is a reference standard containing a pigment of the identical color index name and number.  
1.4 The procedure in this test method specifies placing tinted samples in a cuvette for spectrophotometric measurements. The use of thick wet drawdowns as in Test Methods D2066 are inappropriate due to severe floating problems with aqueous systems.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Apparent viscosity at the relatively high shear rate of 2500 s−1 does not completely define the rheological properties of printing inks but is useful in the practical control of ink viscosity during production and the specification acceptance between supplier and purchaser.  
5.2 The slope of the power law plot is the preferred measure of non-Newtonianism. The yield value, which is obtained by extrapolation of high-shear measurements to a shear rate approaching zero, does not conform to the definition of the true yield stress (see 3.1.7). The yield value and other low shear parameters are also subject to a high degree of variability (see the precision table in Section 16).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the falling-rod viscosity and degree of non-Newtonian behavior of printing inks, vehicles, and similar liquids that are essentially nonvolatile and unreactive under ordinary room conditions.  
1.2 For printing inks, which are typically non-Newtonian, this test method is applicable in the apparent viscosity range from about 10 to 300 P at a shear rate of 2500 s−1. For Newtonian liquids, the applicable viscosity range is about 10 to 1000 P (1 P = 0.1 Pa·s).  
1.3 This test method uses a falling-rod viscometer in which shear conditions are altered by manually adding weight to the rod. A fully automatic instrument is described in Test Method D6606.  
1.4 This test method, as does Test Method D6606, bases calculations on the power law model of viscosity. ISO 12644 covers not only the power law but also the Casson and Bingham models.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard statements, see Section 8.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Abrasion resistance during transport and storage is essential to prevent marring of type matter, designs, or protective coatings on the exterior of labels and other printed materials. Recognizing that the actual amount of abrasion occurring in the field depends on relative humidity, temperature, tightness of packing, and a host of other variables, this test method provides a rapid means for comparing the abrasion resistance of test surfaces under laboratory conditions. It is useful for specification acceptance between the supplier and the customer.  
5.2 This test method can also be used to evaluate the relative abrasion resistance of printed inks, varnishes, laminates and substrates, and the abrasiveness of inks.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the abrasion resistance of printed matter using a GA-CAT Comprehensive Abrasion Tester.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to packaging labels, book, catalog, and magazine covers, bar codes, corrugated boxes, and other containers having applied graphics on any flat substrate. It is not recommended for powder coatings.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method is used as a manufacturing or laboratory process control tool by providing a visual comparison of the ability to resist solvent break-through against an established control. The test method is designed to indicate a potential problem caused by an undercured condition but does not identify what caused the condition.
This test method does not duplicate the conditions on a printing press but does provide a means to determine whether the test sample meets specifications as agreed upon between supplier and customer.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes the procedure for evaluating the relative cure of printed energy-cured (ultraviolet or electron beam) ink or coating by a mechanical solvent rub test using a motorized Crockmeter.
1.2 This test method is applicable to laboratory and production prints on any flat substrate that is no thicker than 3 mm (0.125 in.), durable enough to withstand the test conditions, and for which a control (reference) sample is available.
1.3 This test method applies to comparisons between energy-cured inks and coatings of the same chemistry and film weight and should not be used to compare different ink or coating chemistries or various applied film weights without first establishing process performance.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
WITHDRAWN RATIONALE
This test method describes the procedure for evaluating the relative cure of printed energy-cured (ultraviolet or electron beam) ink or coating by a mechanical solvent rub test using a motorized Crockmeter.
Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications, this test method was withdrawn in January 2020 in accordance with section 10.6.3 of the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees, which requires that standards shall be updated by the end of the eighth year since the last approval date.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Inadequate setting or drying of sheetfed inks, or both, can cause blocking of stacked prints with subsequent loss of product. “Setting” of an ink refers to the rapid rise in viscosity of the printed ink film, sometimes accompanied by surface drying, that prevents transference of the undried ink film to adjacent surfaces under light pressure. “Setting” is a property of the ink-substrate combination. Inadequate drying may be due to several factors, but the primary causes are: (1) omission of metallic driers from the ink, improper ink formulation (2) unusual ink-substrate interactions, and (3) use of a fountain solution that is too acidic. If the test prints are made on a standard laboratory proof press, where there is no application of fountain solution, then only the first three possible causes can be evaluated. If the prints have been made on a commercial production printing press or some other acceptable means of introducing the fountain solution into the ink agreed upon, then the effect of fountain solution can be determined. It will often be necessary to run several tests to isolate the specific cause of a drying problem.
