The jury includes Dr. Kanchana and Dr. Nirmala, Assistant Professors from the Department of Printing Technology at Anna University, India; Prabhu Natrajan, Research Engineer from WAN-IFRA; and other technical experts. They have served as distinguished jurors for the International Color Quality Club (ICQC) in the past.

Key print quality defects being evaluated

The jury panel is evaluating 18 print quality defects, including some of the key areas such as:

Colour accuracy: Juries assess how well the printed colours match the intended hues. This involves evaluating colour consistency across the entire publication.

Image sharpness: Clarity and detail in images are crucial. Image edges, fine lines, and overall sharpness are examined.

Contrast: Adequate contrast ensures readability. Well-defined text and graphics are essential.

Colour registration: Proper alignment of colours is essential. Mis-registration can lead to blurriness or colour fringing.

Show-through: The visibility of content from the reverse side of a printed sheet. It occurs when ink or images on one side are visible through the paper.

Setoff: Unintentional transfer of ink from a freshly printed sheet to an adjacent sheet in a stack.

Technical and general print quality evaluation underway

The contest evaluates printed cuboid test patches on newspaper and magazine products based on ISO standards. These standards cover aspects such as news shade, dot gain, colour conformity, and grey balance.

The contest evaluates quality under five categories to suit various production processes such as cold set offset, heat-set offset, UV-curing offset, and magazines.

Along with the “cuboid” test patch, the juries will evaluate visual print quality from the reader’s perspective, considering colour accuracy, image sharpness, contrast, and colour registration.

“The ICQC contest, organised by WAN-IFRA’s World Printers Forum, focuses on the excellence in print quality for newspapers and magazines. The ICQC aims to enhance overall reproduction and printing quality by recognising publishers who consistently maintain high standards in their printed products,” said Ingi Rafn Olafsson, Director of WAN-IFRA’s World Printers Forum.

ICQC to announce Star Club members in August

“ICQC participation encourages publishers to strive for excellence. By receiving detailed reports, publishers gain insights into areas for improvement,” Natrajan said.

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