RyeTAGA Student Journal 2006-2007

Ryerson TAGA Student Chapter- Copyright 2007 No part of this publication shall be reproduced without permission from the author(s).

Published by: Ryerson University TAGA Student Chapter Faculty of Communication & Design School of Graphic Communications Management Toronto, Ontario, Canada http://www.ryerson.ca/gcm Design and Artwork by: Nicola Kidd

Phew…

On behalf of the Ryerson TAGA Student Chapter we would like to extend a warm welcome to all TAGA members. Upon forming in early September 2006, it has been our goal to spread the news about the talent of the student body at Ryerson University. In our short while together, we have been able to produce a publication that represents the ideas and thoughts of Ryerson students. This journal is a reflection of their outstanding dedication and commitment to research.

We are grateful to the School of Graphic Communications Management for providing us the opportunity to print this entire journal in-house. From file construction to plate-making and then onto printing, our facilities and superb team have enabled us to produce this publication. The assistance from students from first to fourth year was integral in this process. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Webcom Inc. for their bindery donation.

Producing this journal has been an excellent learning experience for our entire team. We would especially like to thank our advisor, Dr. Martin Habekost and our production consultant/right-hand-man, Peter Roehrig for making our student chapter successful.

Our presence at the TAGA conference is due to the financial contributions of many sponsors. We would also like to show our appreciation for the generous contributions from Ryerson University’s Faculty of Communication and Design and the Project Funding Allocation Committee for Students (P-FACS). We would also like to thank the faculty and staff of the School of Graphic Communications Management for their financial support and use of facilities.

Although only a small number of us have come to represent Ryerson at this year’s TAGA conference, we are excited to bring other extraordinary students in future years.

-Ryerson Student Chapter

You made it!

The Ryerson TAGA Student Chapter has worked hard to put this journal together.

It has been a pleasure to work with everyone and it is nice to see such enthusiastic and dedicated students.

Getting started is always the hard part. In the short period of time that I have been the faculty supervisor we went through some rough patches, but in the end we all pulled together! Nice work.

The articles in this journal cover a wide variety of topics. These articles were chosen to show the diversity of interests that students have at the School of Graphic Communications Management here at Ryerson University.

I am sure it will be great to interact with the other student chapters. It was amazing to see what each student chapter put together for the 58th Annual Technical Conference in Vancouver.

Congratulations on this great brochure. Enjoy the conference and return with your heads filled with new ideas.

All the best to you,

Martin Habekost, Dr. rer. nat.

Ryerson TAGA student chapter advisor

We would like to thank the following people and companies. Your generous support has made the publication of this journal possible.

Martin Habekost for his guidance and knowledge Peter Roehrig for his patience and expertise The GCM Faculty for providing us with the resources for this publication Art Seto for his generous donation of paper Project Funding Allocation Committee for Students (P-FACS) for financial support Webcom Inc. for their charitable donation in binding our publication

This publication was produced by the students in the Ryerson TAGA Student Chapter.

It was printed in its entirety by the Graphic Communications Management program at Ryerson University.

Software Adobe Creative Suite 2 Kodak Preps v5.0 Typefaces Eurostile ITC Officina Sans Paper Condat Supreme Gloss 80# Domtar Cornwall C1S 8pt Ink Rycoline Optimum Waterless Series-Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black Hostmann-Steinberg Rapida Optima-Black QK 1765 Production Equipment Heidelberg Printmaster GTO 52-2P Heidelberg 4-Colour Quickmaster DI 46-4 Production Team Scott Millward Diana Brown Nicola Kidd Am Sagarwala Mateusz Serwin Nathan Witt

An Exploration of Security Printing...... 9 Part I: Security Printing Research....................... 9 Introduction....................................... 10 Definitions........................................ 11 Overview of Industries............................... 11 Ink-based Techniques................................ 16 Substrate-based Techniques........................... 21 Printing Technologies and Techniques................... 22 Part II: Press Run with Microprinting and Split Fountain.... 24 Instruments Used................................... 24 Test Specimen Description............................ 24 Procedure......................................... 24 Testing Principle.................................... 25 Results........................................... 26 Discussion......................................... 27 Conclusions........................................ 28 References........................................ 29 Conductivity is Futile........................ 31 Introduction....................................... 31 Scope and Summary................................. 31 Definitions and Equations............................ 32 Materials Used..................................... 33 Equipment Used.................................... 33 Test Principle...................................... 33 Procedures. ....................................... 34

Results and Discussions.............................. 34 Recommendations. ................................. 35 Conclusion. ....................................... 40 Acknowledgements.................................. 40 References........................................ 40

Densitometric and Spectrophotometric Evaluation of Colour......................... 42 Scope and Summary . ............................... 42 Introduction . ..................................... 42 Materials Tested . .................................. 43 Equipment Used.................................... 43 Test Principle...................................... 43 Procedures. ....................................... 44 Results and Discussion............................... 44 Recommendations. ................................. 50 References........................................ 51 Determining Pick Resistance with the Universal Testprinter........................ 52 Introduction....................................... 52 Purpose of Research................................. 52 Introduction to the Universal Testprinter and Inking Unit... 52 Equipment & Materials............................... 53 Testing method..................................... 54 Conclusion. ....................................... 59 Observed Issues .................................... 60 Summary of Test Parameters.......................... 60 References........................................ 60 Acknowledgments................................... 60 Printing Employment in Canada.......... 61 Summary.......................................... 61 Article............................................ 61 Canadian Dollar. ................................... 62 China: Gaining Momentum............................ 63 Technological Automation............................ 65 References........................................ 66

Graphic Communications Management

Mabel Cho Mary Huang Gloria Ng Kyle Sassmann Jacquelyn Wint Scope and Summary

Part I: Security Printing Research

Security printing is an expanding sector of the graphic arts industry due to growing concerns of terrorism, theft, counterfeiting and fraud. Losses in 2004 included $875 billion for financial instruments, $98 billion for certificates, licences, tickets and coupons, and $6.6 billion in passports, visas, and other forms of identification (Ester, 2005). As safeguarding technology improves, however, technology for fraudulent purposes likewise moves forward. Significant resources are, and must be, constantly invested into research and development in this field to find effective methods of authenticating documents and deterring would-be criminals.

In this report, we explored the industries of legal documents, bank notes, checks and certificates, lottery/instant game tickets, and packaging/pharmaceuticals to determine their issues and needs. All are clearly dependent on accountability to users by forming a bond of trust between the consumer and the product in order to remain viable: the genuineness of the document or package is a critical part of what makes it useful and valuable. All industries further demonstrated a growing need for enhanced security printing measures that allow track-and-trace and data recording capabilities.

We analyzed a variety of security printing technologies, revealing a diverse spectrum of tools that can be broadly classified into ink-based, substrate-based, or printing technology/technique. The last category includes the subjects of our press run test: microprinting and split fountain, both commonly seen in legal and financial security printing.

We tested microprinting by reproducing an image of a $5 bank note (with permission), alongside an Ugra plate control wedge. A split fountain was achieved by using DI press cheeks to divide one ink fountain to feed two colours into the press. We found that security print production is a tightly controlled process that must be closely managed from prepress, and that our less-than-standardized prepress methods and procedures had significant impact on the quality of our printed results. Our Heidelberg GTO was found to be able to hold only to 12 or 15 microns for fine line printing, and could not match the 10 microns of true bank note microprinting. Split fountain, on the other hand, though performed in an improvised manner, was achieved with a stronger degree of success.

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An Exploration of Security Printing

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Through our research, it is clear that there is no singular method to “high quality” security printing. Some are easier to replicate than others, but none are foolproof. In order to be effective, multiple techniques must be utilized, and they must constantly evolve in order to remain useful. There is a defined movement across industries towards integrating electronics and organic/biometric components into security printing. This creates intelligent devices that can record and track data about the product in question, adding an additional dimension to the fight against fraud. The use of technologies such as RFID is significant to the growth and potential of the future of security printing.

Introduction

The purpose of security printing is to deter fraud and provide proof that the product in question is genuine, an issue at the forefront today due to terrorism and identity theft. Three main lines of defense against security document reproduction are a visual inspection, a test of authenticity (ideally easy to perform for general consumers), and testing by an expert or specialized machine for situations involving higher expenses and/or risks (Pivotal Resources, 2004).

A counterfeit-free product is impossible; improvements in technology mean advances for both enforcers and thieves. It makes fraud easier, especially for smaller operations. Counterfeiting worldwide cost $875 billion in December 2004 alone, with printed items leading the list of offenders (Ester, 2005). U.S. Treasurer Cabral stated that American currency must undergo redesign every 7 to 10 years to stay ahead of counterfeiters (Robertson, 2006), while the Bank of Canada (BoC) changed the note designs from the earlier Birds of Canada series to 2001’s Canadian Journey series. Such revisions demonstrate the importance of constantly exploring what is available and staying on top of emerging technologies for future options.

“Security printing is not a new technique, but involves the combination of conventional printing techniques” (pp. 19, Pivotal Resources, 2004). In this report, we will explore a number of industries that utilize security printing: legal documents, bank notes, cheques and certificates, lottery tickets, and packaging/ pharmaceuticals. Security printing techniques have been categorized into three broad groups: ink-based, substrate-based, and technologies/techniques distinct from the two previous classifications.

Due to the nature and scope of our project, it is impossible to conduct a complete test of the techniques discussed with the resources available to us.

Many implementation details are closely guarded secrets, and/or utilize materials and equipment that are difficult or expensive to obtain. We chose to focus on two techniques common in legal documents and within our lab capabilities: microprinting and split fountain. By attempting to reproduce them, we can ascertain their effectiveness as well as our equipment capabilities. Finally, we will analyze the techniques reviewed as a whole and ascertain the general trends and direction of security printing.

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Definitions

Directing a product to a different market instead of the one it was intended for; this can result in consumers receiving products that are expired, tainted, or tampered with.

Matched pairs Sets of codes that must be read together in order to be authenticated. They can be different (e.g. one is visible, the other is encrypted), but are linked together in an information database.

Parallax The ability to see a scene and colour from many angles and depths, as in a hologram.

Raising “Fraudulently modifying so as to appear to be of higher denomination” (pp. 23, Graham, 2004).

Taggant An embedded substance (e.g. microscopic pieces) that helps to identify manufacture origins.

Legal Documents

Overview of Industries

Legal documents such as banknotes and passports represent a country’s stability as it affects its citizens and to the international community. Critical securities should be used to manage and safeguard these documents. Other documents of value such as stamps, visas, licences that are prone to counterfeiting and tampering also require special attention (Graham, 2004).

In today’s highly competitive global business environment, every dollar of revenue must be protected and brand integrity must be preserved. Yet many business and government organizations lose millions from sales dollars and tax collections every year from counterfeit labels and tax stamps (Bury, 2004). Therefore, anticounterfeiting strategies, processes and products must be developed to satisfy even the toughest product authentication and tracking challenges.

Some of the major techniques used for these documents of value are Intaglio, OVI, Hologram and UV printing.

Bank notes This sector is the main industry that comes to mind when discussing security printing. It carries a major risk of fraud, with significant national impact on the economy and the value of denominations in terms of use. Counterfeiting nearly tripled across Canada between 2002-2004, costing almost $13 million in 2004 An Exploration of Security Printing

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Diversion

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(Hilda Hoy, 2006). The critical nature of production means that notes considered unfit for public circulation are returned, verified by high-speed note processing equipment and then shredded. Aside from counterfeiting, fraud can also occur in the form of raising. Interestingly, there is also a market for fraud “errors” on bank notes. Due to the high quality required, notes with printing errors can be considered very valuable despite being unfit for circulation. For instance, there is a small area focused on faking missing asterisks and serial numbers, cutting errors, and/or changing colours with bleach or alkali (Graham, 2004).

In terms of production and composition, the design of a bank note can take several years. Only two companies are licensed to print notes used by the Bank of Canada: the Canadian Bank Note Company Limited (CBN) and BA International Incorporated Initial plates are tested on small hand-operated presses for quality approval, then large lithographic and intaglio plates are made. Each plate carries a portion of the design, and typically up to 8 plates are used for a note (Bank of Canada, 2006). CBN uses Giori Intaglio presses for currency printing, including a Giori Simultan security litho press, which can print all colours in a single pass with a common blanket for superior registration (Bury, 2004).

The following tables summarize security features used in the various bank notes and series: Birds of Canada series Optical Security Device (Colour Change Patch) Planchettes (Green Dots) Raised Ink (Intaglio) Fine-Line Patterns Microprinting Serial Number Special Colours Figure 1 — Birds of Canada security features Source: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/banknotes/counterfeit/security_features.html

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Canadian Journey series

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Holographic Stripe Watermark Portrait Windowed ColourShifting Thread See-Through Number Iridescent Maple Leaves Hidden Number Raised Ink (Intaglio) Fine-Line Patterns Microprinting Fluorescence Serial Number Special Colours On the original Canadian Journey series $10 note only.

Figure 2 — Canadian Journey security features Source: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/banknotes/counterfeit/security_features.html

The new series with additional security features resulted in a 25% drop in counterfeits, although the first release of the new $10 bill five years ago saw counterfeits being passed as early as six weeks after it first went into circulation (Robertson, 2006). As seen above, the smallest denominations possess fewer features. The danger is that counterfeiters will focus on these bills. As regional BoC representative de Swart notes, many “retailers and the public don’t look as closely at smaller bills” (Hilda, 2006). Therefore, additional features will be added in 2006.

Bank notes also offer “accessibility features” to make them distinguishable to the visually impaired. The tactile feature refers to raised/embossed and backcoated dots located in the top right corner of the face on the Canadian Journey series. They are not Braille, but “a system developed in consultation with blind and visually impaired Canadians after research indicated that not all potential An Exploration of Security Printing

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users read Braille” (Bank of Canada, 2006). Though not an official security feature and not to be used for authentication, it is still difficult to duplicate and can be helpful.

