ISO/TC 130/WG 4 - Media and materials

This document specifies a method of measuring the visual opacity of printed specimens of white ink. It is applicable to printing opaque white ink on transparent and white or coloured opaque substrates.

This document specifies a test method for preparation of test prints produced with liquid printing inks, either water-based, solvent-based or radiation cured printing inks as used in flexography and gravure printing. Such test prints are intended to be used for reflection-based measurements, such as colorimetry and optical density as well as for testing light fastness, and the resistance of printing inks to mechanical and chemical attack regarding either printing ink and/or substrate. This document is not applicable to inks for ink jet printing.

This document applies to processless lithographic plates and specifies evaluation methods for lithographic plate characteristics, on-press development performance, usability and print image quality. It specifies measurement conditions for materials and equipment and provides guidelines for the selection of suitable processless lithographic plates by a printing organization and requirements for comparative assessment tests. The assessment of waterless lithographic plates is out of scope of this document.

This document specifies the width, length and thickness of metal lithographic printing plates (referred to hereafter as “plates”). For plates to be used in computer to plate (CtP) applications, flatness, edge straightness and burr requirements are also included. These requirements are applicable to unprocessed plates.

This document specifies methods of assessing the resistance of printed materials to liquid and solid agents, solvents, varnishes and acids. It applies to printing on all substrates by any of the traditional printing process (offset, screen, gravure, flexo) as well as the newer digital processes (inkjet, electrophotography). Aspects of food safety and consumer protection for food contact materials are not covered.

This document specifies offset ink related properties which are intended to be communicated between ink supplier and the printer, and which are essential for the optimized print production planning and the intended use of the final product. NOTE The final product is not necessarily the finished print product. Aspects related to food safety and other safety requirements like children's toys safety are not part of the scope of this document.

This document specifies a test procedure for the preparation of test prints on paper, board, metals, foils and other suitable substrates using paste inks, such as for offset and letterpress printing, using electrically driven IGT-type and prüfbau-type printability testers. This document describes the procedure for reference optical density and reference ink film thickness. This document describes the method as used on the current models of testers. Most of the described procedures are also applicable in analogy to the older models but can require additional steps to be executed or recalculation of the settings to make them conform to this document

ISO 12636:2017 defines vocabulary and specifies test methods, characteristics, ordering and labelling information for blankets for offset printing. This document does not apply to un-tensioned or unclamped blankets for offset printing, nor offset printing sleeves used on gapless presses.

ISO 12634 specifies the test procedure for determining the tack value of neat paste inks and vehicles which have low volatility and are unreactive under normal room conditions during the timespan required for testing. ISO 12634 contains a basic description of Inkometer® and Inkomat® (Geometry A) and TackOscope® and TackTester® (Geometry B).

ISO 2846-1:2017 specifies the colour and transparency characteristics that are to be met by each ink in a process colour ink set intended for proof and production printing using offset lithography. The specified printing conditions (which use a laboratory printability tester), the defined substrate and a method for testing to ensure conformance are also defined. Characteristics are specified for inks used for sheet-fed, heat-set web and radiation-curing processes. ISO 2846-1:2017 does not apply to fluorescent inks and it does not specify pigments (or spectral characteristics ? except informatively) in order not to preclude developments which may enable different pigment combinations to be used advantageously while still achieving the colorimetric requirements specified in this document.

ISO 12632:2015 specifies test methods for - penetrability and removal times of labels that have been wet glued on bottles intended to be refilled and reused, and - resistance of printed labels against hot alkaline solution. Test results always deal with systems comprising of substrates, ink films and varnish films if present. This International Standard is valid for label substrates and printed labels. Label substrates include metalized papers. The test procedures are also valid for the evaluation of inks and papers to be used in printing labels. ISO 12632:2015 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 International Standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

ISO 15341:2014 defines a method for measuring the external radius of printing cylinders, specifies critical parameters and operational instructions and provides recommendations for instrument design.

ISO 15397:2014 specifies the list of relevant properties of paper substrates to be communicated between the paper and printing industries. ISO 15397:2014 is applicable to papers intended to be printed in rotogravure, cold-set web offset, heat-set web offset, sheet-fed offset, and flexographic printing processes and to proofing substrates.

ISO/TR 12705:2011 describes a laboratory method, using a printability tester, for the preparation of specimens in order to evaluate the tendency of a particular ink, substrate and printing procedure to produce chemical ghosting in sheet-fed offset lithography on coated papers or foils. A test procedure to induce ghosting using these specimens is also included. This method applies only to oxidative drying inks on coated papers or foils and it evaluates a particular ink and substrate combination.

ISO 2834-3:2008 specifies a test method for preparation of test prints produced with screen printing inks. These test prints are intended primarily for optical tests, such as colorimetry, transparency and reflection density as described in ISO 2846-4. They can also be used for testing gloss, light fastness and the chemical, physical and mechanical resistance to mechanical and chemical attack regarding either printing ink or substrate, or both.

ISO 2846-2:2007 specifies the colour and transparency to be produced by inks intended for four-colour coldset web offset printing when printed under specified conditions on a printability tester. It also describes the test method to ensure conformance. ISO 2846-2:2007 is not applicable to fluorescent inks and does not specify pigments (or spectral reflectance) so as not to preclude the use of suitable future pigment combinations and still claim compliance with its colorimetric requirements.

