Control of the offset printing image quality indices

The problem of assessing printing quality is urgent nowadays and requires informative adaptation and development methods. The study of "printing ink –substrate" boundary, taking into account a great variety of printing ink, is of high scientific and applied interest. The paper presents research results of the printouts made on the coated paper by the offset printing method. Visualization of the components distribution of offset ink in substrate surface and volumetric layers of the substrate is presented. Based on the scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectra analysis of the printouts cross-sections, colorimetric parameters and the character of ink layers distribution in pores of the paper, coated layers of two coloured inks at different applications during printing, are compared. The tendency of bigger distortion of the required colour at higher depth of the ink penetration is observed. The obtained data can be used for the values of pre-distortions, predefined in the pre-press, so that the printing ink can be chosen depending on the required reproduction accuracy.