To expand on some of the various security features listed in the charts above, our group has done further research on the following: Fluorescence elements are features of the bill that glow only under UV light.

These include the coat of arms, “FIVE – CINQ” and “BANK DU CANADA BANK OF CANADA”, as well as random blue and white paper fibers that glow red.

Colours are created with special inks that are hard to acquire and difficult to accurately reproduce on the substrates. Serial numbers, which are three letter prefixes with seven digit numbers, also increase the difficulty in reproduction by tracking production (Bank Note Communication and Compliance Team, 2002) .

Optical security devices (colour change patches) appear on the $20, $50, $100 and $1000 bank notes. These colour-shifting squares change from gold to green when tilted. They cannot be peeled off and counterfeits are easily detected if the patch can be removed with a person’s fingernail (Currency Education, 1999).

Holographic stripes appear as shiny stripes on the front of the bill. They are used for the numbers and maple leaves that appear to “move” and change colour on bank notes.

Windowed colour-shifting threads appear when the note is held up to a light.

Solid vertical lines can be seen on both sides. The threads create exposed metallic “window dashes” that change colour (green to gold) and have small micro-printed numbers woven into the paper.

See-through numbers that appear as irregular marks on the front and back of the bill are visible only when the bill is held up to light. They align with each other to create a jigsaw puzzle effect to form the numbers (Bank of Canada, 2004).

Cheques and Certificates Cheque fraud affects all types of cheques: personal cheques, business cheques and computer-generated cheques. The following are new developments in standardized cheque creation as set by the CPA (Canadian Payments Association): no printing allowed in 5/8 MICR band; adoption of numeric date field; mandatory MICR consecutive numbering; standardized positions for key fields on the cheque, including the date field and the amount in figures; the printer must ensure that the image can in fact be captured by the banks’ equipment; complex or colourful backgrounds may interfere with image quality; standardized print on the back of all cheques; elements that will hinder capture of information such as reverse prints, italics, slanted fonts and a bottom border printed below the MICR line, will not be allowed; and security features such as VOID pantographs must not interfere with scanning (CPA, 2006).

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There are many features/techniques that the CPA has developed for preventing cheque fraud, such as line marks, chemical-reactant stains, toner-fused paper, fluorescent fibers, warning bands, microprinting and bleed thru MICR ink.

Lottery tickets Instant games are a high-stakes, fiercely competitive industry with significant government involvement; sales from 2002 and 2003 totaled $8.08 billion. In Canada, there are three major players: CBN (with its Lottery Systems Division), Oberthur Gaming Technologies and Pollard Bank Note (Picklyk, 2004), wrestling for power in 150 state and provincial accounts. Security printing is critical to profitability and viability; without safeguarding games from fraud, theft or accidental error, companies would go out of business. Tagging, recording and tracking products are also excruciatingly crucial. Oberthur uses Comco and Drent Goebel presses (Diekmeyer, 2004), and a random-number-generator/inkjet printer is also common.

Ticket backs are often printed with multiple passes of ink to obscure winning numbers if the ticket is held up to the light. Likewise, covering agent is used for scratch-off components. The two major materials used for scratch-off applications are ultraviolet (UV) and foil. Ultraviolet scratch-off formulas are usually applied using a screen printing process. This allows for quick drying, making it costeffective for long-run applications. The major disadvantage is that the UV scratchoff confines color choices to silver and gold metallic.

Foil scratch-offs are available in an array of colors and patterns. They are applied more densely than UV scratch-off coatings, hiding any prints below. For this reason, foil is a superior choice if darker inks will be printed underneath or if security is of concern. Messages such as “scratch here� or images such as company logos can be screen-printed or ink-jetted onto either UV or foil coatings (Daubert, 2005).

Packaging and Pharmaceuticals Packaging for food products and pharmaceuticals can literally be a matter of lifeand-death. Packaging must not only ensure freshness, but also prevent criminals from tampering with the contents. Accountability and trust are highly important, and liability is a significant concern when both brand name and public health must be protected. A World Health Organization study reported 10% of global drug sales are counterfeits, costing the pharmaceutical industry approximately $46 billion a year and leading to thousands of deaths worldwide (Patton, 2006).

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Each year over $12 billion is lost as a result of cheque fraud. Counterfeiters have developed new technologies and techniques for fraudulently editing and reproducing cheques, the most common of which are the following: colour copiers (multiple copies possible), scan into PC (information manipulated, duplicates laser printed), toner Lift-Off (information removed and new information laser printed), chemical washes (household chemicals used, information removed, new info added or chemical bath, makes blank paper, used for new documents) (CPA, 2006).

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Holography is often utilized in the form of specialized coating technology to embed messages, barcodes, and/or images. Taggants are also common, employing UV or IR to work with spectroscopic signatures for authentication. Some companies, like Nutec Systems, are even beginning to offer biological taggants; all can be embedded into barcodes and other sequential codes (Pack Expo, 2006).

Serialization, randomized with lot code and expiry dates, perform additional data management functions (ThomasNet Industrial Newsroom, 2005). Other methods employed include colour-shifting inks, microtext with reactive inks attuned to specific pens, watermarks with up to 20 layers, and tamper-evident packaging such as patterned adhesives and substrates.

“Track-and-trace“ features hold particular appeal for this sector. They facilitate not only security but also associated activities such as quality control and product recall, which can be critical in the health industry. They also deter the diversion of products to illegal markets or channels.

UV Ink

Ink-based Techniques

UV invisible fluorescent inks are optical devices commonly accepted for security printing. They produce colours or emit light that our eyes can only see when exposed to an ultraviolet light source (DNP, 2005). When printed onto a substrate, the UV ink is transparent and cannot be photocopied or picked up by scanners.

The inks can be applied by wet or dry offset flexography, or gravure processes (Lustig, 2002).

OVI (Colour-shifting) Ink One method commonly combined with intaglio printing is Optically Variable Ink (OVI). The ink is made by grinding up foils, which are then mixed into the ink vehicle (Chris Kular, personal communication, March 17, 2006). As a result, it appears as tiny flakes of special film which change colour when viewed at different angles. It can be recognized with the naked eye and its colour shift cannot be photocopied or reproduced. OVI are very expensive inks and generally used in small areas. OVI are sometimes printed by using the process silk screening (Indigo Image LLC, 2002).

Pen Reactive Inks Used primarily to authenticate sensitive documents, they are planned to develop color when touched with the appropriate chemical reagent, which is generally supplied in a unique developing pen. In the irreversible formulation, the ink is visible for a year and then the reversible formulation becomes invisible again over a duration of time (Lustig, 2002).

Coin Reactive Inks These inks give quick authentication, becoming visible when rubbed with a coin or other metal object, or a Highlighter pen. The invisible version is printed by wet or dry offset in an area of a document where criminals are more inclined to An Exploration of Security Printing

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Desensitizing Inks A spot is applied either by wet sheetfed or web offset printing which deactivates certain areas of the front coated sections of carbonless papers. They prevent the transfer of information from one ply to another in forms with multiple parts (Lustig, 2002).

Thermochromic Ink The colour changes freely at a specific temperature. The process is reversible and repeatable. Low Temperature thermochromic ink is used for applications that are kept in refrigeration, such as beverage labels and ice-cream packaging.

Body temperature thermochromic ink is designed to show color at normal room temperature or change when rubbed with the finger or by breathing on it. It is used on packaging and other interactive products (CTI, 2006).

Before

After (touching with fingers)

Figure 3 — Thermochromic Ink (SICPA Innovation Series, 2006)

With High Temperature thermochromic ink, formulation changes color just “below the pain threshold temperature for skin” (CTI, 2006). This is used on safety labels, microwaveable products, and hot beverage labels.

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try to modify (e.g. where dollar amounts are given). Laser printed checks or gift certificates are good examples. If the printed area is scraped, black smudge marks are present (Lustig, 2002) or type such as “Void” or “Original Document” appear (House, 1993).

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Luminescent Ink These inks illuminate intensely under UV lamps, and are used in all types of printing processes. They can be combined with daylight fluorescent inks.

This fluorescent effect is dependent on pigmentation and ink layer thickness.

Luminescent ink can be used with selected pigments.

Before

Figure 4 — Luminescent Ink (SICPA Innovation Series, 2006) An Exploration of Security Printing

After (under UV lamp)

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Photochromic ink is solvent-based and can be used in rotogravure, flexography and screen-printing. It appears after 20 seconds under the influence of UV-light. Ink shades change from colourless to a certain shade or from one shade to another. This process is reversible. Photochromic prints are colourless in a room with artificial light or dark room and coloured under the influence of daylight.

It is possible to use photochromic ink in food packaging with selective material combinations (SICPA Innovation Series, 2006).

Invisible Code The black code on black solid ink is invisible to the eye. An Infrared reader can detect the black and decipher the code.

After Before (under Infrared reader)

Figure 5 — Invisible Code (SICPA Innovation Series, 2006)

Bleeding Ink Bleeding ink is available in different shades, but normally in darker colours. The effect can be seen when water or solvent (petrol or alcohol) is dropped onto the prints. The ink “bleeds” to a defined colour.

Figure 6 — Bleeding Ink (SICPA Innovation Series, 2006) An Exploration of Security Printing

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Photochromic Ink

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Dissolving Ink This technology is used in two different ink systems, where one reacts to defined chemicals. The effect can be seen by wiping out with a solvent (petrol or alcohol).

Before

After (wiped with solvent)

Figure 7 — Dissolving Ink (SICPA Innovation Series, 2006)

After-glow Ink “After-glow” ink glows after activation by a light source. It works on the same principle of non-digital watches that are capable of glowing in the dark. The light sensitive areas are excited by the light, which usually must be up close to the light source for a short period of time before full activation occurs. when viewed right after activation in a darkened area, these inks glow a specified colour for a short period of time as the excitement of the ink immediately begins to decrease back to a calm, non-glowing state right after removal from the light source.

Scratch Off Ink This rub-off system can be used in flexography, rotogravure, and silkscreen.

Metallic inks (silver or gold) assure that the text is covered, on lottery tickets, for example. This system is not good for long shelf-life products, due to shipping and scuffing.

Edible Ink Relatively new to the market, this ink, developed under federal food and drug legislation guidelines in both the U.S. and Europe, is being tested for future use in track-and-trace applications in food and pharmaceutical packaging. It is still being perfected for compatibility with ink-jet printers, and when completed it will be able to print codes directly onto consumables such as medicinal capsules (Roberts, 2005).

MICR Ink MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) ink is a character recognition system. A special machine magnetizes the MICR ink and interprets the magnetic data into characters that must be used to read this ink. This is common for cheque-reading by banks, and must be printed using a MICR ink-specific laser printer (CPA, 2006).

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Substrate-based Techniques

The microscopic and sometimes magnetic taggants are readable by handheld machines, which would show whether a document was authentic or a photocopy.

Hidden-Messages Even though anyone can steal secure documents using the local variety store photocopier, there are some papers that are manufactured with a specialized “illegal copy” message that only appears on the photocopied version of the document.

Paper Stains Some papers are manufactured with a chemical makeup that creates a brown stain when someone tries to erase information off of the paper with a chemical, such as bleach.

Strength/Durability and Texture The currency of most countries is printed on a high basis weight paper and is usually made with a high percentage of cotton content. Papers with higher cotton content are found to last longer and be stronger then those with lower cotton content (Graham, 2004). This, combined with linen/coloured fibers, make the money unique in appearance and texture, making illegal reproduction harder to accomplish. In some countries, such as Mexico and Australia, the strength and durability of money is increased through the use of polymers instead of paper.

Line Marks and Fluorescent Fibres Line marks change from light to dark depending on the light being reflected or transmitted. Fluorescent fibers combine visible red/blue fibers in the paper with invisible fluorescent fibers. The latter are visible only when placed under a black light.

Watermarks One security feature often used with paper is the addition of a watermark. The watermark is created by the impression of the dandy roller. It presses a unique design into the structure of the paper, and cannot be replicated by photocopying the image.

Toner Fused Coating Toner fused coating fuses the toner into the paper, creating tears in the paper if the toner is altered or removed.

Planchettes These are small dots embedded randomly into paper like confetti. They come in “visible” and “invisible” varieties, the latter of which cannot be picked up by scanners or photocopiers (House, 1993). The most common example is the green dots visible on the notes from the Birds of Canada series. They glow under UV light, but can also be removed (Currency Education, 1999).

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Taggants

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Intaglio

Printing Technologies and Techniques

In this printing method, the image area is incised with a pointed tool or “bitten” with acid into a metal plate, usually copper or zinc. The plate is inked by means of filling in the engraved area with ink. The excess is wiped off so that only the incised grooves contain ink. The plate and a dampened substrate are then run through a press together to create the print (Pivotal Resources, 2004). The result is a raised image above the paper surface. Easily detected by sight and touch, intaglio is the worldwide reference for bank notes. The genuine look of the document comes from the colours and textures imparted by the printing process, and it offers an ultimate seal of security when used in combination with other security elements (SICPA, 2006).

Holograms Holograms are optical devices that are also widely accepted for providing various levels of security to a product or document. Generally printed with any regular flat head thermal transfer printer, holograms belong to a class of images known as Diffractive Optical Variable Image Device (DOVID) (DNP, 2005). They provided a two or three-dimensional effect on a flat surface when held under certain light.