This test method is suitable for most combinations of oxidative drying inks and substrates. Because this test method relies on a visual assessment of the extent of drying, very light colors and clear varnishes may present difficulties in quantifying the extent of drying. In such cases, the supplier and the customer should agree upon an alternative method of assessing the drying properties of the ink.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the drying time of oxidative-drying printing inks (also referred to as “sheetfed inks”) by squalene resistance of printed ink films.
1.2 This test method is applicable to all paste inks that dry primarily by oxidation regardless of the substrate on which they are printed. With appropriate changes in the test fluid, it may also be used with paste inks that dry by other mechanisms, such as heatset or ultraviolet light.
1.3 This test method utilizes a modified rub tester and is intended to serve as a “referee” procedure when laboratories, using less rigorous test procedures (see Appendix X1), cannot agree on their results.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
WITHDRAWN RATIONALE
This test method covers the procedure for determining the drying time of oxidative-drying printing inks (also referred to as “sheetfed inks”) by squalene resistance of printed ink films.
Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications, this test method was withdrawn in January 2020 in accordance with section 10.6.3 of the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees, which requires that standards shall be updated by the end of the eighth year since the last approval date.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Many types of printed matter, notably container labels, packaging materials, magazine and book covers, must be resistant to liquid materials that may contact them advertently or inadvertently. This practice permits an assessment of resistance of printed matter to several types of liquids.
The requirement that a reference print be run at the same time as the test print minimizes effects of atmospheric conditions (humidity and temperature) and other variations which may develop.
This practice can be used to determine whether new formulations are suitable for the end-use purpose and for specification acceptance between producer and user.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the evaluation of the relative resistance of printed matter to liquid chemicals, as evidenced by lack of discoloration, bleeding, or loss of gloss.
1.2 This practice utilizes a sandwich procedure similar in principle to ISO/TC 130 N 589. Spotting or immersion procedures are covered in Test Methods D1308, D1647, and D2248.
1.3 This practice is applicable to prints on any flat substrate including paper, paperboard, metallic foil, metal plate, and plastic films, and produced by any printing process including letterpress, offset lithography, flexography, gravure, silk screen, and non-impact.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard statements, see Section 7.
WITHDRAWN RATIONALE
This practice covers the evaluation of the relative resistance of printed matter to liquid chemicals, as evidenced by lack of discoloration, bleeding, or loss of gloss.
Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications, this practice was withdrawn in January 2020 in accordance with section 10.6.3 of the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees, which requires that standards shall be updated by the end of the eighth year since the last approval date.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The lithographic printing process requires that some dampening solution be emulsified into the ink. These test methods provide a rapid means for determining water pickup under laboratory conditions. Test results may be useful for specification acceptance between the supplier and the customer.
In order that results be comparable, the tests must be run at the same temperature and with the same type and quantity of liquid added prior to mixing.
The emulsions obtained in these test methods are of larger particle size than those typically produced in printing nips. Because of these and other variables in the printing process, water pickup results do not by themselves predict lithographic printing performance.
SCOPE
1.1 These test methods cover two procedures for determining the amount of water picked up by lithographic printing inks in a laboratory mixer.
1.2 Test Method A covers single-point water pickup; Test Method B covers the rate of water pickup. Both test methods are applicable to any printing ink and vehicle intended for the lithographic printing process.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
WITHDRAWN RATIONALE
These test methods cover two procedures for determining the amount of water picked up by lithographic printing inks in a laboratory mixer.
Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications, these test methods were withdrawn in January 2020 in accordance with section 10.6.3 of the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees, which requires that standards shall be updated by the end of the eighth year since the last approval date.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Oversize particles in a printing ink may damage a printing plate, plug a cell, clog a nozzle and adversely affect the appearance of printed ink films. Fineness of grind measurements are useful for deciding when to stop the dispersion process and for determining if the test material meets specifications as agreed upon between the supplier and the customer.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes the procedure for determining the fineness of grind of printing inks using a NPIRI Grindometer. It evaluates the size of the largest particles in a finished dispersion but not average particle size or concentration of sizes.
1.2 This test method covers both manual and automatic drawdowns using an A1 scraper.
1.3 This test method is applicable to any dispersion that is fine enough to fall within the 0–25 μm range of the specified grind gauge. With a minor variation in procedure, it is applicable to both paste (nonvolatile) and liquid (volatile) inks.
