ASTM_D_5626_-_94_2006.pdf

Designation:D5626 94(Reapproved 2006)An American National StandardStandard Test Methods forU.S.Postal Service Optical Measurements for Small Areas1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5626;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 These test methods deal with the measurement of opticalproperties important to automatic equipment used by theUnited States Postal Service,such as optical character recog-nition(OCR)readers and barcode readers.These test methodscan be used to examine finished mailpieces bearing addressinformation,as well as the unconverted materials intended tobe subsequently used in mailpiece construction.These testmethods are limited to the use of a single instrument,the U.S.Postal Service Envelope Reflectance Meter Model 2(ERM-2),2designed for use with mailpieces and materials intendedfor mailpiece construction such as paper and paper-like syn-thetics and inks.1.2 These test methods cover examination of small areas,measuring 0.152 by 0.254 mm(0.006 by 0.010 in.).Thisenables measurement of the reflectance characteristics ofregions as small as the inked portion of a single printedcharacter or a single bar in a barcode pattern.1.3 These test methods deal with the measurement of fourdifferent optical properties important to automatic mail han-dling,as follows:1.3.1 Background Reflectance(see 11.1)These test meth-ods cover the determination of the relative reflectance factor ofsmall areas of a specimen that do not contain printing orapparent show-through of printing,and so are representative ofthe base material.1.3.2 Print Reflectance Difference and Print Contrast Ratio(see 11.2)These test methods characterize the difference inreflectance between the envelope material and the charactersprinted upon the envelope with ink.1.3.3 Print Show Through(see 11.3)These test methodscharacterize the difference in reflectance between the envelopematerial backed with an unprinted insert and the envelopematerial examined in a region where it covers a printedcharacter on the insert or a character printed on the back sideof the envelope material itself.1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:3D585 Practice for Sampling and Accepting a Single Lot ofPaper,Paperboard,Fiberboard,and Related ProductE284 Terminology of AppearanceE1347 Test Method for Color and Color-Difference Mea-surement by Tristimulus Colorimetry3.Terminology3.1 Definitions:3.1.1 The definitions contained in Terminology E284 areapplicable to these test methods.3.1.2 Relative reflectance factor is defined in Test MethodE1347.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 background reflectance(BR),nthe relative direc-tional reflectance factor,expressed as a percent,obtained froma portion of the material under any test which has not beenprinted on either side and does not show printing from anybacking material.Also referred to as paper reflectance.3.2.2 bar code reader(BCR),nas used by the UnitedStates Postal Service(USPS)in the automatic processing ofmail.3.2.3 bar code sorter(BCS),nas used by the USPS in theautomatic processing of mail.3.2.4 directional,adjdescriptor for the optical geometryemployed in the ERM-2 for which illumination is from twosources disposed at+50 and 50 from the vertical,anddetection is at 0 from the vertical.3.2.5 Envelope Reflectance Meter,Model 2(ERM-2),nmanufactured by Chamberlain MRC.NOTE1This instrument renders ERM-1 obsolete.The ERM-1 cannotbe used to implement these test methods.1These test methods are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D06 onPaper and Paper Products and are the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D06.92on Standard Documents Relating to Paper and Paper Products.Current edition approved Nov.1,2006.Published November 2006.Originallyapproved in 1994.Last previous edition approved in 2001 as D5626 94(2001).DOI:10.1520/D5626-94R06.2The ERM-2 is available from Chamberlain MRC,Division of DuchossoisIndustries,Inc.,336 Clubhouse Road,Hunt Valley,MD 21031-1325.3For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.1Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959,United States.NOTICE:This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.Contact ASTM International(www.astm.org)for the latest inform