A unique feature of hologram labels is the parallax. The colourful effect comes from microstructures within the label and is caused by the diffraction of the light hitting them, and cannot be easily copied (Security Hologram, 2006). Printing hologram ribbons onto standard polyester or polypropylene substrates creates the unique hologram images. Most hologram ribbons are created when the light from a laser beam is split into two. One beam is aimed at a photo-sensitive receiver, which is a sheet of glass covered with photo-sensitive coating, and the other is reflected off the object that will result in the finished hologram and then scattered onto the same photo-sensitive receiver. For smaller and more detailed designs, a laser light can substitute the electron beam. Once the image is exposed and the coating is cured, a UV-curable layer of resin is then applied to the glass sheet and cured surface to create a mirror image of the exposed glass. When the resin cures, it is removed from the glass as a flexible sheet. The ribbon can then be curved around a printing cylinder for the next stage of the printing process, which is to construct the final ribbon configuration (DNP, 2005).

The ribbon is then attached to a PET (metallized) film carrier. A heat resistant layer is applied to the side contacting the print head, ensuring good heat conductivity and low-friction passage of the ribbon across the print head. A release layer is added to the other side of the film to aid the adhesion of the subsequent layers to the PET, ensuring those layers are cleanly released during the printing process.

The next layer applied is a UV-curable resin that is soft and rigid enough to be embossed. It is attached by being fed between the previous mounted cylinder and a pressure roller to emboss the holographic image. Once the embossed resin is UV-cured again to secure the holographic image, metallizing is prepared to create the “mirror” effect of the hologram. Aluminium is sputtered onto the embossed resin at an approximate temperature of 1300°F during the process. To complete the step, a heat activated adhesive layer is added to the ribbon (DNP, 2005).

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Discussed in Part II: Press Run, of the paper.

Ink-jet Printing and Track-and-Trace Coding While not a security printing technique in and of itself, the non-impact nature and the digital and variable data capabilities of ink-jet make it a versatile tool for identification and track-and-trace security printing. Laser printing can also print many of the same codes, but as a contact printing process they cannot be used for taggants. They can be used to print sequential, non-sequential, covert and/or machine-readable codes (Roberts, 2005). They can also generate matched pairs, as well as support RFID technology by printing the tag antennas, and be connected directly to an information database. Products are tagged with a unique serial number that is also entered into a secure database, enabling its movement/location to be traced by providing valuable, up-to-date information about the product’s history.

Microprinting Discussed in Part II: Press Run, of the paper.

RFID and Future Developments in Printed Electronics The future is leaning towards the increased development and implementation of photolithography for the creation of built-in technological circuits with current security risk products (money, cheques, passports, etc.). The use of “printed electronics” in printed products is on the rise as a result of the ongoing increase in counterfeiting. The first and most wide spread form of printed electronics is the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system. The future of RFID and security printing lies in the combination of the flexo-printing process and specialized inks. Printed electronics could be used for the RFID antennas and possibly for conductive paths, and other related components the RFID system requires to perform its function. This decreases the cost of implementing the RFID technology and widens its use through increasing accessibility to potential users.

The RFID system, as it is known today, is used as a way of remotely identifying items at great distances. These objects are acknowledged through the use of a tiny RFID electronic tag that communicates location to a receiver antenna. RFID is and will continue to develop its use for reducing employee theft and shoplifting through constant location monitoring.

The future of RFID tags on individual objects, instead of pallets and groups of items (as it is used for now), will only be possible if the cost of manufacturing the tags decreases substantially. RFID tags cost .20 to .40 cents each, a significant cost for individual object implementation (Pivotal Resources, 2004). For tags to be used on such individual things as cheques, sensitive legal documents, passports and possibly even money, the cost per tag must to decrease to .01 cents each to be cost-effective. This could occur through the use of a continuous flexographic printing process, which would print the tags on flexible plastic materials.

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Split Fountain Printing

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The expansion of RFID tags into bills can already be seen in Europe. The European Central Bank has received numerous complaints and protests over privacy/human rights issues due to RFID experimentation on banknotes. These tags essentially permit free roam of personal spending records: once you give the bill to a store; the RFID tag transmits its new location to the receiver antenna. However, this tracking feature would be a great asset for bank trucks when shipping money from place to place, so that if any one bill was stolen, it could be tracked and returned.

Part II: Press Run with Microprinting and Split Fountain Instruments Used

2c Heidelberg Printmaster GTO 52-2P IHARA R710 Colour Reflection Densitometer Carl Zeiss (West Germany) Microscope

Test Specimen Description

Inks:

Hostmann-Steinberg Rapida Optima Black 8 QK 1675 Sun Chemical Astrolith Process Cyan Astro 5296 Colmar O/S PMS Green PSG32787

Paper:

Luna Gloss Basic size: 25” x 38” M size: 13-1/4” x 18-1/18” Grammage: 148g/m2

Basis weight: 100lbs.

M weight: 51M

Procedure

1. Obtain permission from Bank of Canada to reproduce image 2. Scan bank note and create template, output film and burn

plates of the following:

a. Plate 1: Actual size bank note plus text and Ugra wedge for

testing microprinting capabilities

b. Plate 2: Oversized bank note 3. Set up two-colour press run on GTO

a. Unit 1: black

b. Unit 2: split fountain cyan plus green 4. Achieve the following target densities +/- 0.10

a. K 1.80

b. C 1.40

c. PMS Green 1.78 C 5. Take magnified photos with microscope and compare with

actual bank note.

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The difficulty with this is that our prepress methods likely would not compare with the finely-controlled process that note printing companies use. For instance, we scanned a bill instead of outputting from an image file, which could cause quality issues such as moiré from screening. We simplified our run by reducing images to grayscale so that we could output on just two plates to focus solely on microprinting without having to worry about registration issues in case we were unable to align our film as accurately as in real-life production. To compensate for potential deficiencies unrelated to the actual press’ capabilities, we included an Ugra plate control wedge on the plate. This wedge consists of a strip that can be exposed onto the plate for output on-press, as a quality control tool for lithographic plate making, as well as evaluating proofing and printing capabilities. It can evaluate criteria such as exposure, exposure latitude, optimum resolution, gradation and halftone dot rendering (Globis, 2004).

Small dot patches • indication of the beginning and the end of the reproducible tone scale

Slur and doubling • patches recognition of slur and doubling visual and/ or by density measurement Halftone wedge (60 lines/cm) • evaluation of tone reproduction • evaluation of dot gain

Microline patches • determination of optimum resolution • determination of exposure latitude

Continuous tone wedge • exposure control

Figure 8 illustrates the sections of the wedge. Both the small dot patches and the microline patches are suitable for Figure 8 — Ugra wedge components evaluation of microprinting capabilities. http://www.globisinc.com/products/ugra.php They indicate the extent to which positive or negative dots are reduced to zero or filled into a solid line, respectively.

The microlines are composed of positive/negative circles with widths of 4-70 microns (Ugra, n.d.). The difficulty with using the Ugra strip is that, as a European standard, it is intended for positive plates and not the negative ones we use in An Exploration of Security Printing

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Testing Principle

Our Heidelberg GTO was selected both for its widespread use in lithographic printing and its suitability/use in government printing purposes. We designed a template incorporating a $5 bank note (the lowest denomination) from the Birds of Canada series. By printing the note at actual size, we would then be able to compare the microprinting with a real dollar bill more accurately.

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North America. Thus, our dot values would be reversed on the press sheet, making it slightly awkward to read and evaluate.

A final variable to consider is the fact that stochastic FM screening was not considered for this evaluation; however, it is commonly used to enhance fine microprinting, and had we utilized this method instead, our results would likely have been more accurate.

Much of our test was limited by access to materials and equipment. For the split fountain, we substituted cheeks from the DI press instead of specialized dividers, as we did not have any in the lab. This would affect the accuracy of our colour gradation, as we will discuss later on. If we had the luxury of time to add more colours in our run, we could have included an actual gradient mimicking the split fountain effect to visually compare quality.

Results

Figure 9 — Eye on actual $5 note

Figure 10 — Eye on reproduction

Figure 11 — Corner text on actual $5 note

Figure 12 — Corner text on reproduction

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Figure 14 — Buildings and fine text background on reproduction

Figure 15 — Coat of arms and fine text background on actual $5 note

Figure 16 — Coat of arms and fine text background on reproduction

Figure 17 — Printed Ugra wedge

Discussion

Microprinting refers to extremely small and fine lines that are not easily duplicated on low-end output machines. Scanners, photocopiers and desktop printers using 300dpi cannot reproduce the effect (House, 1993). This technique is used in banks, on cheques and other financial statements around the world, combining fine line-art and text to create “hidden” images or text in drawings or backgrounds. Although certain elements of microprinting are discernable to the naked eye, a magnifying device such as a loupe can verify the quality of the production.

We scanned our bills at 127dpi, and later scaled the files down to 1200dpi for editing, which is the minimum resolution required for black and white line-art.

The same process was used for both the oversized split fountain bank note as well as the smaller, actual size notes (which actually output slightly smaller than 6” x 2.75” due to trimming from the scan and sizing in Photoshop for placing into the layout application).

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Figure 13 — Buildings and fine text background on actual $5 note

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While the fine line printing, such as the “Bank of Canada” text and the 5’s in the background, showed up fine on the oversized bill (due to its larger scale), the actual size bill does not reproduce the text smoothly at all. As our magnified photos show, there is a severe pixelation or halftone effect in sharp contrast to the smooth lines of a real bank note. Many of the fine details found on a bill, such as the text, blurred into an unrecognizable shape on the press sheet. It is difficult to judge the degree of degradation in Figure 16, due to the fact that the actual note used several colour separations and ours was converted to a single colour.

Ultimately the majority of these differences are likely more a reflection more of our prepress method than the actual press capabilities.

Generally security printing offers microprinting at approximately 10 microns, supported by stochastic screening (Chris Kular, personal communication, March 17, 2006). The microline patches on our Ugra strip (refer to Figure 17) with conventional halftone screening show that we are barely able to hold the 10 micron value. The circles are starting to break up at 12 and 15 microns, reducing our ability to print lines as fine as those on a real note.

Split fountain, also known as prismatic printing, uses dividers to enable two (or more) ink colours to be fed into a single unit. This creates a multi-colour gradient effect without the hassle of multiple separations or worrying about registration. Furthermore, because it is the actual ink mixing together instead of the intermingling of halftone dots, the gradation generally appears smoother and more brilliant. There is also a less “mechanical” quality about the appearance of the gradient since the mixing depends on the oscillation of the rollers instead of the plate image, creating a more organic effect unique to each sheet.

The fact that we did not use specialized dividers played a role in our findings.

The roller oscillation actually started to shift the position of the cheeks, causing us to have to tape them down. This highlights the lower accuracy of our method. In spite of the crude methods, it worked quite well and the split fountain gradation is smooth and realistic. Ultimately, split fountain is a technique that even high quality colour copiers can reproduce, and so it is more effective when combined with a complex image or pattern as commonly seen on bank notes and certificates.

Conclusions

Through our extensive research and applied test, our group has found that security printing is difficult to replicate accurately due to the high quality control throughout the entire production process, from pre to post-press. As described in our report, some techniques are easier to reproduce than others, but none are completely counterfeit-proof. For our test we were able to print both microprinting and split fountain gradation. Despite our inability to reproduce them as precisely as required for actual fraudulent bank notes, we clearly demonstrated that with the right technologies, techniques and expertise, it would be possible to do so.

Therefore it is vital that more complex elements of prevention be developed and combined on bank notes and other secure documents, to decrease the amount of fraud in our society.

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The idea is that security printing will become more prevalent and complex; the forms it takes are now more versatile and creative than ever, such as RFIDs, biometrics and other technological components. The trend is towards fusing printing with enhanced/embedded electronics to create intelligent documents that facilitate tracking and storing of information. All industries are displaying this trend of moving towards this type of track-and-trace security printing.

The future possibilities of security printing and its associated technologies is vast and ever expanding, through experimentation and technological advancements.

The future of security documents could involve the commonplace use of DNA taggants, facial biometrics, fingerprint biometrics and iris biometrics on not only passports, but even the most mass-produced and common security items such as cheques and credit cards.

References

Bank of Canada. (2006). Bank Notes. Retrieved February 20, 2006, from http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/banknotes/ Bank Note Communication and Compliance Program, Bank of Canada.

(March 02.) Your Guide to Security Features for the New $5 and $10 Notes.

Ottawa: Bank of Canada.

Bank of Canada. (August 04.) Your Guide to Security Features on Canada’s New $20 and $100 Bills. Ottawa: Bank of Canada.

Bank Note Communication and Compliance Program, Bank of Canada. (March 02.)

Your Guide to Security Features for the New $5 and $10 Notes.

Ottawa: Bank of Canada.

Bury, S. (2004). Security documents: the complete picture. Canadian Printer, 112, 4, p. 20-21.

CPA - Canadian Payments Association. (2006). Standards and Practices.

Retrieved February 18, 2006, from http://www.cdnpay.ca Currency Education, Bank of Canada. (March 99.) A closer look at bank notes.

Ottawa: Bank of Canada.

Daubert, F. (2005). Scratch & Sniff BASICS. American Printer, 122, 2, p. 30-31.

Diekmeyer, P. (2004). An Inside View – Security is no game in the lottery business. Canadian Printer, 112, 4, p. 16.

DNP (2005). Industry News and Markets: Security-Holograms and UV. Retrieved Mar 8, 2006, from http://www.dnpribbons.com/tech/0905/hologramuvmain/ Ester, B. (2005). Print to Confound Fakers. Graphic Arts Monthly, p. 4.

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No security printing technique can stand on its own. For example, while trackand-trace technology is useful, it should still be combined with other features (like holograms or taggants) to strengthen security and maximize functionality.

The taggant can serve as proof of authenticity, while the track-and-trace code allows a company to identify the origins and proper destination of a product.

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Globis Inc. (2004). Ugra Plate Control Wedge 1982 ©. Retrieved March 15, 2006, from http://www.globisinc.com/products/ugra.php Graham, R. J. (2004). Canadian Government Paper Money, 17th Edition 2005.

Toronto: The Charlton Press.

Hilda, H. (2006, February 13). High-tech licence to print money. Toronto Star, B3.

