Checklist for printer. How to test the quality of inkjet ink at home

Before switching to alternative inks or changing ink manufacturers, it's a good idea to run a color quality test to compare print results.

Today I want to introduce you to a simple test of the color quality of ink in CMYK mode for 4-color inkjet printers.

This test will quickly determine the quality of the ink being used and, if negative, will allow you to change the ink before performing critical printing jobs.

I decided to make a small reviewer, since quite often I receive questions about how to independently check the quality of the ink that is planned to fill the printer cartridges. This review will be useful to anyone who plans to make a choice.

A small theoretical introduction. There are several ways to mix colors CMYK and RGB . The simplest color blending mode and at the same time the most common is CMYK. Deciphered by the first letters, which determines the colors C yan (blue), M agenta (purple), Y ellow (yellow) and Blac k(black).

This blending mode has been used since the advent of printing equipment. Modern printers that have 4 ink cartridges use a group of colors for printing images and black for printing text. Therefore, it is quite common to find combined colors in one cartridge + a separate black ink cartridge ( most of Canon and HP home printers).

It is the users of these printer models that are quite often interested in the issue of high-quality color reproduction, and this review will probably be useful for them in the first place.

Knowing that images are not printed using a black cartridge, but only color ink, you can successfully use this to check the color quality of an individual ink color. What does this mean? Ideally, when sending a black square, which is a graphic file, for printing, the printer determines which colors and in what proportions to mix. More precisely graphics program sends this data to the printer's buffer. The printer, having received this data, must accurately maintain the mixing proportions and print a perfectly black square.

This is in theory, unfortunately even on the original ink it is not always possible to get a perfect black print (a headache for photographers who like to print b/w photos). As a rule, a slightly grayish tint is obtained. When using low-quality ink, color fade can occur in any direction. And not all colors may be to blame, but only one. For example, instead of bright purple, you use carrot, and all other colors (blue and yellow) have perfect color reproduction. In this case, your black square will have a burgundy tint.

When testing, you can quickly understand which of the colors is problematic, based on the photo in this review. As you can see from the photo, with a perfect combination of all three colors, you should get a perfectly black color. Using this knowledge, you can very quickly find out what quality of ink you have and whether it is worth using it in your work.

You also need to take this into account when printing. It's just that sometimes we hear that pigment ink is consumed little, although we print a lot of b/w documents. As it turns out later, documents are printed from PDF file as pictures. Therefore, the printer accepts the command to mix color ink. Naturally, the pigment in the black cartridge will not be consumed.

In Canon printers, this test is provided as standard with the printer management software. When you print a test sheet, on the left edge, opposite each color, black rectangles are placed, on which you can monitor the quality of color reproduction, as described above. You can immediately notice if the black rectangle turns blue or brown on the test. So something happened to the ink, or one color ended.

On a note. A large assortment quality, environmentally friendly oak barrels for Food Industry. wooden barrels great for brewing, storing kvass and other food drinks. You can also buy wooden containers for use in the bath.

When testing computer components and related solutions, we, of course, could not ignore such a class of devices as office equipment. Today it has become an indispensable attribute of any office or company with a large document flow. And it is now difficult to imagine a modern home configuration without a printer or MFP, especially if its owner is a schoolboy or student. As you can see, the scope of devices of this kind is quite extensive, and it covers both the corporate and SOHO market segments. In this regard, store shelves are literally littered with a variety of office equipment: from compact photo printers to professional office “combines”.

Naturally, such diversity can confuse even knowing person, not to mention those who are faced with the purchase of a printer or MFP for the first time. We hope that this technique and a series of materials prepared on its basis will help you understand the variety of models in order to make the right choice in the future.

First, we will briefly describe the structure of the review of the printer or MFP, and then we will talk in more detail about the testing itself. As always, for better perception The material will be divided into several sections.

Introduction and specification

At the very beginning of the article, the relevance of the tested solution is described, its positioning in model range, as well as how the manufacturer himself sees its use. Here you can find the most complete specification of the device, compiled on the basis of information from official sources. In the future, during testing, we will definitely check whether the stated information is true.

Packing and scope of delivery

In this section Special attention pay attention to the packaging in which the printer is shipped. In particular, its dimensions, strength, design and information content. We will also take a closer look at the delivery set - did the manufacturer save on some components.

Appearance and features of operation

This section will be the most extensive. In addition to photos of the tested solution from different angles, it will include detailed description all its key nodes. We will pay special attention to the features of the operation of the printer and MFP. “What paper sizes are supported?”, “How does the printing process work?”, “How do the trays and automatic feeder work?”, “Is it difficult to change the cartridge or ink?”, “What interfaces does the device have?”, “Does it have any then additional functionality? - We will try to give the most complete and detailed answers to all these questions.

Expendable materials

Information about the printer consumables that are used during printing will be given here. Depending on the type of device, these can be toner cartridges, ink bottles or CISS. If possible, we will share information about their resource, the cost of refueling and the complexity of maintenance.

