Repeatability: The Next Key 

Printing System Performance 
Differentiator

Bill Garno, Rochester Institute of

Technology
 Printing system repeatability

•Why is it important…really?

•How do we measure it?

•Case study

•Q&A
 Why has printing system repeatability 
become increasingly important?
•Increasing customer sophistication/expectations
•Operational efficiency
•Waste reduction
•Cycle time compression
•Color science and metrology enable objective definition of 
color conformance
•Acceptance of standards growing
•Requirement for color‐managed workflow
 What printing system criteria impact 
perceived quality?
•Color (∆E)
•Solid Ink Denisty (SID) List not inclusive;
ISO 12647
•Total Value Increase (TVI) defines criteria in more 
•Trap detail

•Printed Gloss
•Delta Gloss
•Solid Uniformity
Color repeatability enables color 
management

Process control 
(repeatability 
quantified) is a 
prerequisite to color 
management
 Definition of color repeatability
Spatial (within‐sheet) variation
• Color difference between two patches can measured 
colorimetrically and expressed in ∆E unit

IT8.7/3 basic 
target at different 
locations in two 
orientations.
 Color differences can be expressed as a 
cumulative relative frequency (CRF) of ∆ E*

A cumulative 
relative frequency of 
∆ E distribution

* Chung and Shimamura, “Quantitative Analysis of Pictorial Color Image Difference,” TAGA Proceedings,
2001.
 Color repeatability
Temporal (sheet‐to‐sheet) variation
• minimum of 30 samples

Solid ink density  Dot gain performance 
performance chart chart
 Case Study
Contemporary Digital (EP) Printing Systems
 Summary
•Use of color management is growing (and will continue 
to do so)
•We need process control in order to make color 
management work
•Quantify variation
•Process control focuses on
• use of standard operating procedures
• test targets
• measurement technology for device calibration
 Acknowledgements
•Professor Robert Chung
RIT School of Print Media
•Franz Sigg
RIT Research Scientist, School of Print Media
•Fred Hsu
Color Specialist, RIT Printing Applications Laboratory
•Jeremy Vanslette
Digital Printing Technologist, RIT Printing Applications 
Laboratory
 Thank You!
Questions?

Bill Garno
Bill.Garno@rit.edu
www.printlab.rit.edu