ASTM_F_2498_-_05_2011.pdf

Designation:F249805(Reapproved 2011)Standard Practice forDetermining the Drying Time of Inkjet Media and Inks Usinga Smudge Method1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2498;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 This practice describes a procedure for assessing thedrying time of black and white or color images produced byinkjet printers by smudging yellow,magenta cyan,red,green,blue,and black printed color bars.1.2 This practice can be used to test different media with agiven set of inks or it can be used to evaluate different inks witha given media.1.3 This method is applicable to printed images,where theimage may be contacted after printing.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.Terminology2.1 Definitions:2.1.1 ink jet mediarefer to recording elements used by inkjet printers to receive inks.The substrate may be paper,plastic,canvas,fabric,or other ink receptive material.The substratemay,or may not,be coated with an ink receptive layer(s).3.Significance and Use3.1 In addition to providing acceptable image quality,ink jetmedia have to dry in a reasonable time period so that the imageis not perturbed by handling after imaging.3.2 Good drying time is a prime consideration for inkjetinks and media.An inkjet print which does not dry in areasonable time period has limited usefulness.This practice isused to obtain comparative data of drying times for inkjet inksand media.4.Interferences4.1 Since the drying time of inkjet inks and media isdependent on temperature and humidity,it is important that themeasurements be made under the conditions appropriate to theend use applications.While printed media may be handled anddisplayed under a variety of conditions,this test practice isintended to determine drying time in indoor environments.4.2 The drying time is dependent on temperature andhumidity,and should be measured within the temperatures andhumidities specified by the printer or media manufacturer.4.3 The drying time is dependent on the printing mode,thetype of color and the amount of applied inks.4.4 This procedure is only applicable for determining drytime,when the drying time exceeds the actual print time.5.Materials5.1 Printer,media,stopwatch,PVC pre-powdered dispos-able gloves,test target,calculator.6.Test Samples and Target6.1 The method of printing,inks,inks laydown,and han-dling of printed samples shall be consistent with the anticipatedend use.6.2 The test image may be generated with personal com-puter word processing,drawing/graphics,or page layoutsoftware,saved as a print file for each printer/method ofprinting(contributing its unique inks and inks/receiver inter-actions that may impact drying time),trial-printed,and evalu-ated for appropriate ink letdown(purity and amount)and easeof printing and testing.Each print file should have its filename,type,and version identified in the image area and a place forexperimental notes(for example,time,printer,environmentalconditions,operator).The printer settings and a trial print ofeach print file version should be archived.6.3 The test image should be constructed such that the barsconsist of three primary colors(yellow,magenta,cyan),threesecondary colors(red,green,blue),composite black(CMY)and pure black).They are38in.wide by 9116in.long,and thetick marks are spaced1516in.apart.The sixth“X”tick markwill be at the lead edge of the print(first portion of image toexit the printer).1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F05 on BusinessImaging Products and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F05.07 on Ink JetImaging Products.Current edition approved Oct.1,2011.Published March 2012.Originallyapproved in 2005.Last previous edition approved in 2005 as F249805.DOI:10.1520/F2498-05R11.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 NOTE1Depending on the printer,it may not be possible to print bothpure black and composite black bars.7.Conditioning7.1 It is recommended that samples be conditioned in theroom where the test will be run for at least 24 h prior toprinting.Samples should be placed individually so that maxi-mum surface area of the media is exposed to the environmentbeing tested.The conditioned samples should be visuallyinspected prior to printing for surface irregularities,whichcould adversely affect the measurements.8.Smudge Procedure8.1 Place PVC gloves on each hand.8.2 Make 1 print of the test image using the specified printerand media at the predetermined