Guidelines for Objective Print Quality Measurements using Flatbed Scanners

Scanner-based systems for automated print quality measurements have become important and widely used tools in digital printing. New algorithms are continuously added to the large library of more or less known image analysis routines for quantization of print quality parameters. However, the quality of these measurements will not only be determined by the performance of the algorithms. The properties of the printed substrate, the colorants and the printing procedure in different combinations together with the properties of the capturing device are all factors that will have a large influence on the final result of any objective print quality measurement. In this presentation, guidelines will be given for the use of flatbed scanners for image acquisition of the printed substrate. The presentation will also describe the problems associated with the influence of substrate properties on the image acquisition. The work presented in this paper is a part of an ongoing research project, developing a set of characterization procedures that can be applied to a variety of different print engines and substrates.