If you’ve been to Drupa, you’ve seen a lot of inkjet printers in action, and even more samples of inkjet printing from unreleased machines on display in the showroom. At Printing United in Las Vegas, the number of printers may not be as high, but there are still plenty of inkjet samples to look at.
As you walk through the flashing lights and dazzling aisles, some samples may immediately strike you as better than others, but what does “better” really mean? Are you making the right comparisons? Here’s how to make sure your print quality assessments are as objective as possible.
Understand the key differences in inkjet printing!
With all other factors being equal, inkjet printers will perform differently on different media. Especially with water-based digital printers, the quality and finish of the paper or other media can affect the final appearance and color quality. This is due to how the substrate absorbs the ink, how much the dots are spread out on the surface, and how much color and brightness the paper shows through the ink. Resolution and ink limits may also vary depending on the speed at which the press is running. Some devices may reduce speeds on specific media, such as coated papers, to ensure proper drying.
When you review available samples of inkjet printing, you also want to understand the options available to the inkjet printer.
- The inkjet printer may include the option to use a primer or pre-treatment, does all samples use it? Can you see a performance difference with and without pre-treatment?
- Do the samples indicate what speed settings are used? If the top speed and top resolution are different, can you see the difference in performance?
- Do the samples reference the color profile or ink settings used at production time? The amount of ink required to achieve a specific result, and the cost of the ink, are important points of comparison.
It is also important to understand that some samples may be designed to demonstrate the ability of a machine to meet different needs; for example, running on coated or offset-coated paper, or running in a more economical ink usage mode while still providing "sellable" color. Not all samples, even those from the same press or OEM, can be used for direct comparison.
Don’t be fooled by the design
At every event, there are companies that do an amazing job designing colorful, eye-catching print samples. It’s easy to be distracted by the beauty and creativity of the design and attribute it to the performance of the printer. Samples can also utilize specialized finishing to push the limits of your printer and decorating partner. Once a sample is coated or decorated, it can mask its underlying print quality.
Enjoy the show – check out the samples when you get home
Samples are an excellent way to spark interest in specific press capabilities and inkjet performance overall. However, an objective evaluation can’t be completed on-site. Ideally, you’ll want to request measurable printed samples that show how the printer handles text of varying sizes, solids, fine line thicknesses, halftones, and color fidelity on both sides. Sample designs require areas of low, medium, and high coverage, as well as vignetting. Ask about the paper type and settings used to run each sample, as well as the date the run was made.
Inspect under appropriate lighting conditions, and measure things like optical density, chroma, small text sharpness, edge definition, and gamut.
(Source: http://www.ipackjet.cn/）
