Technology & Research

Printing Industries of America lab services staff have over four decades of industry experience evaluating materials used in the graphic arts industry. In addition, they also have access to a plethora of other industry professionals including, but not limited to, the areas of prepress, digital, pressroom, process controls, color management, JDF, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and many others!

Printing Industries of America lab services evaluates paper and ink characteristics using established standards, such as Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry (TAPPI), the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the National Printing Ink Research Institute (NPIRI). 

We evaluate materials proactively by providing quality control evaluations for printers, suppliers, and vendors around the industry. Many customers submit materials on a regular basis as a quality control measure to ensure the products they are providing are consistent and reliable. In addition, Printing Industries of America’s lab services provide analytical evaluations of jobs that did not go as planned. Often when conflicts arise concerning “jobs gone bad” customers will send the materials to Printing Industries of America for an unbiased, third-party evaluation to determine what went wrong and how to prevent it from occurring in the future!

What We Evaluate

• Inks, substrates, coatings.
• Binding properties.
• Material interactions - surface tension, drying times, ink/coating adhesion, etc.
• ISO 2846 Ink Conformance testing - offset, flexography, rotogravure, screen.
• Conflict resolution.
• Legal work.

Paper Tests

Video: Paper Strength Testing

• Absorptivity (K&N, Croda, Leneta)
• Ash Content (TAPPI T-413)
• Basis Weight (TAPPI T-410)
• Brightness (TAPPI T-452)
• Burst Strength (TAPPI T-403)
• Caliper (TAPPI T-411)
• CIE Whiteness (TAPPI T-562)
• Color (TAPPI T-424)
• Curl (TAPPI T-466)
• Dirt in Paper and Paperboard (TAPPI T-437)
• Dry Dusting (Press Trial)
• Folding Endurance (TAPPI T-511)
• Gloss (TAPPI T-480)
• Internal Tearing Resistance (TAPPI T-414)
• ISO Brightness ISO 2469
• Moisture Content (TAPPI T-412)
• Opacity (TAPPI T-425)
• Parker Print Surf Smoothness (TAPPI T-555)
• Porosity (TAPPI T-460)
• Sheffield Smoothness (TAPPI T-538)
• Stiffness (TAPPI T-489)
• Surface pH (TAPPI T-529)
• Tensile Strength (TAPPI T-404)
• Tri-pick test (Consolidated)
• Other standard TAPPI and ASTM tests can be performed upon request.

Ink Tests

• Coating Cure and Adhesion Evaluation
• Duke Emulsification (ASTM D4942-89)
• Fade Testing
• Fineness of Grind (ASTM D1316-87)
• Ink Mileage Curves
• ISO 2846 ink conformance
• Kershaw High-Speed Emulsification
• Laray & Brookfield Viscosity (ASTM D4040-81, Laray)
• Relative Opacity
• Setting & Drying Time
• Sutherland Rub Test
• SWOP Verifications
• TA Rheometry/Viscosity
• Tack & Stability (ASTM 4361-89)
• Tinctorial Strength (NPIRI Bleaching Method)
• VOC Content (EPA Method 24)
• Wash Out
• Other standard TAPPI and ASTM tests can be performed upon request.

For rates and information, contact Brad Evans at Printing Industries of America by phone at 412-259-1784 or email labservices@printing.org.