Note 1—The 0–25 μm gauge specified in this test method is similar in principle to the 0–100 μm Hegman gauge described in Test Method D1210 and the various gauges described in ISO 1524:2000. Sieve analysis for concentration of particles above 45 μm is covered in Test Method D2067.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
WITHDRAWN RATIONALE
This test method describes the procedure for determining the fineness of grind of printing inks using a NPIRI Grindometer. It evaluates the size of the largest particles in a finished dispersion but not average particle size or concentration of sizes.
Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications, this test method was withdrawn in January 2020 in accordance with section 10.6.3 of the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees, which requires that standards shall be updated by the end of the eighth year since the last approval date.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 It is generally recognized that the best method for evaluating printing properties of ink-substrate combinations is by actual printing. this practice provides a convenient method for preparing repeatable laboratory prints at realistic conditions of printing speed, printing pressure and ink film thickness.  
5.2 This practice is useful for quality control, specification acceptance between producer and user, product development and research. Printed samples have found widespread applications for color matching, gloss-ink holdout and other appearance properties, permanency, abrasion, drying time and many other tests of interest to the printing ink, paper and allied industries.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice describes the procedure for preparing laboratory prints of paste printing inks using a motor-driven printability tester.  
1.2 This practice covers printability testers of four different designs, referred to as Tester A, B, C, and D. These testers feature “push-button” control of printing speed and pressure and facilitate measurement of exact ink film thickness.  
1.3 This practice is intended primarily for lithographic and letterpress inks that dry by oxidation or penetration. With appropriate drying or curing equipment, it is also applicable to other systems such as heat-set or energy curable.  
1.4 This practice is applicable to the preparation of single-color solid-area prints by dry offset (also know as letterset) or by letterpress on any flat surface including paper, paperboard, plastic film, textiles, and metal.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The only other unit of measurement used is fpm.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This test method is the procedure of choice for determining volatile content of sheet-fed and coldset web offset inks. This information is useful to the ink manufacturer and user and to environmental interests as part of the determination of the mass of volatile organic compounds emitted from the ink.
Note 3: Since these inks do not contain water or any materials currently classified by US EPA as negligibly photochemically reactive (exempt solvents), volatile organic compound content is the same as volatile content. The volatile organic compounds in these inks are high boiling hydrocarbon oils which are, according to US EPA guidelines, 95 % retained in the printed substrate or oxidized into the ink film. Therefore, the mass of volatile organic compound emitted from the ink would be calculated as only 5 % of the volatile organic compound content of the ink as derived from the results of this test method.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for determination of the weight percent volatile content of sheet-fed and coldset web offset printing inks. Test specimens are heated at 110° ± 1°C for 60 min.
Note 1: Coldset web offset printing is often (also) referred to as non-heatset web offset printing.  
1.2 This test method is also applicable to sheet-fed and coldset web offset printing ink vehicles.
Note 2: Vehicle is the liquid portion of the printing ink. Any substance that is dissolved in the liquid portion of the ink is a part of the vehicle.  
1.3 This test method is not applicable to ultra-violet (UV) or electron beam cured materials, which must be cured by exposure to UV light or an electron beam as part of the test for volatile content.  
1.4 This test method is based on Test Method D2369, in which the allowable ranges are ±0.1g for specimen weight and ±5°C for oven temperature. Interlaboratory studies have shown that specimen weight and oven temperature must both be more tightly controlled in order to improve the precision of test results for sheet-fed and coldset web-offset inks. Such inks typically contain a wide range of high-boiling hydrocarbons and often have a volatile content below 25 %.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For a specific hazard statement see 7.5.1  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 When formulating printing inks and overprint varnishes that dry primarily by oxidation it is important to know the stay open time so that premature drying does not occur on the printing press rollers and other components.  
3.2 The applied ink or OPV film used for testing is thicker than the film printed on the substrate and nominally represents the film on the printing press rollers.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers a manual procedure for determining the stay open time of oxidative drying printing inks and overprint varnishes by a finger transfer method. Open is defined as a wet ink/varnish film.  
1.2 The amount of time required to reach the endpoint is recorded in hours.  
1.3 Typical inks and overprint varnishes that dry by oxidation are oil based sheetfed offset, letterpress, and screen inks.  
1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 A common set of definitions is essential to improve communication and avoid misunderstanding among ink makers, substrate makers, and printers.  
3.2 The term “paper” in this standard also encompasses the term “paperboard.”  
3.3 Definitions that are verbatim from one of the referenced sources are indicated by giving the acronym of the organization or the author of the book at the end of the definition.
SCOPE
1.1 This terminology standard gives definitions for problems that develop with printed matter as a result of deficiencies in the ink, substrate, press, or combinations thereof.  