ISO 11084-2:2006 specifies the shapes, dimensions and positions for the pins and holes of a register system used to achieve accurate image positioning on a printing forme during the plate-making operations undertaken during the printing forme preparation process. It is also applicable to plate-bending equipment and transfer systems required to convert between register pin systems. ISO 11084-2:2006 is applicable to prepress pin registering system for plate making using printing formes equal to or larger than 420 mm by 594 mm (A2). It is applicable by analogy to the pin register systems of printing presses.

Contains the procedure for determining the viscosity of paste inks and vehicles which are unreactive under normal room conditions. Applicable to inks in the apparent viscosity range of 2 Pas to 200 Pas.

Specifies the positions and dimensions for the pins and holes of three-pin register systems to achieve accurate positioning of originals, separations and printing plates on press and prepress equipment. Applies to punched materials, e.g. photographic materials, foils and papers; machines and devices for punching the above materials; machines and devices using register systems. Does not apply to punched metallic materials.

This document specifies a method of measuring the visual opacity of printed specimens of white ink. It is applicable to printing opaque white ink on transparent and white or coloured opaque substrates.

ISO 2834-2:2015 specifies a test method for preparation of test prints produced with liquid water-based or solvent-based printing inks as used in flexography and gravure printing. These test prints are intended primarily for optical tests, such as gloss, colorimetry, transparency and reflection density. They can also be used for testing light fastness and the chemical, physical and mechanical resistance to mechanical and chemical attack regarding either printing ink and/or substrate. Flexographic inks with higher viscosity, such as those cured by radiation, are also covered. This part of ISO 2834 is not applicable to inks for ink jet printing.

ISO 12635:2008 specifies the width, length and thickness of metal lithographic printing plates (referred to in the document as “plates”). For plates to be used in computer to plate (CtP) applications, flatness, edge straightness and burr requirements are also included. These requirements are applicable to unprocessed plates.

ISO 2834-2:2007 specifies a test method for preparation of test prints produced with liquid water-based or solvent-based printing inks as used in flexography and gravure printing. These test prints are intended primarily for optical tests, such as colorimetry, transparency and reflection density as described in ISO 2846-3 and ISO 2846-5. They can also be used for testing gloss, light fastness and the chemical, physical and mechanical resistance to mechanical and chemical attack regarding either printing ink and/or substrate. Flexographic inks with higher viscosity, such as those cured by radiation are also covered. ISO 2834-2:2007 is not applicable to inks for ink jet printing.

ISO 2846-1:2006 specifies the colour and transparency characteristics that have to be met by each ink in a process colour ink set intended for proof and production printing using offset lithography. The specified printing conditions (which use a laboratory printability tester), the defined substrate and a method for testing to ensure conformance are also defined. Characteristics are specified for inks used for sheet-fed, heat-set web and radiation-curing processes.

ISO 2834-1:2006 specifies a laboratory method for the preparation of printed samples made with paste inks (such as inks used for lithographic and letterpress printing). Such printed samples are intended to be used for reflection-based measurements, such as colorimetry and reflection density as well as for testing light fastness, and the resistance of printing inks to mechanical and chemical attack regarding either printing ink and/or substrate.

ISO 2846-5:2005 specifies the colour and transparency to be produced by each ink in a process colour ink set (including extender) intended for four-colour flexographic printing, when printed under specified flexographic printing conditions. It also describes the conformance test method. ISO 2846-5:2005 does not specify pigments (or spectral reflectance), in order not to preclude developments that may enable different pigment combinations to be used advantageously, while still achieving the colorimetric requirements specified in this part of ISO 2846.

ISO 15994:2005 defines a measure of the apparent lustre of printed materials, termed "visual lustre", which is intended for communication amongst designer, client and the printer of products for which the visual perception of the surface lustre is important. ISO 15994:2005 is not intended for process control in the printing industry, or in the papermaking and boardmaking industry, nor is it intended for the measurement of fluorescent materials or those which show metallic or pearlescent effects.

ISO 2836:2004 specifies methods of assessing the resistance of printed materials to liquid and solid agents, solvents, varnishes, and acids. It applies to printing on all substrates by all of the traditional printing processes and digital imaging processes, such as ink-jet, electrophotography, etc., using marking materials appropriate to the printing process used.

ISO 2846-3:2002 specifies the colour and transparency to be produced by a process colour ink set including extender intended for four-colour publication gravure printing when printed under specified gravure printing conditions. It also specifies the test method to ensure conformance. ISO 2846-3:2002 does not specify pigments (or spectral reflectance) in order not to preclude developments which may enable different pigment combinations to be used advantageously while still achieving the colorimetric requirements specified in ISO 2846-3:2002. NOTE ISO 2846-3:2002 may also apply to certain non-publication gravure applications.

Specifies the procedure for determining the tack value of paste inks and vehicles which have low volatility and are unreactiv under normal conditions during the time span required for testing. Contains a description of the rotary tackmeters most commonly used.

Describes a method of assessing the resistance of prints and printing inks to solvents. Applies to all printing substrates such as paper, board, metals and plastics and to all printing processes.

Specifies a method for assessing the resistance of prints to acids. Applicable to all printing processes and all printing substrates such as paper, board, plastics and metals.