House, K. (1993). How secure are your clients’ documents? Retrieved March 10, 2006, from http://www.formmag.com/articles/0293_securedocs.html Indigo Image LLC (2002). Ink Features. Retrieved Mar 8, 2006, from http://www.currencyproducts.com/what_to_look_for/ink_features. html#optically_variable_inks.

Lustig, T. (2002). Safety & Security Unseen (Part I). Graphic Arts Monthly, p. 52 Lustig, T. (2003). Multicolored Money? It’s Peachy! Graphic Arts Monthly, p. 57 Packexpo.com. (2006). Nutec Systems – Security Printing. Retrieved March 17, 2006 from http://www.packexpo.com/ve/37318/main.html Patton, S. (2006). Cracks in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain. Retrieved March 17, 2006, from http://www.cio.com/archive/011506/pharma.html Picklyk, D. (2004). Not all fun & games. Canadian Printer, 112, 4, p. 14.

Pivotal Resources. (2004). Emerging Applications for Printing Technology.

Retrieved January 19, 2006, from http://www.pivotalres.co.uk/ Roberts, R. (2005). Ink-jet technology provides security solutions. Retrieved March 17, 2006, from http://www.packagingdigest.com/articles/200512/41.php Robertson, I. (2006, March 5). U.S. inks new bill. Toronto Sun, 31.

Robertson, I. (2006, March 17). We’re wise to funny money. Toronto Sun, 5.

Security Hologram (2006). Why Security Hologram? 3D Hologram Labels Features.

Retrieved Mar 9, 2006 from http://www.securityhologram.com/about.php SICPA (2006). Banknote and document security. Retrieved Mar 8, 2006 from http://www.sicpa.com/731/764/730/5238.asp ThomasNet IndustrialNewsRoom. (2005). Anti-fraud Printing Solution targets pharmaceutical industry. Retrieved March 17, 2006 from http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/462676/2054 Ugra. (n.d.) Ugra Plate Control Wedge 1982. Retrieved March 15, 2006 from http://www.ugra.ch/index.php?session=4438881&show=91 Yong-Young, K. (2003). Radio chips may track bank notes. Retrieved March 1, 2006, from http://news.com.com/2100-1017-1009155.html

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Iain Dwyer Victoria Corion-Celestial Andrew Mollicone Jennifer Sewpersaud Fadwa Sulieman

Introduction

In the 21st century consumers of electronic goods have demanded smaller, lighter products that are as fashionable as they are functional. The manufacturers, therefore, have not only looked to produce such a product but manufacture it at the same production speed attended by yesterday’s processes. The fast and cheap production of electronic components is an ever-increasing industry, and those in the printing industry should be prepared to reap the benefits. We chose to investigate a portion of this growing industry, namely the application of more conventional materials to this new problem.

With the advent of the integrated circuit (IC) in the 1950s it became possible to produce a high-tech device that would fit in the palm of the user’s hand. Products such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags will be more and more in demand and conventional printing presses are capable of making them.

Scope and Summary

The objective of this instrumentation was to determine if it is plausible to produce a conductive circuit pathway using traditional lithographic printing techniques with readily available off-the-shelf metallic ink.

A rudimentary flexible circuit board was designed and imposed with the pathways lying in the direction of the press. This ensured that the circuit would receive a consistent amount of ink at the tail end of the sheet as it did at the lead edge. The relative humidity and temperature of the pressroom and substrate were recorded to see if they would have an influence on the charge of the substrate, they did not.

Using an ohm metre, the electrodes where placed at the end of each sample to determine if the sample would conduct.

What was registered was infinite resistance, Figure 1 — Microscopic View of Ohm’s Law which indicated that the ink would not Retrieved from: conduct any energy. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu

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Definitions and Equations

Resistivity, or electrical resistance, is a measure of the degree to which an object opposes the transit of an electric current. (hyperphysics, 2006) Measured in ohms (Ω) it is the reciprocal of the electrical conductance, the property that indicates how readily it allows the movement of an electrical charge. The amount of electric current that will flow through a conductor is directly related to the voltage applied to it. The quantity of current, or more precisely the rate of charge flow past a specific point in a circuit, is referred to as a coulomb and is measured in amperes.

When the coulomb is proportional to the voltage applied, it obeys ohm’s law. A microscopic view [see Figure 2] suggests that this proportionality comes from the fact that an applied electric field superimposes a small drift on the electrons in a conductor (more later). (hyperphysics, 2006) The velocity means that there is a direction to the current and as per Voltage’s law any changes in the volts measured in a circuit must equal zero. Voltage is the electric potential energy per a unit of charge, measured in joules per coulomb. (hyperphysics, 2006) Since voltage adheres to the law of conservation of energy, any loss in charge means that there is an interruption in the circuit.

In an ideal conductor, such as copper [see Figure 2], the electrons that have a tendency to repel each other are free to move, especially at the surface of the metal.

The constant repulsion of other electrons results in a ‘domino effect’ that allows for the transfer of current.

Simply stated, most metals are good electrical conductors, most nonmetals are not. Whereas Figure 2 — Conductors and Insulators resistance is measured in Retrieved from: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu occurrence to ohm’s law.

I=V/R electric current is equal to voltage divided by resistance. Resistivity Q factors in the length of the material.

Q=RA/l Where:

Q is the resistivity.

R is the resistance of a identical material. l is the length of the material.

A is the cross-section area of the material measured in square metres.

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The larger the cross section area of the conductor the more electrons are available to carry the current, so the lower the resistance. The longer the conductor the more scattering events occur in each electrons path through the material, so the higher the resistance.

“In insulators and semi-conductors, the atoms in the substance influence each other such that between the valence band and the conduction band, there exists a forbidden band of energy levels that the electrons simply cannot occupy. In order for a current to flow, a relatively large amount of energy must be furnished to an electron for it to leap across this forbidden gap and into the conduction band.

Thus, large voltages yield relatively small currents.”(hyperphysics, 2006)

Materials Used

Luna Matte Cover 19” x 25”, 146M, 80lb., 216g/m2 Luna Gloss Cover 19” x 25”, 146M, 80lb., 216g/m2 Colmar inks Gold PMS 871C wax-free AGFA plates

Equipment Used

Heidelberg Printmaster GTO 52-2P Phoenix Image setter Multimetre

Test Principle

Our goal in designing this test was to see whether or not conventional inks could be used to make simple electronic devices. We are already aware of the specialized conductive inks on the market, which does suggest normal metallic inks are unsuitable for conducting electricity.

Our question was whether this was because the inks could not conduct enough electricity to be practical for most purposes, or if it was because they did not conduct at all. With that in mind, we endeavored to create a very simple test, and designed a series of lines, varying both in thickness and length to run a current through. To avoid having varying densities alter the reading, we ran them the length of the sheet, therefore avoiding having them cross ink zones.

We realized that the variance along different lengths would be very slight, if there were any at all, but we were expecting there to be very little, if any conductivity to begin with, so any difference at all (assuming it is statistically significant) would tell us something about the possibility of using metallic inks for electronics.

We also printed control lines in standard black ink in case ink was naturally conductive. No research we had done indicated this, but the extra effort and cost was minimal, so we decided to do it.

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Under controlled conditions resistance would be greatest at the longest sample with the narrowest width ie. 10 inch hairline.

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Procedures

The procedure for our test was extremely simple. Plates were created after deciding on an appropriate circuit pattern. The pathways were aligned parallel to press direction so that the entire circuit would be susceptible to the setting of only one ink screw, thus ensuring a consistent ink film. The plates and printing the pages were printed according to normal printing techniques.

A conventional, off-the-shelf multimetre was used to register the readings from each sample. The electrodes were placed at the head and tail end of each line segment.

All calculations were done in Excel with spreadsheets created for that purpose.

Results and Discussions

Our results are simple: metallic ink does not conduct. No sample we tested displayed any ability to conduct greater than the paper it was on.

While disappointing, the results were not unexpected. All references we had found to printing circuit boards referred to either conductive inks or pure copper laid down via silk screening. We based our expectation on the conductivity of metallic inks on the presence of bronze in the ink, but after examining the ink film under the microscope we can see that the bronze is sparsely distributed through the film.

Figure 3 — A 200x magnification of the 2pt 10 inch sample Courtesy of Dr. Martin Habekost Conductivity is Futile

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In the above image, we can see specks of pure bronze, but they obviously do not occur often enough to provide adequate surface area to reduce resistance enough to properly conduct a current. Also, although we printed a solid line, at high magnification it becomes obvious that the gaps in paper may also be a contributing factor.

Our research already established the fact that paper is an insulator (Gibilisco, 11) so we knew that we would only be able to carry current if the ink itself were conductive. Nothing in our research suggests this is the case. The composition of metallic inks is not dissimilar from conventional inks, with only the presence of the metal acting as the pigment being the distinguishing factor (Leach, 141). Since pigments make up only a portion of the ink, their effect on the overall properties is not sufficient to produce a considerable difference. The main ingredient in lithographic ink, oil resin, is not a conductor. With all these considerations going against it, it is no surprise that the ink failed to conduct.

A further reason as to why our test failed may be the lack of uniformity in our ink film. A similar test done by the Rochester Institute of Technology (Sangoi, et al.) found that a non-uniform ink film would greatly reduce or entirely remove the conductivity of the film. As can be seen from the above image, our film certainly does not qualify as uniform.

For these reasons we were extremely skeptical that metallic inks would conduct electricity regardless of the substrate it was printed on, or the ink film thickness.

Other substrates that could be used, such as plastics, are also insulators and would therefore pose the same problems to conductivity that paper does. Using foil would be impractical for the opposite reason, since it would be difficult to direct the current. The RIT study confirms our speculations, finding that plastic substrates are an inferior carrier for conductive inks. We believe that this is because the plastic could carry a static charge, thus disrupting the current.

Recommendations

Printing circuit boards is an increasing trend in our industry. Now that we’ve established an ineffective way of doing it, we will discuss how one could go about printing a functional circuit or antenna.

The most common metal used in the ink is silver (Lustig). There are a variety of extra concerns that a printer producing electronic components must consider. The first and most obvious is the subject of this paper, resistance. Densitometers will become less important than ohmmeters (Sharon). Given the high cost of silver based inks, an increased focus on materials handing and waste reduction will also be of extreme importance for the process to be profitable. There are other smaller considerations as well, such as changed drying times and a closer attention paid to ink film thickness.

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The biggest obstacle we faced in attempting to have this ink conduct is the fact that it is optimized to provide a good colour, not to conduct electricity. Conductive inks are, as the name suggests, optimized for conductivity, not colour.

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RFID tags printed via conductive ink, versus traditional etching are still somewhat inferior to the etching process, but that gap is closing rapidly. The radio frequency available to a printed antenna is only slightly less than an etched one, since the antenna only begins to have difficulty transmitting in the high frequency range (13.56 MHz+) (Lawrence). Further advantages to printing versus etching are the extremely high speed, and the fact that printing is an additive process rather than a subtractive one, so no metals are wasted.

At this point the technology is still somewhat limited. Under ideal conditions, it is possible to maintain conductivity at a line thickness of 150μm, but those results were not consistent.

Radio Frequency Identification RFID tags are defined as printable radio frequency identification. They are an automatic identification method that assist in the identification of objects, collection of data, and entering of data directly into a computer. These tags are meant to reduce human involvement and create efficiency when obtaining and tracking information.

RFID tags require certain components to function accurately and efficiently.

Figure 4 Tags are used to store information that Retrieved from: http://www.rfidjournal.com will be retrieved by various applications for processing. They consist of two key components: an integrated circuit (IC) chip and an antenna. The chip stores the information while the antenna transmits the information to wherever it needs to go. A reader is usually placed where the information is transmitted. Its other function is to capture the information. On top of these two components, software is needed to monitor its network of readers to perform its job accurately (Tompkins Associates, 2003).

Some benefits of this technology include flexibility, the ability to monitor environmental conditions for shipment and storage of sensitive items and, the conditions such as temperature, moisture, contamination and nearby biological hazards.(Sperry, K. Jay, 2005). This technology is currently in use today at toll booths using the “E-Z Pass” systems, being used in securing building access, controlling manufacturing sub assembly movement and library books to name a few (Tompkins Associates, 2003). However, companies are unsure exactly how this technology can affect and benefit the way they do business, specifically in regards to costs and integration (Tompkins Associates, 2003).

With RFID tags, costs can range from $0.20 to over $10 per tag depending on the tag type and quantity ordered. But tags are just one aspect of cost; the tag may need a type of mounting media or a way of embedding the tag into the materials that are being used. Once that is established the tags require readers. RFID readers Conductivity is Futile

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The testing and use of conductive inks in RFID tags is one way of reducing costs and the costs of units produced as well as shifting the entire process towards a more environmentally friendly environment (RF GlobalNet, 2006). Sun Chemical is an ink manufacturer whom is working with a company known as QinetiQ, a science and technology company too, on the development of radio frequency identification systems through printing processes from the start of June 2004.

This process is based on printing a desired pattern on a flexible or rigid substrate using standard printing processes and then ‘growing’ pure fully densified metal only where required by immersion in chemical baths (PrintingTalk, 2004). This process will not only reduce costs but will reduce the waste of material, allow for environmentally friendly practices, and the ability to print on flexible substrates that will assist in the ease and integration of these tags (PrintingTalk, 2004).

These two companies believe that this process will be suitable for a wide range of applications such as security tags, labels, smart cards, antenna, frequency selective surfaces or anything that needs a metallic pattern (PrintingTalk, 2004). And they have already perfected the process with copper, Figure 5 nickel, cobalt, iron, tin, silver, Retrieved from: http://www.planet.nl gold and alloys to provide connectivity and conductivity between chips and batteries (PrintingTalk, 2004).

Some of the substrates that are able to make this process work include any waterresistant material such as synthetic paper, polyester, polypropylene, ceramic or ABS plastics (PrintingTalk, 2004).