1.2 These definitions cover the three major printing processes and are given in the following sequence: lithography, flexography, and gravure. For further information see Refs (1-4) at the end of this standard.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
6.1 One of the key properties for printing in the lab or on production equipment is the intensity of the color, color balance and uniformity. This test can be used to ensure that the proper amount of ink is transferred to the substrate by obtaining a target density value, in addition to determining whether the print is uniform by measuring the reflection density over a wide print area. This then allows the use of the print for controlled testing of other appearance properties, such as gloss and color, and performance properties, such as resistance to abrasion and chemicals.  
6.2 This test can be used to help achieve consistent color reproduction of printed color on flat surfaces.  
6.3 Transfer of density readings from one set of inks to another, or from one substrate to another, carries a high risk of producing a color or tone shift. It is not in the scope of this test method to use density readings as digital proof of target points for printing process control.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for measuring reflection density of printed matter using a reflection densitometer or spectrodensitometer.  
1.2 This test method is intended primarily for process colors (yellow, magenta and cyan) and black. With appropriate instrumentation, it may also be used for other colors.  
1.3 This test method applies to prints made by any printing process on a flat surface, with reflection density values ranging from just above zero, on the unprinted substrate, through to around 2.5 for very dense prints.  
1.4 This test method can be used for prints on paper, film or board but not for those on metal or foil. It can be conducted in the pressroom or laboratory.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The setting speed of heatset printing inks is important because it influences the efficiency of the drying process. This test method provides a means for comparing the setting of a heatset ink directly against a standard at the same conditions of temperature and exposure time. While the method does not determine the setting speed of an ink on a production press, it is useful for specification acceptance between the supplier and the customer.  
5.2 The setting speed of a printing ink depends on a number of variables such as the substrate on which it is printed, the film thickness on the print, the temperature of the forced air, the rate of air flow, and the time that the print is subjected to heat. For these reasons, it is important to conduct the tests under conditions that are controlled and as realistic as practical.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes the procedure for determining the relative setting speed of heatset inks using a tester consisting of a forced hot air oven and print delivery system.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to printing inks intended to be dried by the application of heat and for which a suitable reference standard is available.  
1.3 Although heatset inks are normally printed by the offset process, this test method specifies the direct letterpress mode because the higher ink film thicknesses obtained tend to amplify subtle differences in ink setting speed. Prints are prepared by a flatbed printing apparatus using a constant depth printing gage.  
1.4 This tester reads temperature and belt speed in nonmetric terms; therefore, instrument settings in this test method are stated first in U.S. Customary Units (inch pound units of measurements). The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Coarse particles in printing inks reduce the efficiency of the dispersion process, requiring not only extra milling passes, but also frequent changes in pump filters. In printing processes, they may cause excessive wear to metal plates, piling or localized retention of ink on blankets and plates, and water balance problems. Coarse particles also reduce color strength and the gloss of printed matter.  
4.2 This test method is suitable for quality control. The precision may be improved by the use of a specimen size larger than that prescribed.  
4.3 Test results are sensitive to the type of washout solvent used. Strong solvents are to be avoided because they may dissolve large particles of resin in the ink vehicle.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the weight concentration of coarse particles in printing ink dispersions by sieve retention.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to printing inks, flushed pigments, and other pigment dispersions that contain particles larger than 45 μm. With proper choice of solvent, it is applicable both to paste and liquid inks. Note 1—This test method is similar in principle to Test Methods D185. For particles under 25 μm, see Test Method D1316.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Nonvolatile content of printing inks is useful for specification acceptance between the producer and the user.  
4.2 In order to obtain accurate results for heatset systems within the specified 3-h heating time, the specimen film thickness must be less than 100 g/m2, and the oven must have forced ventilation. Thickness of the specimen film is less critical for liquid ink systems.
SCOPE
1.1 These test methods cover the determination of weight content of nonvolatile matter in two types of printing inks.  
1.2 Test Method A is applicable to heatset-type printing inks and resin solutions; solvents in such systems typically have initial boiling points in the range from 240 to 275°C (470 to 535°F) and vapor pressures less than 0.2 mm Hg.  
1.3 Test Method B is applicable to liquid-type printing inks and vehicles based on aqueous or organic solvents that evaporate readily at ordinary room temperatures.Note 1—Test Method A (for heatset systems) specifies a specimen film thickness that is much thinner than those produced by related test methods; one exception is Test Method B in Test Methods D1259, which is recommended as a referee test.Note 2—Test Method B (for liquid ink systems) is similar to Test Method D2369 except that a solvent is not required for spreading the test specimen.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Tinting strength is an essential property of printing ink dispersions. Although test results on wet drawdowns and tints do not guarantee equivalency of dry printed ink films, they provide useful parameters for quality assurance of established formulations, gaging relative degree of dispersion, and estimating the color value of colorants from different batches, sources, or grades.
