Overview
ISO/TS 15311-2:2018 - Graphic technology - Print quality requirements for printed matter - Part 2: Commercial print applications utilizing digital printing technologies - provides guidance for assessing the visual and measurable quality of commercially produced prints, primarily from digital printing systems. It focuses on prints on isotropic substrates typically viewed at 30–50 cm, defining which metrics, measurement methods and reporting practices are appropriate for the general commercial market. The specification is intended for print buyers, printers and other stakeholders who must agree on and verify print quality, but it does not set process-control aims or universal tolerances.
Key Topics
- Scope and purpose: Guidance for assessing printed sheets (single-sheet assessment) and for reporting results; applicable primarily to digital print but metrics are general enough for other processes.
- Metrics and measurement: Defines required, recommended and optional metrics (colour and tone reproduction, surface finish, homogeneity, detail rendition, artefacts, permanence). All colour measurements follow ISO 13655 measurement conditions (M0/M1/M2/M3) and use colourimetric methods rather than density where appropriate.
- Colour metrics: Encourages modern colour-difference metrics (CIEDE2000) and specifies reporting schema from ISO/TS 15311-1 for clarity and reproducibility.
- Data reference communication: Requires colorimetrically defined data sets and ICC output profiles to define intended printing conditions; references ISO 15930 for data conformance.
- Reporting and annexes: Includes reporting templates and informative/normative annexes (e.g., partial colour reference, control strips and suggested target ranges) to support measurement and communication.
Applications
Who uses ISO/TS 15311-2:2018 and why:
- Print buyers and procurement teams - to specify evaluation metrics and agree aims/tolerances with printers before production.
- Commercial printers and digital press operators - to assess output quality, produce objective reports and compare system capability.
- Prepress & color management specialists - to verify colorimetric conformity using ICC profiles and ISO 13655-compliant measurements.
- Equipment manufacturers and QA teams - to demonstrate or benchmark device capabilities (with appropriate documentation that samples are representative).
Practical uses include acceptance testing of job samples, certification of print runs, supplier comparisons and producing consistent customer-facing quality reports.
Related standards
- ISO/TS 15311-1 (measurement methods & reporting schema)
- ISO 13655 (spectral measurement & colorimetric computation)
- ISO 15930 (PDF/X and data conformance)
- ISO 12647 series (process control for conventional printing)
- ISO/PAS 15339 (colour characterization principles)
Keywords: ISO/TS 15311-2:2018, print quality, digital printing, graphic technology, colour measurement, ISO 13655, ICC output profile, print buyer, commercial print.
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