PIA Testing Services
Materials and Product Testing
Printing Industries of America lab services staff have over four decades of industry experience evaluating materials used in the graphic arts industry. In addition, they also have access to a plethora of other industry professionals including but not limited to the areas of prepress, digital, pressroom, process controls, color management, JDF, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and many others!
Printing Industries of America lab services evaluates paper and ink characteristics using established standards, such as Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry (TAPPI), the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the National Printing Ink Research Institute (NPIRI).
We evaluate materials proactively by providing quality control evaluations for printers, suppliers, and vendors around the industry. Many customers submit materials on a regular basis as a quality control measure to ensure the products they are providing are consistent and reliable. In addition, Printing Industries of America’s lab services provide analytical evaluations of jobs that did not go as planned. Often when conflicts arise concerning “jobs gone bad” customers will send the materials to Printing Industries of America for an unbiased, third-party evaluation to determine what went wrong and how to prevent it from occurring in the future!
Paper Strength Testing
What We Evaluate
– Inks, substrates, coatings
– Binding properties
– Material interactions – surface tension, drying times, ink/coating adhesion, etc.
– ISO 2846 Ink Conformance testing – offset, flexography, rotogravure, screen
– Conflict resolution
– Legal work
Paper Tests
– Absorptivity (K&N, Croda
– Ash Content (TAPPI T-413)
– Basis Weight (TAPPI T-410)
– Brightness (TAPPI T-452)
– Burst Strength (TAPPI T-403)
– Caliper (TAPPI T-411)
– CIE Whiteness (TAPPI T-562)
– Color (TAPPI T-424)
– Curl (TAPPI T-466)
– Folding Endurance (TAPPI T-511)
– Gloss (TAPPI T-480)
– Internal Tearing Resistance (TAPPI T-414)
– ISO Brightness ISO 2469
– Moisture Content (TAPPI T-412)
– Opacity (TAPPI T-425)
– Parker Print Surf Smoothness (TAPPI T-555)
– Sheffield Smoothness (TAPPI T-538)
– Stiffness (TAPPI T-489)
– Surface pH (TAPPI T-529)
– Tensile Strength (TAPPI T-404)
– Tri-pick test (Consolidated)
– Other standard TAPPI and ASTM tests can be performed upon request
Ink Tests
– Duke Emulsification (ASTM D4942-89)
– Fineness of Grind (ASTM D1316-87)
– ISO 2846 ink conformance
– Laray Viscosity (ASTM D4040-81, Laray)
– Setting & Drying Time
– Sutherland Rub Test
– SWOP Verifications
– TA Rheometry/Viscosity
– Tack & Stability (ASTM 4361-89)
– Tinctorial Strength (NPIRI Bleaching Method)
– VOC Content (EPA Method 24)
– Other standard TAPPI and ASTM tests can be performed upon request.
Further Information
For rates and information, contact Lindsay Ferrari at Printing Industries of America by phone at 412-259-1785 or email labservices@printing.org.