SCOPE
1.1 These test methods cover procedures for determining the relative tinting strength of paste-type printing ink dispersions by visual or instrumental evaluation of tints prepared by manual or automated mixing.  
1.2 These test methods are applicable to paste-type printing inks, flushed pigments, and other pigment dispersions that are essentially nonvolatile under ordinary room conditions and for which there is a wet reference standard of the same pigmentation and consistency. With proper choice of tinting base, they are applicable to dispersions of any color, including black and white. Note 1—The instrumental procedures for tinting strength are similar in principle to those described in Test Methods D387, D2745, D4838, and D6531.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Ink mileage on a production press is of economic importance of the user of printing inks, the lower the mileage figure, the less ink is required to produce a job. This test method provides a procedure by which news inks can be assessed for mileage or newsprint stocks for ink receptivity in the laboratory.  
5.2 Because of the many variables that exist among laboratory and production presses, this test method is apt to yield more meaningful information when results are expressed on a relative rather than an absolute basis.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the laboratory procedure for determining the relative mileage of news inks on newsprint. The test method utilizes a proofing press, analytical balance and a reflection densitometer.  
1.2 This test method is intended for black oil-based news inks that dry by penetration (that is, letterpress or web offset) and for which a suitable reference standard is available. With appropriate optical instrumentation, it is also applicable to colored news inks.  
1.3 This test method may also be used to determine the relative ink receptivity of test newsprints versus a reference standard.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This test method does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Laboratory proofing of inks is necessary to establish a reproducible prediction of print appearance and performance properties, most of which are highly sensitive to ink film thickness. The apparatus described in this practice has found wide use for routine control proofing because it provides an economical method for producing reasonably large prints at film thicknesses comparable to those obtained on production presses.
FIG. 1 Schematic Diagram of Printing Gages (not drawn to scale)  
4.2 A unique advantage of printing gages is that, depending on the design selected, prints can be produced at a range of tapered film thicknesses or at several levels of uniform thicknesses in a single proofing. Because of the built-in film thickness control, ink metering is not necessary. Relatively small quantities of test samples are used, and less than two minutes are required to ink a gage, pull a letterpress print, and clean up. In addition, problems due to ink distribution systems are eliminated, two inks may be proofed at the same time, and multi-color printing is possible.  
4.3 This practice does not duplicate the dynamics of a high speed press, nevertheless, it is useful for quality control and for specification acceptance between the producer and the user.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the procedure for preparing laboratory prints of paste inks using a printing gage in conjunction with a flat-bed proof press.  
1.2 This practice is applicable to the preparation of solid-area prints by direct letterpress or by dry offset on a flat substrate such as paper, paperboard, or metal.  
1.3 This practice is applicable primarily to lithographic and letterpress inks that dry by oxidation or penetration. With the addition of appropriate drying or curing equipment, it is also applicable to other paste ink systems such as heat-set or energy-curable.  
1.4 The instructions in this practice are intended to minimize the within-print and among-operator variability inherent in hand operations.  
1.5 This practice features built-in ink film thickness control. It does not measure the film thickness transferred to the print; however, film thickness equivalence may be evaluated by visual or instrumental comparisons of optical density.  
1.6 Values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautions are given in Section 7.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
It is generally recognized that the best method for evaluating printing properties of ink-substrate combinations is by actual printing. this practice provides a convenient method for preparing repeatable laboratory prints at realistic conditions of printing speed, printing pressure and ink film thickness.
This practice is useful for quality control, specification acceptance between producer and user, product development and research. Printed samples have found widespread applications for color matching, gloss-ink holdout and other appearance properties, permanency, abrasion, drying time and many other tests of interest to the printing ink, paper and allied industries.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice describes the procedure for preparing laboratory prints of paste printing inks using a motor-driven printability tester.
1.2 This practice covers printability testers of four different designs, referred to as Tester A, B, C, and D. These testers feature “push-button” control of printing speed and pressure and facilitate measurement of exact ink film thickness.
1.3 This practice is intended primarily for lithographic and letterpress inks that dry by oxidation or penetration. With appropriate drying or curing equipment, it is also applicable to other systems such as heat-set or energy curable.