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has developed a method in creating RFID tags only by printing on plastic film substrates. One of the components of RFIDs are tags. Here, the antennas, wirings and electrodes are printed.

This is also where the conductive inks or metallic pastes would be used. The metallic pastes require a low resistance and a high conductivity in order for the RFID tags to function accordingly.

Numerous treatments are required to create metallic pastes, and with these treatments a baking process is used to reduce any resistance and increase the Conductivity is Futile

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vary in costs but are still generally more expensive than laser scanners. In terms of integration, RFID tags require a lot of planning, engineering and time to have a successful integration of RFID in a company. At this time companies are not prepared to implement this system, however, as time progress the advantages of RFID will be more apparent. (Tompkins Associates, 2003).

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conductivity of the paste. Usually metal pastes require a high baking temperature of 400-500°C to obtain a high conductivity for substrates other then plastic film.

However, AIST research shows that metal pastes can obtain high conductivity if the baking process is even below 200°C and the heating and slow cooling of the paste is done under pressure for plastic films. In conclusion, AIST has developed a process in which conductive inks work in connection with RFID tags. The conductive inks that were generated through this process were extremely responsive to RF signals at a range of frequencies between 5 and 40 MHz (AIST, 2005).

Although RFID tags created entirely from printing has been investigated, this method has not been established as a primary method of creating these tags (AIST, 2005).

Printed Circuit Boards The invention of PCB has certainly revolutionized the world of electronic packaging. They are basically “machine cut, silicon circuit boards that are embedded with tracers to route a signal and house component parts” (Gibson.com).

Traditionally, circuit boards were composed of wires, solder joints and connectors, they also lacked flexibility and compared to PCB’s they used to be a lot bigger and heavier.

Replacing the wire with an electronic circuit speeds up the manufacturing process Figure 6 — Printed Circuit Board significantly because fewer Retrieved from: http://autopilot.sourceforge.net components are required and everything is done electronically so errors become infrequent. According to Gibson.com this is also a less expensive method.

The tremendous growth of printable circuit boards have enticed companies to further develop metallic inks, giving them superior conductive abilities. InkTec is a Korean ink manufacturer that has converted metallic inks to what is known to them as ‘electronic inks’ (Sung-jin, 2005). These electronic inks come the form of metallic ink, since they have excellent electrical conductivity that can replace regular wires. Electronic inks are printed onto PET, and dried in the same matter as ink onto paper. Electronic inks are really flexible, making them highly suitable for printing on plastic. Circuit boards are in many appliances such as computers, cell phones, cars, anything that requires wires can be replaced with flexible circuit boards. The replacement of wires makes information transfer easier since there are no wire connection errors. This is important because demands on quick information transfer are increasing (Sung-jin, 2005).

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• Extreme low water absorption, maintaining dimensional stability.

• Excellent electrical properties.

• Fixable, increasing its durability.

• Resists heat • Very good colour stability.

PET’s most valued properties are that it can withstand heat and keep its dimensions under printing conditions, making Polyethylene terephthalate a suitable film for printing circuit boards. Unlike paper substrates, PET is not effected by relative humidity, but stretching will occur since it is a highly flexible material (Lexin). PET can withstand temperatures of Polyethylene terephthalate is a more durable material, and cost effective.

PCBs have many substantial benefits to any business or industry. Firstly, PCBs improve the aesthetics of electronic packages and this can be very crucial if appearance plays a role in the purchase decision of a product. According to allflexinc.com, PCBs “dissipate heat at a better rate than any other dielectric”, as well they are extremely light weight and can reduce package size, which is a great benefit if the product’s weight and size are important, which is usually the case if they are being shipped out. In terms of flexibility, they are the best solution for flexible applications. The fact that wires, solder joints and connectors are no longer required, significantly reduces manufacturing cost and time. Also, they can apparently be “tested prior to assembly of components” (allflexinc.com), which will reduce assembly cost and time.

The elimination of connectors and wires also simplify circuit board design, and the manufacturing process that is completely electronic eliminates human error.

Also with the all the possible designs interconnection problems are very rare.

Although the benefits of PCB’s are sizeable, there are still a few argumentative limitations. According to Gibson.com signal degradation is a potential issue, “because a single, continuous piece of metal is responsible for passing the signal, it is argued that it isn’t as flexible as wire, therefore prone to long term stress from vibrations and movement”. At the same time, it is also stated that that is a subjective matter because it is a topic that engineers have not yet agreed on.

Printed circuit boards have opened a gateway to new technologies such as “T-INK” which is a new concept that replaces wires, buttons and switches with conductive ink, in any colour, that responds to touch (Business Forms, Labels & Systems). The ink can be printed on a variety of different substrates such as paper and fabric. This type of technology is very useful in toy manufacturing, home décor as well as clothing.

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With the technology of electronic inks the etching steps in the creation of circuit boards are no longer necessary. This reduces production cost. Flexible circuit board producers can create an outline of a FCB on paper or Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), anything heat sensitive, and go straight to printing.

Polyethylene terephthalate is the most popular substrate for printing circuit boards (DSM, 2003). Properties of Polyethylene terephthalate are:

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Printed Circuit Boards were commonly one-layer boards. However, the technology has evolved and multilayer boards are now becoming more common.

“Multilayer circuit boards are normally produced by using a photolithography process to pattern a copper foil bonded to a base board” (Hug). A few years ago, Epson, became the first company to develop the world’s first ultra-thin 20-layer circuit board (Hug). To print it, they used two different inks, a conductive ink (what is commonly used in PCB’s) and insulator ink and the board was printed using an inkjet printer. This process is more favourable than the traditional photolithography process because it is a chemistry free process, which means less mess and no liquid waste. Additionally, it is a far more efficient process because it only prints patterns on the required areas as opposed to the entire substrate, hence using fewer materials (Hug).

Conclusion

If someone was instructed to dig for oil and did so but found no oil, it does not mean that oil does not exist, nor does our experiment conclude that metallic ink is not conductive. What ends can be drawn is that it is simply not possible with conventional off-the-shelf ink. Increasing the ink film or the coverage would not have yielded better results as increasing the amount of non-metal components would have only increased the scattering effect already experienced.

Good conductors are dense in their conductive material and therefore for ink to share the same property must be rich in metal components. The balance that will have to be achieved is having the maximum amount of metal without adversely affecting the printing method.

Ink with far greater metal content percentage than the one used in this instrumentation is produced and is being used to produce the antenna for RFID tags.

While this is a tremendous accomplishment in forwarding the advancement in automation what has not been achieved is an efficient means of affixing the IC to the substrate or more ambitiously printing an IC.

Acknowledgements

Ian Baitz, Dr. Martin Habekost, Domtar paper, Colmar Ink

References

Anonymous. Business Forms, Labels & Systems. Philadelphia: Sep 20, 2003.

Vol. 41, Iss. 9; pg. 24 Dale Hug. JCNN News Summaries - Japan Corporate News Network. Tokyo: Nov 2, 2004. pg. 1 AIST - Manufacturing of radio frequency ID tags on flexible substrates using an entire printed method, September, 2005 http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_ research/2005/20051019/200 51019.html FFTA/Sun Chemical Fellowship Recipient 2004-2005 http://graphics.clemson.edu/ITC/research/RFIDTechnology.pdf Conductivity is Futile

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Gibson Labs. Gibson Amp Academy. Retrieved on March 31, 2006 from http://www.gibson.com/Products/Amplifiers/Amp%20Sub%20PagesAmp%20 Academy/Amp%20Academy%20Session%204/ Jakobson, Leo. “Speak Easy.” Incentive 178.8 (2004): 13.

Lawrence, Dan. “Tracking RFID Progress.” American Printer 232.4 (2004): 16.

Lustig, Ted. “New Inks could Open Markets.” Graphic Arts Monthly 77.7 (2005): 29.

Printingtalk - Specialist Inks For Radio Frequency Tags, June 22, 2004 http://www.printingtalk.com/news/sem/sem102.html RF GlobalNet, Product Releases. 2006 http://www.rfglobalnet.com/content/ productshowcase/product.asp?docid=21a764ac-ab64-45a3-94b7- 1e1f7b659a7 5&VNETCOOKIE=NO RFID - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID. April 6, 2006 Tompkins Associates - Understanding RFID - A Practical Guide for SupplyChain Professionals By Tom Singer, Principal, Tompkins Associates, 2003 http://www.idii.com/wp/TompkinsRFID.pdf Sperry, K. Jay Radio Frequency Identification Technology: An Investigation of Process Benchmarks. Department of Graphic Communications Clemson University The Printing Ink Manual. Ed. R. H. Leach. 5th ed. /|bedited by R.H. Leach...[et al.]. ed. New York: Chapman & Hall, 1993.

The Benefits of Flexible Circuitry. (2004). All Flex Inc. Retrieved on March 31, 2006 from http://www.allflexinc.com/bene.shtml http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/resis.html http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elevol.html#c1 http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elecur.html#c1 http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/ohmlaw.html#c1 http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/ohmmic.html#c1 http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/conins.html#c1

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Gibilisco, Stan. Teach Yourself Electricity and electronics|h[Electronic Resource].

Ed. Inc NetLibrary. 3rd ed. ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

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Densitometric and Spectrophotometric Evaluation of Colour Mia Janhunen Teneika Ragoo Jennifer Halcrow Suzie Grutca Headra Bastoros

Scope and Summary

This paper tests the densitometer and spectrophotometer and how each of these tools perceives and calculates colour. The purpose is to discover how they can both be used to improve the accuracy of colour reproduction with the very different information they provide. Both the spectrophotometer and densitometer are important in the production process for ensuring that colour is reproduced as accurately as possible. However, each excels and should be used in different parts of a printing workflow.

The spectrophotometer’s dominant feature is colour evaluation. It has the ability to measure colour just like the human eye, while taking into account lighting differences. This is why it becomes an important instrument of prepress, where profiling for output devices and the analysis of colour is done.

On the other hand, the densitometer can prove useful in the pressroom, where ink adjustments need to be made to achieve colour consistency. At this time, the visual appearance of colour does not come into as much question because it is taken care of beforehand and matches to density specifications for desired colours.

In the end, we come to realize that direct comparison between both instruments is not only impractical, but also impossible, because they each serve their own purpose and it would therefore be incorrect to say one is better than the other. Both instruments are needed in a consistent closed loop colour management system.

Introduction

“The visual world, the world as we see it, is a world populated by colored objects.” Typically, we see our world as coloured forms—artwork, posters, advertisements, clothing, and so on. Colour is one of the first things you notice, therefore it only makes sense to ensure that it’s recreated properly. Colour is one of the most fulfilling elements in our lives. Colour can attract your attention or change your mood. It speaks to who you are, how you feel and where you’re going. Not a day goes by where colour is not considered. This is especially true in today’s printing industry. The examination of colour is taking a huge leap forward and the equipment to go along with it is ever enhancing. The importance of colour reproduction is gaining momentum and more clients are now demanding Densitometric and Spectrophotometric Evaluation of Colour

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The purpose of our test is to examine the spectrophotometer and the densitometer and how they both play an active roll in today’s printing processes.

Exploration of the uses of each piece of equipment was completed to determine their individual significance in the printing industry. The goal of this test was to determine the most efficient use for each tool and their impact in certain conditions of use. For example, using the densitometer for reading densities that can in turn be used to make changes on press in order to achieve desired densities and spectrophotometer readings that can actually pinpoint the position of a colour in a colour space with the use of L*a*b values. The latter would be better measured under pressroom conditions in order to create profiles and prepress standards that will make corresponding pressruns more colour efficient.

Colour management doesn’t exist in just one area of the industry alone but can be seen in various stages of creating printed work. There are some plants that use a completely colour managed system from start to finish; these plants are generally larger and more advanced, while other perhaps smaller plants use colour management only in aspects they feel are necessary to suit their purposes. We expect that with knowledge gained from this test, the ability to fully understand the uses, strengths and weaknesses of each tool will be enhanced.

Materials Tested

Supreme Gloss Coated 17” x 22”, 79M, 100lbs., 148g/m2 Plainfield Opaque Offset 20” x 30”. 88M, 70lbs., 104g/m2 Hostman-Steinberg Opaque White, Yellow and Blue

Equipment Used

Prüfbau Printability Tester Gretag-Macbeth ColorEye Spectrophotometer IHARA R710 Colour Reflection Densitometer X-Rite 500 Series Reflection Spectrodensitometer.

Test Principle

The underlying assumption for this report is the function of having both the spectrophotometer and densitometer in the print production process to ensure that colour is reproduced as accurately as possible. Our test best reflects actual printing conditions because we printed a colour that was recreated from the Pantone colour-matching book using the Prüfbau Printability Tester and made comparative readings from it. By doing so we could then see the reasons that both pieces of equipment are essential to the print process. Not only did we measure our created Densitometric and Spectrophotometric Evaluation of Colour

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it. Due to the growing importance of accurate colour in print, various colourmeasuring tools have been created and adapted to allow for better colour to be printed and repeated. There are three types of quantitative measurements, densitometric, colorimetric and spectrophotometric. Each method can provide us with results than can be used to analyze colour. These measurements can be used by prepress and press departments to ensure that the best quality in colour is being reproduced to client and industry standards.

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sample versus a standard, we thought it was necessary to also test two colours that are side by side in the Pantone colour-matching book. By doing so, we were able to make conclusions that will be focused on later in this report. Using our lab facilities, we were able to work under proper viewing conditions and have access to equipment that would be found in a typical pressroom, thus replicating actual conditions. The only weakness that existed in our testing procedure was the initial density readings we took from our sample for achieving the correct density, which would have ensured us that we were printing the correct colour in comparison to a standard. We read our density much too soon when we should have let our sample dry. Although this did not change our results, it affected our comparisons and Delta E readings that we obtained from our sample versus the standard.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Procedures

Choose a Pantone colour from the Pantone Colour Matching System swatch book.

