IPA’s (sometimes controversial) color testing of digital proofing devices resulted in significant quality improvement in inkjet and other digital proofing systems. This year, IPA set out to change a new but related process: production-level color digital printing.

Digital printing is often criticized as tending to drift, unable to color manage, unable to match Pantone colors, and many fear digital output cracks during folding in areas of high coverage. A new technical report, the 2008 IPA Digital Print Forum Results, demonstrates that these accusations are largely unjustified and that digital printing matches, and in many situations surpasses, offset in terms of color, print quality and durability.

The IPA Digital Print Forum is a series of experiments that were conducted using output from eight digital presses, with test results reported in a 46-page booklet (see below) distributed at the IPA Technical Conference in Chicago, April 22, 2008.

The study was comprehensive in nature covering all aspects of digital print production including color, sheet-to-sheet variability and physical properties such as rub resistance, cracking, fading, press speed and the ability to match GRACoL Ô on a digital press. And for the first time in North America, deinkability and recyclability of prints from the various digital presses were evaluated.

Learn what the results of this landmark study may mean for you and your company in this informative Webinar, lead by the study director, Dr. Abhay Sharma, Chair of Graphic Communications, Ryerson University.

IPA has released its first independent, technical examination of digital printing technologies.

The IPA Digital Print Forum is a series of experiments that were conducted using output from eight digital presses, with test results reported at the IPA Technical Conference in Chicago, April 22, 2008.

The study was comprehensive in nature covering all aspects of digital print production including color, sheet-to-sheet variability and physical properties such as rub resistance, cracking, fading, press speed and the ability to match GRACoL on a digital press. And for the first time in North America, de-inkability and recyclability of prints from the various digital presses were evaluated.

The results of this landmark study are available in this 46-page booklet.

DOWNLOAD ADDENDUM 1.2
Fade Resistance
This addendum to the final report describes the results of the digital print submissions’ resistance to fading.