1.4 This practice is applicable to the preparation of single-color solid-area prints by dry offset (also know as letterset) or by letterpress on any flat surface including paper, paperboard, plastic film, textiles, and metal.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The only other unit of measurement used is fpm.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Tinting strength is an essential property of printing ink dispersions. Although results on bulk tints do not guarantee equivalency of dry printed films, they provide useful parameters for quality control of production batches of bases and finished inks. Test results may also be used for color matching purposes.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the relative tinting strength of waterbased ink systems using a computer-aided spectrophotometer.
1.2 This test method is applicable to waterbased printing inks and bases to be used primarily in flexographic and gravure printing applications.
1.3 This test method applies only to single, non-fluorescent pigmented colors and black ink systems for which there is a reference standard containing a pigment of the identical color index name and number.
1.4 The procedure in this test method specifies placing tinted samples in a cuvette for spectrophotometric measurements. The use of thick wet drawdowns as in Test Methods D2066 are inappropriate due to severe floating problems with aqueous systems.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Laboratory proofing of ink is necessary to establish a reproducible prediction of print appearance and performance properties, most of which are highly sensitive to ink film thickness. The apparatus described in this practice has found wide use for routine control proofing because it provides an economical method for producing reasonably large prints at film thicknesses comparable to those obtained on production presses.
This practice does not duplicate the dynamics of a high speed press, nevertheless, it is useful for quality control and for specification acceptance between the producer and the user where there is an agreed upon specification for reflection density or standard reference print.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the procedure for preparing prints of paste inks using a hand operated flat-bed laboratory proof press. The initial method was developed by the National Printing Ink Research Institute.  
1.3 This practice is applicable primarily to lithographic and letterpress inks that dry by oxidation or penetration. With the addition of appropriate drying or curing equipment, it is also applicable to other systems such as heat-set or energy-curable.
1.4 The instructions in this practice are intended to minimize the within-print and among-operator variability inherent in hand operations.
1.5 This practice does not measure the actual film thickness on the print, but evaluates film thickness equivalence by visual or instrumental comparisons of reflection density.
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the users of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautions are given in Section 7.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
A common set of definitions is essential to improve communication and avoid misunderstanding among ink makers, paper makers, and printers.  
Definitions that are verbatim from one of the referenced sources are indicated by giving the acronym of the organization or the author of the book at the end of the definition.
SCOPE
1.1 This terminology standard covers terms used in the description of printing inks, printing materials, and printing processes.  
1.2 This terminology standard does not include definitions related to Print Problems (see Terminology D6488).
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Specular gloss is a very important appearance parameter of printed matter. High gloss may be preferred for some purposes such as magazine covers, packaging and advertising, while lower gloss is preferred for minimizing glare, for example, in reading text.
This method provides a means of determining gloss of prints produced in the laboratory, or to monitor print gloss on a production printing press.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the specular gloss of printed matter.  
1.2 This test is applicable to prints on any flat substrate including paper, paperboard, metallic foil and plastic produced by any printing process, either in the laboratory or on a production printing press.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, is any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Apparent viscosity at the relatively high shear rate of 2500 s−1 does not completely define the rheological properties of printing inks but is useful in the practical control of ink viscosity during production and the specification acceptance between supplier and purchaser.
The slope of the power law plot is the preferred measure of non-Newtonianism. The yield value, which is obtained by extrapolation of high-shear measurements to a shear rate approaching zero, does not conform to the definition of the true yield stress (see 3.1.7). The yield value and other low shear parameters are also subject to a high degree of variability (see the precision table in Section 17).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the falling-rod viscosity and degree of non-Newtonian behavior of printing inks, vehicles, and similar liquids that are essentially nonvolatile and unreactive under ordinary room conditions.
1.2 For printing inks, which are typically non-Newtonian, this test method is applicable in the apparent viscosity range from about 10 to 300 P at a shear rate of 2500 s−1. For Newtonian liquids, the applicable viscosity range is about 10 to 1000 P (1 P = 0.1 Pa·s).
1.3 This test method uses a falling-rod viscometer in which shear conditions are altered by manually adding weight to the rod. A fully automatic instrument is described in Test Method D6606.
1.4 This test method, as does Test Method D6606, bases calculations on the power law model of viscosity. ISO 12644 covers not only the power law but also the Casson and Bingham models.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard statements, see Section 8.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Abrasion resistance during transport and storage is essential to prevent marring of type matter, designs, or protective coatings on the exterior of labels and other printed materials. Recognizing that the actual amount of abrasion occurring in the field depends on relative humidity, temperature, tightness of packing, and a host of other variables, this test method provides a rapid means for comparing the abrasion resistance of test surfaces under laboratory conditions. It is useful for specification acceptance between the supplier and the customer.
