ISO 2846-1:2017 – Colour and Transparency of printing inks

In four-colour printing, the colours are mixed by printing the primary colours cyan, magenta, yellow and black on top of and next to each other. Although the number of primary colours is optional, too many primary colours are not usually used for economic reasons. The use of standardised printing inks with defined colour properties is one of the most important prerequisites for obtaining reproducible printing results.

ISO 2846-1:2017
Printing inks

ISO

Technical Advisory Board «swiss4color»

In this category we excerpt selected standards. The aim is to provide a brief summary of the standard and a "translation of the language of the standard" for the application-oriented professional.

Purpose and scope

Die international gültige Norm ISO 2846-1 legt die Eigenschaften für die Farbe und Transparenz fest, die von jeder Farbe eines Prozessfarbensatzes für den Proof- und Auflagendruck im vierfarbigen Offsetdruck erfüllt werden muss. Des Weiteren werden die Druckbedingungen unter Verwendung eines Labor-Probedruckgerätes, ein definierter Bedruckstoff und ein Prüfverfahren zur Sicherstellung der Konformität definiert. Die Norm gilt für Druckfarben, die für den Bogenoffset-, den Heatset-Rollenoffsetdruck und den strahlenhärtenden Druck verwendet werden.

Diese Norm gilt nicht für fluoreszierende Druckfarben und enthält keine Angaben zu Pigmenten. Dies soll ermöglichen, dass Pigmentkombinationen vorteilhaft eingesetzt und dennoch die farbmetrischen Anforderungen dieses Dokuments erfüllt werden können.

Test method

Colour

The colourimetric match is checked by printing each ink of the ink set to be tested on the reference substrate (C2846) with different ink film thicknesses. The sample prints are made for this purpose in accordance with the ISO 2834-1:2020 standard. The printed colours of the resulting test prints are measured colourimetrically in accordance with the ISO 13655:2017 standard. Subsequently, the colour difference between the sample and the corresponding nominal value from the standard ISO 2846-1 is determined. If at least one of these samples is within tolerance, the printing colour is colourimetrically in accordance with the.

Transparency

The transparency value T is determined by printing each of the chromatic colours (cyan, magenta, yellow) on a black substrate at different ink film thicknesses. The colour difference ΔE*_ab is determined for each sample between the overprinted and the unprinted black substrate. Subsequently, the slope of the linear regression of the ink film thickness against the colour difference is determined.
A printing ink complies with the requirements of this standard with regard to transparency if the reciprocal of the slope is negative or greater than the specified value.

Conformity

An ink is compliant with the requirements of this standard if, for one or more printed samples of each ink tested

the colorimetric tolerance within the defined ink film thickness range is met;
the transparency minimum requirement is met.

References to standards

Testing service

Conformity testing of printing inks according to ISO 2846-1:2017

Request testing

FURTHER NEWS

Read more +18 July 2024 By m.schunke in Latest news, Media release, Standardisation

ISO 2846-1:2017 – Colour and Transparency of printing inks

ISO 2846-1:2017

Printing inks