Mix the required amount of ink, listed for our test it required that we mix opaque white, yellow and cyan in order to achieve Pantone Colour 326 (aka. Aquatic Love).

Create two prints on the Prüfbau, one using coated the other using uncoated paper (ensuring correct densities).

Make densitometry measurements of each sample, and standard using the densitometer, and the spectrophotometer (in status T mode).

Obtain a Delta E from the spectrophotometer readings.

Select two other colours from the Pantone book. These two colours should be side by side in the book for this test.

Take density readings from both of the swatches, as well as spectrophotomtetric readings and find a Delta E value.

Create a chart to display your findings and evaluate them.

Results and Discussion

Results

Figure 1 — Density: Uncoated Readings: Comparisons of Several Pantone Patches Filter Readings

Pantone 326

Sample

∆s-326

Cyan

1.08

1.02

0.06

Black

0.58

0.55

0.03

Magenta

0.48

0.46

0.02

Yellow

0.50

0.47

0.03

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Filter Readings

Pantone 324

Pantone 325

Pantone 326

∆324-325

∆325-326

Cyan

0.45

0.81

1.08

0.36

0.27

Black

0.25

0.42

0.58

0.17

0.16

Magenta

0.20

0.34

0.48

0.14

0.14

Yellow

0.24

0.36

0.50

0.12

0.14

Figure 3 — Density: Coated Readings: Comparisons of Several Pantone Patches Filter Readings

Pantone 324

Pantone 325

Pantone 326

∆324-325

∆325-326

Cyan

0.37

0.65

1.08

0.28

0.43

Black

0.19

0.30

0.58

0.11

0.28

Magenta

0.14

0.23

0.48

0.09

0.25

Yellow

0.14

0.23

0.50

0.09

0.27

Pantone 326

Sample

∆s-326

Figure 4 — Density: Standard vs. Sample Filter Readings Cyan

1.08

1.08

0.00

Black

0.58

0.49

0.09

Magenta

0.48

0.39

0.09

Yellow

0.50

0.39

0.11

Figure 5 — Spectrophotometeric: Uncoated Readings: Comparisons of Several Pantone Patches L*a*b Values

Pantone 324

Pantone 325

L 81.179

70.818

a -24.938

-36.559

b

-1.900

-3.981

∆E = 14.98 Figure 6 — Spectrophotometeric: Standard Vs Sample (uncoated) L*a*b Values

Pantone 324

Sample

L 60.876

61.380

a -40.822

-34.647

b

-18.153

-8.547

∆E = 11.98

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Figure 2 — Density: Standard vs. Sample

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Figure 7 — Spectrophotometeric: Coated Readings L*a*b Values

Pantone 324

Pantone 325

L 83.115

74.669

a -20.165

-33.529

b

-4.510

-7.244

∆E = 16.04 Figure 8 — Spectrophotometeric: Standard Vs Sample (coated) L*a*b Values

Pantone 324

Sample

L 62.820

61.380

a -49.220

-42.969

b -13.412

19.153

∆E = 8.61

Discussion To better understand the results obtained from our testing, we conducted research on the technology used by the densitometer and spectrophotometer.

While both instruments are crucial for colour reproduction, both perceive colour differently through the use of filters and mathematical equations.

The densitometer is considered to be the least sophisticated instrument in the pressroom today. The main purpose of the densitometer is to measure the density of ink after it has been applied the desired substrate. When calculating density, the densitometer discharges white light, which is then reflected back through three colour filters. Lighter colours that require less ink will reflect more light than darker ones, which is why lighter colours will be of lower density. The three colour filters then break down the colour spectrum through a series of mathematical equations giving the density values on the densitometer display screen. Filter calculations may vary according to different industry standards. The operator can change the settings of the densitometer to match the specified standards just by clicking a button. It is recommended to use ANSI classification and M filter settings for photography. E settings on the other hand, are used for European standards while T (used for conducting our experiment) is used in North America (Abhay Sharma personal communication, 2006). We believe that the densitometer is a very useful tool around the pressroom since it allows the press operator to adjust ink keys to match the density of the desired colour. Most companies use a scanning densitometer to measure the densities for automatic adjustment of the ink keys on press to match the specified standard.

Although densitometers can be very useful when trying to achieve the right colour on press, they only evaluate colour on the basis of ink film thickness of the ink printed on a substrate. Here is where the spectrophotometer becomes useful in Densitometric and Spectrophotometric Evaluation of Colour

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The final sector taken into the spectrophotometer’s perception of colour is the tested sample that our group provided. Using the data collected, the spectrophotometer takes readings at 10-20nm intervals throughout the colour spectrum and provides final results in CIE L*a*b format. Just like a densitometer, the spectrophotometer shines light at the desired colour and then measures the reflected light, which is translated into colorimetric values. The readings can be either illustrated as a graph or produced as numerical L*a*b values. In a graph, the spectrophotometer shows the relationship between reflectance and wavelength. The wavelength is the visible spectrum ranging from 400nm to 700nm. The most obvious colours on the spectrum are blue, green and red but the spectrum does in fact carry an infinite number of colours. The reflectance measures how much radiation is produced at each wavelength band. Since we measured cyan, the graph we produced shows major reflection in the blue/green sector.

The purpose of this test is to understand the overall strengths and weaknesses of each device. We have been able to come to conclusions that a direct comparison between both instruments is not only impractical, but also impossible based on the intended uses of each instrument. Both the densitometer and spectrophotometer have their own individual uses and excel in very different areas. With that said, we wanted to see how these devices could measure factors such as colour and densities by providing us with the different values retrieved from both measuring tools. To do so, we created our own Pantone 326 colour from the standard Pantone Colour Matching swatch book. However, there are a few drawbacks to this procedure.

Any inaccuracies in our ink measurements could have lessened our chances of achieving an accurate match to our Pantone standard.

As shown earlier, our results showed quite large Delta E differences. For coated paper the Delta E was 8.609 and for uncoated paper the Delta E was 11.981.

“In production work, a Delta E in the range of 3-6 is usually considered a good commercial match, and a Delta E of less than 2 is considered unattainable due to the many variables in print production” (Fraser, Pg. 186). Therefore, our results are clearly out of the recommended range. However, we noted that in order to create a colour from the Pantone book, a standard amount of ink measurements needed to produce a colour is provided. The amount given would have resulted in a large surplus of ink, which was unnecessary since we only needed a small portion in order to make our samples. Hence, we made our own calculations and decreased the proportions of ink. There is a large amount of room for error in these Densitometric and Spectrophotometric Evaluation of Colour

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achieving colour reproduction. The spectrophotometer perceives colour the way a human would perceive it by taking into consideration the light source. the sample is viewed under. The light source that was used for the purpose of our test was the industry standard D65 lighting. The human eye segment is based on the 1931 average human observer test. The test brought together middle aged men and tested the way each of them perceive colour. The results from the test were then recorded, calculated and generated into the spectrophotometer’s firmware. (Abhay Sharmapersonal communication, 2006)

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calculations. Also, we were not using professional ink making tools to measure and create our ink. What is most important from this test was to understand the ways in which the actual samples were being measured by each device and how accurately they are able to perform their duties.

Upon receiving densities of Pantone 326, our readings showed that there were only slight differences in densities (results displayed in Figures 2 & 4), which proves that this type of reading is somewhat deceiving because when analyzing the spectrophotometer readings of both the standard and sample of Pantone 326, there is a significant difference in actual colour values. Figures 6 & 8 show us how the spectrophotometer readings have significantly different Delta E values (11.98 for uncoated and 8.61 for coated). This shows that although an accurate density could be achieved on press for any particular colour, it does not mean that the actual colour values are accurate. This confirms that the individual use of a densitometer is not enough to make proper colour examinations.

Although the densitometer can help on press by indicating how the actual values of CMYK should be altered to produce proper colour through ink density, the spectrophotometer is also useful because it can indicate just how close one is to achieving an actual colour by displaying L*a*b and Delta E values. As explained previously, we received Delta E values over the suggested range. “A L*a*b Delta E of 10 is a great deal more obvious in a light blue than it is in a light yellow…So look at where the errors are showing up, and decide if they’re visually objectionable enough to justify compromising the color in other areas” (Fraser, pg. 266). Therefore, the L*a*b numbers are invaluable to the analysis of colour correction and management because they can help show where we can make changes in the spectrum of that colour. Furthermore, our printed samples of Pantone 326 show that there were some significant and insignificant perceptual differences when we looked at the individual colours. We can put this into context by creating a scenario in the pressroom. Suppose a standard colour was shown to a press operator with intentions of being reproduced on press. In the press operators own visual comparison, the printed sample and proof appear to match when they are actually quite different from one another when based on spectrophotometer results. Therefore, a spectrophotometer is necessary to balance the inconsistencies and subjective nature of the human visual system.

Our research allowed us to make several assumptions of what the spectrophotometer and densitometer would be able to provide for us in our results. Because the spectrophotometer takes into account the human perspective in the way that it calculates its L*a*b values, we are supposed to notice very subtle changes in our results. The densitometer readings on the other hand, were assumed to show us quite large differences when comparing very similar samples.

During an interview conducted with Abbay Sharma, we were able to somewhat confirm these assumptions when he measured several patches that consecutively followed one another in the Pantone swatch book that produced densities that were quite different from one another. This is shown in Figures 1 & 3, which illustrate our own results and are in accordance with what we expected of Abbay’s Densitometric and Spectrophotometric Evaluation of Colour

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The importance of both of these measuring devices becomes apparent when we take into account the inconsistencies present in the human visual system.

Each individual views colour in very different ways and this is based on their experiences with colour. Based on this, by relying on the visual perspective of different press operator, we must understand that their individual view on colour consequently affects the way they view any press sheet. When the human visual system observes colour, there is an image capture process as well as an image formation process, which helps to formulate how the colour is perceived to the individual. Psychologically, an individual may process and judge a colour based on their own individual memory and this affects their view on colour. “Psychological signal processing includes effects due to colour memory, which generally is not colorimetrically accurate” (Giorgianni, pg. 46). An individual’s preference to colour can also affect the way they view and measure colour in their own minds. “…various cognitive effects that cause the observer to perceive colors somewhat according to expectations and experience” (Girogianni, p. 46). Therefore, an individual’s view on colour is subject to change based on a number of variables such as the object itself, the surrounding light and temperature as well as the time they are observing the colour. As discussed earlier, the spectrophotometer takes into account the element of how human’s view colour. This allows for a more consistent view on colour, instead of the inconsistencies that can occur from different individuals looking at the same printed image. Also, the human eye is unable to tell the difference between densities and therefore would never be able to estimate whether the correct density has been achieved visually. With that we can see the importance of the densitometer and spectrophotometer in their own means of use.

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demonstration. The difference in densities between the three samples is very large. He then measured the exact same swatches with the spectrophotometer and instead of readings that were very different from one another readings were obtained that were very similar to one another. We concluded that this is due to the fact that the spectrophotometer takes into account the way humans see colour. Therefore, because these swatches looked almost identical to one another, they were calculated by the spectrophotometer to also give us very similar readings. However, in making our own readings our results indicated quite a large Delta E difference of 14.98 for uncoated and 16.04 for coated between the Pantone swatches, as indicated in Figures 5 & 7, which was unexpected. These unexpected results could be due to a number of reasons such as: improper calibration of the spectrophotometer, the fact that Abbay had used the handheld spectrophotometer and we had used the full unit spectrophotometer, as well as the surrounding light and temperature.

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Recommendations

Without appropriate colour measurement, the nature of print would not be what it is today.

Printability Colour can be described as an “optical phenomenon, a sensory impression conveyed by the eye and brain” (Kipphan, pg. 68). As such, it has no physical or variable unit, but rather is produced as a result of irradiation by light. If a colour reflects the entire colour spectrum for example, we will perceive it as white. On the other hand, a completely absorbent body appears to be black. What is this information trying to tell us about printability? This information can be used to better understand the characteristics of ink, the pigments they consist of to produce the sensation of colour, and the appearance of a printed image.

Furthermore, this information can be used to provide printing and prepress service providers with profiles and standards to increase colour quality, reproduction and standardization.

The appearance of a printed ink film will vary depending on the output device, the paper stock used, and an array of other environmental factors. In our instrumentation testing, we ran samples of cyan ink and Pantone 326 on coated and uncoated papers to compare the results they produced using densitometric and spectrophotometric readings. The readings were used to recreate their respective positions in the CIE L*a*b colour spectrum. By making and analyzing such readings, better understanding and profiling of the reproduction capabilities of ink colour on any given output device, (Prüfbau printability tester), can be obtained. In addition, spectrophotometric measurements are the most complete and absolute measurements of colours in the colour spectrum. By using this colour information provided by spectrophotmetric measurements, colour profiling can be completed to match environmental conditions. Initial stages of colour profiling for a specific output devices can occur after this printing stage.

Runability We have concluded that densitometric evaluation of printed ink would be the most effective and beneficial for purposes of measurements completed during an actual press run. Densitometric measurements are required to produce consistent and accurate colour reproduction on press. The values obtained are absolutely necessary in order for press personnel to make the right adjustments on press.

Spectrophotometric colour values, on the other hand, would not be required at this time, as variation in L*a*b values cannot be corrected under pressroom conditions. However, spectrophotometric and CIE L*a*b readings are invaluable when determining when a press and environmental conditions are in conformance with desired printing goals. Increased control in colour management and colour reproduction can be accomplished by the use of profiling.

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End-use requirements relate to the possibility for increased colour management and colour control. The goal of printing company’s in today’s industry is to produce printed results that satisfy the demanding needs of their clientele while maintaining accuracy and consistency in their workflow. For this reason, it has been increasingly necessary to implement colour management systems that control input and ourput variables so that reproduction quality becomes predictable. For this reason, the greatest advantage of completing tests such as this one is the ability to record and use colour information to produce corresponding colour gamuts and spectral curves to aid in the standardization of this process. In this case, the end-user of the results we have obtained would be the printing company or prepress service provider using the colour readings.