This test method can also be used to evaluate the relative abrasion resistance of printed inks, varnishes, laminates and substrates, and the abrasiveness of inks.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the abrasion resistance of printed matter using a GA-CAT Comprehensive Abrasion Tester.
1.2 This test method is applicable to packaging labels, book, catalog, and magazine covers, bar codes, corrugated boxes, and other containers having applied graphics on any flat substrate. It is not recommended for powder coatings.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method is the procedure of choice for determining volatile content of sheet-fed and coldset web offset inks. This information is useful to the ink manufacturer and user and to environmental interests as part of the determination of the mass of volatile organic compounds emitted from the ink.
Note 3—Since these inks do not contain water or any materials currently classified by US EPA as negligibly photochemically reactive (exempt solvents), volatile organic compound content is the same as volatile content. The volatile organic compounds in these inks are high boiling hydrocarbon oils which are, according to US EPA guidelines, 95 % retained in the printed substrate or oxidized into the ink film. Therefore, the mass of volatile organic compound emitted from the ink would be calculated as only 5 % of the volatile organic compound content of the ink as derived from the results of this test method.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for determination of the weight percent volatile content of sheet-fed and coldset web offset printing inks. Test specimens are heated at 110° ± 1°C for 60 min.
Note 1—Coldset web offset printing is often (also) referred to as non-heatset web offset printing.
1.2 This test method is also applicable to sheet-fed and coldset web offset printing ink vehicles.
Note 2—Vehicle is the liquid portion of the printing ink. Any substance that is dissolved in the liquid portion of the ink is a part of the vehicle.
1.3 This test method is not applicable to ultra-violet (UV) or electron beam cured materials, which must be cured by exposure to UV light or an electron beam as part of the test for volatile content.
1.4 This test method is based on Test Method D2369, in which the allowable ranges are ±0.1g for specimen weight and ±5°C for oven temperature. Interlaboratory studies have shown that specimen weight and oven temperature must both be more tightly controlled in order to improve the precision of test results for sheet-fed and coldset web-offset inks. Such inks typically contain a wide range of high-boiling hydrocarbons and often have a volatile content below 25 %.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For a specific hazard statement see 7.5.1.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Tack of printing inks controls their high-speed transfer properties, as manifested by throughput in roll milling, picking of paper during printing, and wet trapping in multicolor printing. Although an apparent tack measurement does not completely predict the transfer performance of an ink or a vehicle, it provides a meaningful parameter for quality control, development, and research.
A number of three-roller tackmeters are available that differ in design features such as roller weight, geometry, and composition of the distribution system. Instruments of different types do not give the same apparent tack readings.
Instruments of the same type will only give apparent tack readings within tolerance, provided that they are maintained and calibrated properly and in the same manner.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the procedure for determining the apparent tack of printing inks using a three-roller tackmeter.
1.2 This test method is applicable to all paste-type printing inks and vehicles that are essentially nonvolatile under ordinary room conditions, provided that any elastomer covered rollers in the tackmeter are resistant to attack by the particular ink or vehicle chemistry. Different elastomers may be required for different ink or vehicle chemistries.
1.3 This test method covers three-roller tackmeters of two different geometries, referred to as Geometry A and Geometry B.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Lightfastness or weatherability for specified periods of time is pertinent for certain types of printed matter such as magazine and book covers, posters and billboards, greeting cards and packages. Since the ability of printed matter to withstand color changes is a function of the spectral-power distribution of the light source to which it is exposed, it is important that lightfastness be assessed under conditions appropriate to the end-use application.
The accelerated procedures covered in these exposure methods provide means for the rapid evaluation of lightfastness or weatherability under laboratory conditions. Test results are useful for specification acceptance between producer and user and for quality control.
The xenon-arc lamp with an appropriate filter system exhibits a spectral-power distribution that corresponds more closely to that of daylight than the carbon-arc. In turn, accelerated tests using xenon-arc apparatus may be expected to correlate better with exposure to natural daylight than do those using carbon-arc apparatus.
To accommodate variations in light intensity among days, seasons, locations, or instruments, duration of exposure is preferably expressed as the radiant exposure in specific bandpasses rather than time. In either case, the inclusion of an appropriate control serves to minimize effects of variations in test conditions.  
Color changes are not a linear function of duration of exposure. The preferred method of determining lightfastness or weatherability is to expose the prints for a number of intervals and to assess the time or radiant exposure required to obtain a specified color difference.
For a given printing ink, lightfastness and weatherability or both depend on the type of substrate, the film thickness of the print, and the area printed (solid versus screen). Therefore, it is important that the nature of the test and control specimens correspond to that expected under actual use conditions.
