Overview
IEC 62899-302-7:2025 - Printed electronics. Part 302-7: Equipment - Inkjet - Measurement methods of dot placement evaluation for printed electronics defines standardized measurement methods for assessing inkjet dot placement in printed electronics. Published by the IEC (Edition 1.0, 2025-11), this International Standard focuses on how to measure positional accuracy of printed dots and related image-processing procedures. It describes measurement workflows and reporting requirements but explicitly does not provide pass/fail evaluation criteria for printing systems.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard organizes measurement methodology and related requirements into clear technical topics:
- Scope and normative references - links to related parts of the IEC 62899 series, notably IEC 62899-302-4 (medium selection for dot placement evaluation).
- Terms and definitions - standardized vocabulary such as colour space encoding, RGB, HSL, HSI, and alignment mark to ensure consistent image analysis.
- Parameters and measurement methods:
- Environmental conditions to control measurement repeatability.
- Dot placement considerations and procedures for defining expected vs. measured dot positions.
- Measurement methods including use of printed examples, defining the printer origin and medium origins, and image acquisition details.
- Image processing workflows (Annex B) covering colour conversion, binarization, dot detection, and image stitching for larger samples.
- Evaluation and reporting guidance on documenting measurement results and experimental conditions.
- Informative annexes with example printing results, sample data, and step-by-step image-processing examples to support practical implementation.
Practical applications and users
IEC 62899-302-7 is valuable for organizations involved in development, manufacturing, and quality assurance of printed electronics who need repeatable, comparable dot-placement measurements:
- Inkjet print-head and equipment manufacturers - to validate positional performance of hardware and firmware.
- Printed electronics OEMs and integrators - for incoming inspection and process characterization.
- R&D and process engineers - to quantify registration accuracy during ink, substrate, and process development.
- Testing laboratories and certification bodies - to standardize measurement methods and reporting for comparative studies.
- Materials suppliers (inks, substrates) - to assess how materials influence dot placement.
Related standards
- IEC 62899 series (Printed electronics) - other parts covering media, equipment, and test methods.
- IEC 62899-302-4 - Medium for inkjet printing dot placement evaluation (normative reference cited).
- Relevant colour-space standards referenced (e.g., IEC/ISO colour encodings) for image processing consistency.
By standardizing measurement methods for inkjet dot placement, IEC 62899-302-7:2025 helps ensure reproducible, objective data for printed electronics development, quality control, and supplier communication.