The comparison of densitometric and spectrophotometric values has to be understood to make this process effective and beneficial. The abilities of these measuring devices to accurately measure colour will essentially reflect colour profiles and the resulting output. In our comparison of colour measurement from a standard to the sample we printed, it was apparent that densitometric differences were rather minor while spectrophotometric readings produced readings that were quite obvious and unacceptable as accurate reproductions of colour. This variation can perhaps be accredited to the fact that spectrophotometric measurements of colour are meant to reproduce in numbers the way the human eye perceives colour.

References

Ferris, Fred. (1991). More than Meets the Eye. American Printer. ABI/INFORM Global.

Field G, Gary. (2004). Color and its Reproduction. Pittsburgh: GATF. Fraser, Bruce. (2005). Real World Color Management. California: Peachpit Press Giorgianni J, Edward. (1998). Digital color management: encoding solutions Massachesetts: Eastman Kodak Company.

Kipphan, Helmut. (2001). Handbook of Print Media. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer.

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Determining Pick Resistance with the Universal Testprinter Nicola Kidd

Introduction

The following is a description of the testing methods, alternations and rationale used in order to determine if the Universal Testprinter (UTP) and Inking Unit by Testprint should be mentioned as a standard printability testing device in the International Standards Organization (ISO) 3783: Paper and board-Determination of resistance to picking-Accelerated speed method using the IGT-type tester (electric model) testing procedure.

Purpose of Research

The ISO 3783 procedure measures the pick resistance of paper in the absence of water, thus employing a dry pick methodology. This approach is useful in determining the pick resistance of a specific paper, due to the requirement of moisture on press, most offset printing methods endure wet pick. The UTP simulates other aspects of the offset printing technique because the paper sample is subject to the same pressure and mechanical actions comparable to on-press conditions.

Pick is the result of the fibrous surface of the paper being loosened, lifted or pulled away. It is caused when an applied force is stronger than the surface strength of the paper. Paper with weak internal bonds or ink that is high in tack can cause picking (Wilson, 1997). Force is applied to the paper surface when it leaves the blanket nip. In order for the paper to resist pick, the surface strength of the paper must be greater than the force created by the splitting of the ink film.

The point at which pick becomes visible is the speed at which paper cannot resist the applied force. This is a measure of pick resistance. Delamination occurs when portions of the paper coating are completely removed from the paper.

Solving pick problems detrimental to the quality of print because it can cause the paper to lift up underneath the applied ink film, causing holes in the printed image. Portions lifted from the paper can travel up onto the blanket or plate causing printability problems to occur on subsequent sheets (Wilson,1997). For these reasons it is imperative to know the pick resistance of the paper being run so the press operator can prepare the ink and press speed according to the surface strength of the paper.

Introduction to the Universal Testprinter and Inking Unit

The UTP is designed to be a complete printability tester that can simulate numerous printing methods. In conjunction with the separate Inking Unit, its modular design allows the device to replicate offset, gravure, flexographic and letterpress printing conditions. The UTP is equipped with a computer processor, Determining Pick Resistance with the Universal Testprinter

Graphic Communications Management

The device contains a pneumatic system that controls the movement and pressure of the four printing arms. When the device is activated, the printing arms move down to apply pressure to the central printing sector.

The printing arms can be outfitted with a variety of printing discs, up to 50mm in width, depending on the required testing requirements. Figure 1 — Diagram of the Universal Testprinter Printing can occur on either side of the central printing sector (540mm diameter) depending on the values entered on the touchscreen interface.

Equipment & Materials

Equipment & Materials

Universal Testprinter printability tester and Inking Unit by Testprint Testprinter metal printing disc with insulated handle (10mm width) Lord and Schoenberg: Landsco light (Model: E) IGT Testing Systems: medium viscosity pick-test oil Prüfbau ink pipette Prüfbau printability tester GATF Register Ruler: Theo. Alteder & Sons P.A. 46” Paper Samples Name

Size (inches)

M Weight (M)

Basis Weight (lbs.)

Grammage (g/m2)

Exact Gloss Coated

24 x 36

127M

70

103

Xerocopy DP

20 x 26

55M

20

74

EuroArt Silk

17 x 22

55M

70

103

Newsprint

19 x 25

33M

30

49

22.5 x 28.5

81M

37

120

Kromkote C1S

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which automatically calibrates the device and stores user entered values via a touchscreen interface. Through this interface, the user can input and alter the print force, print length, print position and print speed (continuous or accelerated) for each printing arm. The UTP is programmed with common testing parameters such as dry pick, flexographic/gravure, 1 and 2 color offset, all of which can be altered and changed through the touchscreen. Additionally, the user could design unique test parameters by selecting the “custom” setting.

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Testing method

Test 1

In accordance with the ISO 3738, procedure 6, paragraph 1.1, the type of pick-test oil and end-speed needed to be determined. Medium pick-test oil was selected and the print would endure an accelerated end-speed of 2m/s. An initial printing force of 350N is used based on the recommendation from section 1.4 (par. 6). Starting with a print length of 200mm, EuroArt Silk and Exact Gloss Coated samples were evaluated to determine the most suitable combination. A volume of 375mm³ of medium pick-test oil was applied to the inking rollers. Print arm #2 is employed on the UTP and the force, length, acceleration and end-speed settings are entered under the “custom” mode.

To determine the correct end-speed for the UTP, 0.5m/s increments would be applied to the original end-speed (2m/s). These increments are applied until picking occurs within 50mm of either end of the paper samples. Upon increasing the end speed to 5m/s, if visible pick is still not apparent, the pressure will be increased by 50N and set back to the initial end-speed.

Results The print length was automatically set to 200mm when the UTP is operated in the accelerated mode. It was observed that the visible print length is more than 200mm. The manufacturer explained that the print disc is lifted off the print sector after 200mm, but will still be in slight contact leaving a visible print mark.

The accurate print length for the pick test is 200mm as specified in ISO 3783.

Figure 2 — Chatter marks

Test 2 In an attempt to improve pick consistency, variables were eliminated in order to determine procedural weaknesses. The variations of pick in test 1, could be attributed to the incorrect volume of pick-test oil. The volume of pick-test oil was calculated to ensure that the ISO 3783 specified ink film thickness (8µm of pick-test oil) covered the printing disc. The volume of ink required for the UTP for an 8µm ink-film is 440mm³. This volume was calculated by measuring the distribution surface area of all the rollers on the inking unit using the calculation provided by ISO 3783, paragraph 6, section 1.3. ( , where )

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Required volume

The UTP manufacturer recommends that the printing pressure should be increased to 600N. This increase in pressure is a deviation from the ISO 3783 recommendations, thus its effects need to be observed.

For this second test, two different volumes of pick-test oil (375mm³ and 440mm³) will be tested under 350N and 600N of pressure. EuroArt Silk was selected as a controlled variable because it demonstrated the most obvious and regular pick.

The print length was reduced to 200mm in an effort to moderate the overall length of impression and the end-speed remained at an accelerated 2m/s. These new testing procedures are designed to observe the effectual location and severity of picking due to the variance in pressure and ink film.

Another cause for the pick inconsistency could be due to the variation in pressure occurring within the pneumatic print arm. The printing arms apply pressure to the fixed printing sector, thus anything impeding the full functioning of the device could cause variable results. The uneven pressure applied by print arm #2 could be the cause for the appearance of the chatter marks. This is the print arm most frequently used, therefore new test design was preformed on print arm #3 under the “custom” setting.

Results Pick consistency improved when using 375mm³ of pick-test oil and a pressure of 600N. At 350N the average pick begins at 140.67mm and had a standard deviation of 19.35 whereas, under 600N pressure the start of the pick was 95.20mm with a standard deviation of 13.70.

The pick speed ( ) was calculated by with is the acceleration of 10m/s2 at 2m/s end-speed and is the starting point of pick in meters. As Figure 3 indicates, at the speed at which EuroArt Silk picked is lower when the pressure increased to 600N.

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Distributing surface area calculation

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Figure 3 — Resulting pick speed at a volume of 375mm³ Pressure (N)

Speed (m/s)

350

1.7

600

1.4

*based on the average of ten test samples

Picking was observed at an earlier point when using the correct pick-test oil film thickness of 8µm, (volume of 440mm³) than at a volume of 375mm³. Under the identical pressure, a higher ink volume causes picking to occur earlier (Figure 4).

From theses observations we can conclude that 440mm³ is the correct volume to be using on the Testprint for the ISO procedure.

Figure 4 — Observing point of pick under varying ink film thicknesses Ink Volume (mm³)

Point of Pick (mm) 350N

600N

375

140.7

98.0

440

95.2

86.8

*based on the average of five test samples

At the correct ink volume of 440mm³, paper picked at a lower speed when the pressure was increased to 600N (Figure 5). At this pressure, picking was also noticeably more consistent, thus confirming the repeatability for theses new test conditions.

Figure 5 — Resulting pick speed at a volume of 440mm³ Pressure (N)

Speed (m/s)

350

1.4

600

1.3

*based on the average of ten test samples

Test 3 In an effort to confirm the repeatability of the results achieved in Test 2 (EuroArt Silk and print arm #3), we continued to use the “custom” setting, and verified our findings with Exact Gloss Coated, Kromekote, Newsprint and Xerocopy DP. The speed will be calculated from the average of five test results in order to determine the result consistency for the new volume of pick test oil under 350N and 600N of pressure.

Results Figure 6 reveals that Kromekote, and EuroArt Silk reacted as expected, with pick happening at a lower speed when the pressure was increased to 600N. Alternatively, Newsprint and Exact Gloss Coated did not demonstrate this trend.

Xerocopy DP did not show any signs of picking. Further testing needed to occur Determining Pick Resistance with the Universal Testprinter

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Figure 6 — Pick speed with a volume of 440mm³ Speed (m/s)

Paper

350N

600N

Newsprint

1.4

1.6

Kromekote

0.8

0.7

Exact Gloss

1.7

1.7

EuroArt Silk

1.4

1.3

Xerocopy DP

N/A

N/A

Test 4 Upon unsatisfactory results, speculation arose about the variance in pressure within the print arm. To determine if the print arm is at fault, the experiment was repeated with Exact Gloss; testing at 350N and 600N using print arm #2 and #3 with the “custom” setting.

Results Figure 7 demonstrates that there is no evidence of picking observed using print arm #3. The results from this test are inconclusive.

Figure 7 — Point of pick using the “custom” setting Speed (m/s)

Print Arm

350N

600N

#2

1.4

1.5

#3

None

None

Test 5 The inconclusive results from the last test lead to questioning if the UTP settings could influence the results. Exact Gloss was tested under 350N and 600N under the “dry pick” setting, instead of the “custom” setting, but with this option we are limited to using print arm #2.

Results Comparing Figures 7 & 8, we observe that the pick speed at 600N is higher then at 300N. The pick speed should decrease when the applied pressure increases.

These irregular results are beneficial in prompting us to believe that there is an error with the lubrication in the air pistons of the UTP. The mechanical difficulties were resolved by a Testprint technician and the UTP begun to provide consistent results in subsequent tests.

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to explain these inconclusive results. At this point, the values in Figure 6 can be considered as working values.

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Figure 8 — Point of pick using the “dry pick” setting Speed (m/s)

Print Arm #2

350N

600N

1.2

1.4

Test 6 The paper samples are re-tested on the UTP and compared to results achieved on the Prüfbau printability tester. This comparison indicates if the UTP creates results approximate to an accepted device commonly used to measure pick resistance. At a local ink manufacturer, identical paper samples were tested on two different Prüfbau devices. Samples were tested at 600N and 350N at an accelerated end-speed of 2m/s.

The Prüfbau used a full printing disc and required a pick-test oil volume of 408mm³ to meet the ISO 8µm ink film thickness requirement. In order to evaluate the speed at which the paper begun to pick, we used the same pick speed formula as the UTP. Results In Figure 9, the average is shown to even out the inherent accelerated endspeed differences that result from the daily use of the two Prüfbau machines. This helps to reduce the discrepancy in the test results due to possible factors of which we might be unaware (uneven workload and usage for example).

Figure 9 — Pick speed comparison on the UTP and Prüfbau Speed (m/s) Newsprint

Kromekote

Exact Gloss

EuroArt Silk

350N

600N

350N

600N

350N

600N

350N

600N

Average of UTP

1.7

1.5

1.0

0.8

1.8

1.6

1.4

1.4

Average of Prüfbau

1.7

1.6

1.4

1.1

1.7

1.5

1.8

1.5

Upon comparing the results between the two devices the only paper sample that differed tremendously was Kromekote. This could be attributed to the wider width of the Prüfbau print disc. The UTP follows ISO procedure by employing a 10mm print disc while Prüfbau prints using a full 40mm width print disc. The small width of the Testprint disc creates concentrated pressure within a small area. Conversely, even pressure is applied to the entire width of the sample with the Prüfbau disc.

The variance in findings might be attributed to the paper characteristics because Kromekote is the only cast coated paper and might react differently to the different pressures in comparison to the blade coated papers.

Observing the pick speeds in Figure 9, Newsprint and Exact Gloss are model papers. They demonstrate a lower pick speed at a higher pressure, which is a trend that indicates stable behavior, suggesting that the pick at a constant speed.

These two paper samples provide the most repeatable results. Kromekote and EuroArt Silk are a close second, yet the discrepancy between the two printability testers was slightly larger.

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Practical application for the pick speeds is revealed when calculating the pick speed on an actual printing press. With a standard 25 x 38” sheet of paper and 10,000 impressions per hour, paper would have to travel faster then 1.76m/s prior to picking.