Note 2—Specifications D 43...
SCOPE
1.1 This standard describes procedures for the determination of the relative lightfastness and weatherability of printed matter under the following conditions, which involve exposure to natural daylight or accelerated procedures in the laboratory:
1.1.1 Method 1—Daylight behind window glass,
1.1.2 Method 2—Outdoor weathering,
1.1.3 Method 3—Xenon-arc apparatus with window glass filters to simulate daylight behind window glass,
1.1.4 Method 4—Xenon-arc apparatus with water spray and daylight filters to simulate outdoor weathering,
1.1.5 Method 7—Fluorescent lamp apparatus to simulate indoor fluorescent lighting in combination with window-filtered daylight.
1.1.6 Method 8—Fluorescent lamp apparatus operating with fluorescent cool white lamps to simulate indoor fluorescent lighting.
Note 1—Previous versions of this standard included Methods 5 and 6 that are based on enclosed carbon-arc exposures. These methods are described in Appendix X1. The spectral irradiance of the enclosed carbon-arc is a very poor simulation of solar radiation, window glass filtered solar radiation, or the emission of lamps used for interior lighting. In addition, enclosed carbon-arc devices are no longer readily available or commonly used.
1.2 These methods require that a suitable print or other control (reference standard) be run along with the test sample. Color changes due to conditions of exposure may be evaluated by visual examination or instrumental measurement.
1.3 These methods are applicable to prints on any flat substrate including paper, paperboard, metallic foil, metal plate, and plastic film, and are produced by any printing process including letterpress, offset lithography, flexography, gravure, and silk screen.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if ...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
One of the key properties for printing in the lab or on production equipment is the intensity of the color, color balance and uniformity. This test can be used to ensure that the proper amount of ink is transferred to the substrate by obtaining a target density value, in addition to determining whether the print is uniform by measuring the reflection density over a wide print area. This then allows the use of the print for controlled testing of other appearance properties, such as gloss and color, and performance properties, such as resistance to abrasion and chemicals.
This test can be used to help achieve consistent color reproduction of printed color on flat surfaces.
Transfer of density readings from one set of inks to another, or from one substrate to another, carries a high risk of producing a color or tone shift. It is not in the scope of this test method to use density readings as digital proof of target points for printing process control.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for measuring reflection density of printed matter using a reflection densitometer or spectrodensitometer.
1.2 This test method is intended primarily for process colors (yellow, magenta and cyan) and black. With appropriate instrumentation, it may also be used for other colors.
1.3 This test method applies to prints made by any printing process on a flat surface, with reflection density values ranging from just above zero, on the unprinted substrate, through to around 2.5 for very dense prints.
1.4 This test method can be used for prints on paper, film or board but not for those on metal or foil. It can be conducted in the pressroom or laboratory.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Coarse particles in printing inks reduce the efficiency of the dispersion process, requiring not only extra milling passes, but also frequent changes in pump filters. In printing processes, they may cause excessive wear to metal plates, piling or localized retention of ink on blankets and plates, and water balance problems. Coarse particles also reduce color strength and the gloss of printed matter.
This test method is suitable for quality control. The precision may be improved by the use of a specimen size larger than that prescribed.
Test results are sensitive to the type of washout solvent used. Strong solvents are to be avoided because they may dissolve large particles of resin in the ink vehicle.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the weight concentration of coarse particles in printing ink dispersions by sieve retention.
1.2 This test method is applicable to printing inks, flushed pigments, and other pigment dispersions that contain particles larger than 45 μm. With proper choice of solvent, it is applicable both to paste and liquid inks.
Note 1—This test method is similar in principle to Test Methods D 185. For particles under 25 μm, see Test Method D 1316.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Coarse particles in printing inks reduce the efficiency of the dispersion process, requiring not only extra milling passes, but also frequent changes in pump filters. In printing processes, they may cause excessive wear to metal plates, piling or localized retention of ink on blankets and plates, and water balance problems. Coarse particles also reduce color strength and the gloss of printed matter.
This test method is suitable for quality control. The precision may be improved by the use of a specimen size larger than that prescribed.
Test results are sensitive to the type of washout solvent used. Strong solvents are to be avoided because they may dissolve large particles of resin in the ink vehicle.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the weight concentration of coarse particles in printing ink dispersions by sieve retention.
1.2 This test method is applicable to printing inks, flushed pigments, and other pigment dispersions that contain particles larger than 45 μm. With proper choice of solvent, it is applicable both to paste and liquid inks.
Note 1—This test method is similar in principle to Test Methods D185. For particles under 25 μm, see Test Method D1316.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.