Technology & Research

As customers continually demand higher and higher quality products, printers and suppliers must be prepared to meet these demands. In an effort to promote consistency and quality, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a conformance standard for color and transparency of four-color process printing inks.

For over a decade, Printing Industries of America has been the leading provider of ISO 2846 conformance testing. We recognize the importance of color management and have encouraged our customers to participate in this standard.

Printing Industries of America offers ISO 2846 Testing to Ink Suppliers who wish to provide notice to their customers that their inks have been tested for compliance by a neutral party.

Click the button below for a complete list of Printing Industries of America Verified ISO 2846 Conformance Inks. 
     
From a marketing perspective, it is advantageous for a supplier or manufacturer to have their ink sets tested for ISO 2846 conformance. This provides the printer with confidence that the inks they purchase will perform in a reliable, consistent manner. Additionally, printers who are using ISO and G7 quality practices are required to use ink sets that are ISO 2846 compliant.

The ISO 2846 standard provides color (L*a*b*) and transparency specifications for four-color printing inks. The colorimetric portion of the standard requires that each color be within a specified Delta E tolerance at an ink film thickness range provided in the standard. The transparency portion of the standard involves printing over a black substrate at varying ink film thicknesses and measuring the ability of the ink film to transmit light. This ink property is extremely important to trapping and overprint ability.

All types of lithographic paste inks are able to be evaluated for ISO 2846 conformance. This includes web heatset, conventional sheetfed, Hybrid UV, UV and EB ink sets. Printing Industries of America also has the ability to test other types of printing inks, including flexographic and gravure, for their appropriate ISO conformance. For more information and for a proposal, please contact Brad Evans at 412-259-1784 or email labservices@printing.org.