According to our results every sample tested would not pick when traveling in excess of 10,000imph. At a speed of 600N, the Testprint demonstrated that Exact Gloss is the closest in tested pick speed matching the actual speed that a paper could pick on press. The pick test simulates dry pick conditions yet on press, paper is in a wet pick environment. Additionally, the tack and viscosity of ink is lower than that of the pick-test oil therefore, the paper surface would not under go the same amount of stress on press.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that the UTP generates ISO 3783 test results comparable with the Prüfbau printability tester. Both devices demonstrated the three types of pick; isolated, continuous and delamination. For this reason, the Testprint should receive a mentioning in the ISO 3783 test procedure since it produces dependable results.

Currently, only the IGT Testing Systems device is specifically mentioned within ISO 3783. An amendment should be made in order to update the procedure to include the UTP as an accepted printability tester. In support of this notion, the UTP has a curved printing sector which is closer in design to the current IGT standard printability tester. The procedure should be updated to make a general statement reflecting the development of printability testers.

It is recommended that the procedure should be changed to reflect the usage of a metal print discs in the range of 10 to 40mm in width. The current recommendation is a width of 8-12mm, yet this testing procedure reveals that a width difference of 30mm still produces comparable results.

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The Prüfbau and UTP produced similar pick speed, despite the dissimilarity in print disc widths. The pick speed difference between the Testprint and Prüfbau devices is approximately ±30%. The variance in pick speed between the two devices demonstrates the inherent differences created by their design. The Prüfbau imposes a round to flat means of creating an impression on paper, as the fixed round printing disc applies pressure to the flat traveling paper carrier.

Conversely, the UTP creates an impression on the paper by applying pressure to a round printing disc onto a circular print sector by a movable printing arm. These differences in design could attribute to the small variance in pick speeds.

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Observed Issues

The causes for the chatter marks on the samples were concluded to be the result of all or some of the following reasons.

• Chattering is the result of a smashed blanket. Repetitive and excessive printing pressure damages the blanket resulting in an uneven printing surface.

At 600N, more consistent pick is demonstrated on the UTP, but more physical force is applied to the blanket underneath the sample at this higher pressure.

Thus, the blanket must be replaced more frequently.

• Piston Lubrication: The UTP is equipped with a medical grade air compressor which removes any oil from the compressed air. Without any oil, there is minimal lubrication in the air going into the UTP for the pneumatic pistons to operate the print arms, which could contribute to the chatter marks.

Summary of Test Parameters

This test was carried out at Ryerson University from October 2006 to January 2007 in a controlled environment with an ambient temperature of 23°C (73°F).

The correct volume of medium viscosity pick-test oil was measured using a Prüfbau pipette, which was then applied to the top rollers on the Testprinter inking unit. It was allowed to distribute on the oscillating rollers or 30 seconds and the print disc is inked-up for anther 30 seconds. Samples were prepared grain long and measure 55mm x 250mm. They were placed felt-side up and affixed to the printing sector using adhesive tape. Testing values were entered on the UTP touch-screen, such as print length, force, acceleration and end-speed. Evaluation for the initial point of pick was determined using a Landsco light. Throughout the testing procedure the samples showed evidence of three types of pick; isolated, continuous and delamination. The distribution rollers are cleaned after every four prints and the ink volume is reapplied. Any deviations from the specified testing conditions are specifically mentioned and their rationale explained.

References

Paper and board -- Determination of resistance to picking – Accelerating speed method using the IGT tester (Electric model) ISO 3783:2006, Second edition Wilson, L (1997). What the Printer Should know about Paper. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania: GATF.

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge Ryerson University’s Office of Research Services for the funding necessary for the work study program. I would like to thank Dr. Martin Habekost for his supervision and guidance in writing this paper. Without him it would not have been possible.

Determining Pick Resistance with the Universal Testprinter

Graphic Communications Management

Mateusz Serwin

Summary

The publishing and printing industry is the fourth largest industry in Canada.

There is no day in which people do not come into contact with printed media.

Whether through seeing an advertisement, paying for lunch, reading a book or magazine, it is all around us. Despite there being such an excessive need and demand for printed communication, statistics indicate that employment in the printing industry is steadily decreasing in Canada. The printing industry recorded a loss of 4,866 jobs in the sector, while the closely related pulp and papermanufacturing industry recorded 14,374 lost jobs in the same five-year period (Statistics Canada, 2006). There are many factors and arguments for this unusual trend, but the strongest ties are related to the strong performance of the Canadian dollar, creating a decrease in exported printed media to the United States.

In the last year this resulted with the close of 107 businesses across Canada (Graphic Monthly Canada, Oct. 2006). China’s immense rate of development also contributes to the equation, allowing buyers to look further abroad for more competitive pricing in comparison to the Canadian rising industrial producer price index (Statistics Canada). The final factor is technological advancements in press and workflow automation. New digital management information systems (MIS), together with highly sophisticated and automated equipment capable of selfcalibrating, reduces the need for human intervention and skilled labour.

Article

Unemployment in the graphic communications industry is on a rise, increasing each year and recently resulting in the closure of four large companies.

Acquisitions and buyouts have been occurring more often as the Canadian print industry scrambles to increase production. Many factors influence such relatively consistent statistics and industry trends. However, there are always certain factors, which play a much greater role in pushing a ball down a hill. The predicted causes for increasing unemployment in the printed communications industry are the high value of the Canadian dollar, driving US business out of Canada and fuelling the dynamically growing Chinese sector, whose labour force is better equipped with more automated equipment allowing a less skilled labour force to work more efficiently and effectively. These factors attribute greatly to the driving force of the Canadian economy. Our dollar has been on the rise ever since late 2001, resulting in some of the automotive industry giants to shut down production on our side of the border due to higher costs of running their businesses. This gradual decrease in US exports is leaving room for China to further strengthen its economy and ties with Canada, despite of human rights issues. China is becoming more technologically developed and the printing industry is growing so rapidly that many printed jobs are being produced there instead of here. Imports from China are increasing so drastically they are breaking records each year. With one Printing Employment in Canada

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of the worlds largest labour forces, the Chinese have the need to be trained and knowledgeable in various technological fields. This decreases the need for employment training and provides employers with adequately trained employees to run presses which require only reloading of paper and monitoring ink levels, if that. Advanced presses remove the need for highly skilled craftsman to operate the machinery. New designs and features allow for perfect operation in little training time. Computers and programs which automatically check all files, inform of any necessary changes, produce proofs and plates with the click of a button and automatically calibrate both the presses and finishing equipment. Again, this eliminate the need for human intervention and that is not without the mention of skilled personnel.

Canadian Dollar

The value of the Canadian dollar may be considered the best single digit representation of the Canadian economy. It indicates how well all of our markets, assets and federal governance compare with the remainder of the world. As it can be observed in Figure 1 , since late 2001 the value of the Canadian dollar pierces upwards and does not drop. A climbing dollar as we have witnessed over the past few years can however have its downfalls. As we can see, exports to the US have declined drastically over the period and judging by the current trends and predictions, a halt is nowhere in sight. This decrease in exports indicates a decrease in printed matter produced on Canadian soil, which directly influences the companies and people who would print it. Lack of jobs resulted in the closure of 107 companies in 2005. This chain of events ends on individual people who, as a result, loose their jobs and salaries. “News regarding our trade with the U.S. is not good. Canadian exports south have been slipping for several years, and declining by more then 12% in the first half of 2006. But, while imports from the U.S. were declining since at least 2003 – dropping from $948.5 million in 2003 to $889.9 million in 2005 – they reversed course in the first six months with a growth of more than 5%.”

(Graphic Monthly, Oct. 2006)

Figure 1 — US Imports and Exports vs. Canadian Dollar Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Printing Employment in Canada

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Year

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Printing and related support activities

84,339

82,913

80,843

78,185

79,473

Paper

104,834

97,264

98,728

96,017

90,460

Dollar

$0.65

$0.64

$0.72

$0.77

$0.83

As observed in Figure 2, with the annual increase of the Canadian dollar, the number of employees in Canada working in the printing industry and the paper industry lessens. This trend is directly affected by the position of the Canadian dollar with relation to the US dollar.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the increase of the Canadian dollar created a direct decrease in imports from and exports to the United States. Although the US isstill our strongest trading partner, mainly due to a common border, the average market share in the printing industry is decreasing.

China: Gaining Momentum

With the industrial product price index increasing in Canada, parallel to the dollar, from 111.8 in 2001 to 115.3 in 2005 (Figure 3) and expected to increase in 2006, print buyers are turning to abroad service providers for their printing needs. China, being the largest and fastest developing country in the world, brings forth encouraging opportunities for business. Buyers of print have been convinced for several years and invested large sums of money into the Chinese printing industry, “Imports from China jumped to a two-year high of $22.3 million in September, bringing the nation’s total for the year to $139.1 million” (PrintCan, Nov. 2006). Unfortunately however this results in the decrease of money spent on print in the Canadian market. “This growth in the Chinese market presents significant opportunities and threats,” commented Charlie Corr, a Group Director at InfoTrends. “For equipment and supplies vendors, this growth represents an opportunity for incremental growth. For print service providers, it represents new competition and new opportunities for partnerships.”

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Figure 2 — Employees on Payroll Source: Statistics Canada

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Figure 3 — Industrial Producer Price Index Source: Statistics Canada, 2006

Figure 4 — Average Change in Imported Printed Products over 04-05 and 05-06 Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 *04-05 Data reflecting a 12-month period; 05-06 Data reflecting a 6-month period

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“News regarding our trade with the U.S. is not good. Canadian exports south have been sliping for several years, and declining by more then 12% in the first half of 2006. But, while imports from the U.S. were declining since at least 2003 – dropping from $948.5 milling in 2003 to $889.9 million in 2005 – they reversed course in the first six months with a growth of more than 5%. “(Graphic Monthly, October 2006, Vol. 27 No. 5) China, which has become our second-largest source of imported print, continued to make headway into this country, pushing ahead more than 6% for the first half of the year over last.

It is a true fact that the printing industry in North America is becoming more aggressive. Production deadlines set by buyers are becoming shorter as new technologies become available. Printers are taking on a greater cost responsibility for simple time consuming task such as repairing poorly constructed files, costs which many printers decide to absorb in fear of loosing a customer. Such factors drive their profits down and at a time when they can least afford it, their last hope for life is to increase their prices, which can results in bankruptcy or a corporate buy out.

Technological Automation

With new technologies and workflows being introduced, computers, that require less human interaction do more and more work for us. With presses becoming more technologically swift, equipped with new robotic features, and running at increasing speeds, less man power is required to operate them resulting in a decrease in employment. This scenario is not only occurring in Canada but also in other developing countries, such as China, which invests in new technologies for the purpose of greater productivity and efficiency. “In pushing the structural optimization of the industry and exploring new ways of industrialization, development must placed in the first priority, structural adjustment must be taken as the main axis, reform and technological innovation must be used as the driving force…” (Wen-Xiang). Wu Wen-Xiang, General Director of the printing Technology Association of China, argues that with stronger investments into innovative technology, the printing industry in China has the potential for being the worlds next printing superpower. With the trend once again leaning towards Printing Employment in Canada

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By analyzing Figure 4 we can see that the greatest percentage increase over the two years happening in Germany; however it must be stated that Germany only represents 0.9% of total imports to Canada. Likewise with South Korea, despite recording a 36% increase in 2006, the total import value accounts for 0.74% of the total market. The U.S. accounts for 80% of the total market while China increased its share to 13.7% in six months since the closing of 2005 statistics at 13.5%. With China becoming more open and more encouraging for business, more business and work is taken away from Canada’s domestic market, which will continue its trend of Darwinian survival, through takeovers and acquisitions. The unemployment is expected to continue in the direction of the current trends with no signs of future change.

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more jobs being sent abroad, and in particular to China, Canada is left with little to do but to invest in newer technologies with quicker turnaround times to meet market demands. This thought, though popular, also presents problems. Due to the decrease in production on Canadian soil, much of the equipment printers currently have is not being utilized, which makes the purchase of more advanced equipment a great risk since there is no guarantee that a new machine will bring in more dollars.

References

(October 2006). Number of Print Shops Declines in 2005. Graphic Monthly Canada, [27(5)] (October 2006). Imports up; exports continue to slide in first half of the year.

Graphic Monthly Canada, [27(5)] (2005, December). U.S. trade down, but global surplus gains 10%. Graphic Monthly Canada, [26(6)], 16.

Bank of Canada, (December 2006). Retrieved December 4, 2006, from Bank of Canada Web site: http://www.bankofcanada.ca Statistics Canada, (December 2006). Statistics Canada. Retrieved December 4, 2006, from Strategis Web site: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/tdo/tdo.php#tag PrintCan, (2006, November 28). PrintCan. Retrieved December 4, 2006, from PrintCan: Canada’s Graphic Arts Web Centre Web site: http://www.printcan.com/homenews.htm Elliott, Bob (2006, April 17). Global report: Canada. Printing News, [156(16)], 9.

(2004, July). Japan Association of Graphic Arts Technology. Retrieved December 4, 2006, from The Current Status and Perspective of China Printing Industry (Part 2) Web site: http://www.jagat.or.jp/story_memo_view.asp?StoryID=8093 (2005, November). InfoTrends. Retrieved December 4, 2006, from China’s Production Printing Industry Represents New Opportunities and Threats for Vendors and Service Providers Web site: http://www.capv.com/public/Content/Press/2005/11.28.2005.html (2006). Statistics Canada. Retrieved December 4, 2006, from CANSIM - Search Results Web site: http://estat.statcan.ca/cgi-win/CNSMCGI.EXE?LANG=E&CIITa bles=1654&ResultTemplate=ESTATCII_FLST&ROOTDIR=ESTAT/&C2DB= Wu Wenxiang, Chairman, The Printing Technology Association of China

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