Offline work

Professional or claiming models can often function offline, that is, without being connected to a PC. If there is such an opportunity, we will definitely explore it in practice and describe our impressions in the "Autonomous work" section.

Software

This paragraph will focus on software: driver capabilities, number of settings and available functionality.

Testing

Finally, we got to the most interesting - the process of testing the capabilities of the device. The procedure itself will be divided into several series of experiments, so we decided to divide this section into several subparagraphs. By clicking on this link, you can download the original documents and images that are used in the testing process.

First page out time

The first page out time is primarily an indication of how fast the printer is processing a job. The experiment is carried out in two modes: on a warm (ready to print) and cold device. In the second case, part of the time is spent on preparing the printer for operation (exiting the power saving mode, warming up operation, etc.).

A page of plain text saved in DOC format will be sent for printing. In this case, the printer driver is set to the maximum print quality.

Mono print speed

To evaluate the print speed of a printer in monochrome, we prepared four scenarios:

"Text" − A 20-page document saved in DOC format with text in 10-point Times New Roman font, and different types formatting.

"Text + pictures" − A 10-page document saved in DOC format with half-page drawings and text in 10-point Times New Roman font.

"Text in vector format" - a file in vector format (CDR), which consists of one page of text typed in Times New Roman and Arial fonts in different sizes.

"Photo" − black and white photography high resolution saved in PDF format.

These scripts run for each print mode available in the driver menu. In all cases, the printer is preheated. If the device has duplex printing capability (on both sides of the paper), then similar tests will be carried out for this mode. For the purity of the experiment, ordinary office paper with a density of 80 g / m 2 is used, which can be bought at any stationery store.

Then the data is entered into a table, the estimated print speed for each mode is determined, and certain conclusions are drawn based on the information received.

Print speed in color mode

Five different types of photos are started for printing one by one (for more details about the principle of their selection, see the subsection "Assessing the quality of printing photos and vector elements"), and the time of page exit from the tray is measured. We will carry out the test by preheating the printer and selecting the maximum print quality in the driver menu. During the experiment, again, ordinary office paper with a density of 80 g / m 2 is used, and for professional devices, special photographic paper is also used (its properties will be discussed separately in each case).

Text print quality rating

A document saved in vector CDR format is launched for printing, with a set of control fonts (Times New Roman and Arial), typed in different sizes. Based on the finished print, it will be possible to find out the presence of graininess, the degree of filling of characters, the accuracy of drawing serifs on letters, as well as the minimum size of a readable font. Again, the experiment is run for all modes available in the driver menu.

Evaluate the print quality of photos and vector elements

This group of tests is more relevant for photo printers. However, they will also run on regular monochrome devices. So we will be able to comprehensively evaluate the capabilities of all solutions that will come to us for testing, and in the future to draw more objective conclusions when comparing models from different price ranges.

Please note that the process of selecting photos did not occur spontaneously. Pictures contain a variety of effects, so if the printer distorts the gamut somewhere, conveys colors incorrectly, “soaps” the picture or makes it fuzzy, this will immediately appear on the prints. Images #1 - #6 are in PDF format, and #7 are in vector CDR format.

Image #1. Checking the accuracy of grayscale reproduction and hairline rendering. “Sharp” transitions between white and black backgrounds will help to reveal how much the printer “clutters up” the image at the borders of objects.

Image #2. Checking the accuracy of the reproduction of dark shades. If the printer makes the image too contrasty (increases the gamma), the details of the scene in the shadows will be poorly visible or will not be drawn at all.

Image #3. Checks the accuracy of highlights and bright objects. At the output, the picture should not turn out dull, and the sky, sand and water should merge into one.

Image #4. Checking the quality of drawing metal and shiny surfaces.

Image #5 . Checking the print quality of HDR photos. Ideally, the output colors should be just as saturated, without blockage in warm or cold shades. Also, using this image, it will be possible to check how accurately the printer is able to convey the reflection of objects on the car body and the texture of asphalt chips (the road should look voluminous, not a piece of gray plywood).

Image #6. Testing the accuracy of human skin tones. From the print, it will immediately be clear whether the photo printer corresponds to its status or whether it wears the “photo” prefix only for advertising purposes.

Image #7. Checking the accuracy of the output of gradient fills, thin lines and the quality of green synthesis. The four gradient stripes correspond to the primary colors of the CMYK gamut. They are formed by using a 512-step vector fill. The presence of vertical stripes here will indicate printer problems with the accuracy of the transfer of gradients. The radial stripes and the "star" with a spiral in the center are drawn with a one-pixel thick line. Printing these elements is a rather difficult task for printers. Note that some of the lines are drawn in green. Thus, we get the opportunity to evaluate the accuracy of the formation of this shade by mixing yellow (Yellow) and turquoise (Cyan) paint. The group of lines located in the lower corner is designed to check the quality of color synthesis at the intersection of these lines.

Operation of the device in scanner mode (if available)

Scans pre-printed professional equipment photographs discussed in the previous section (images #1 - #6). This procedure is repeated for each type of resolution available in the driver menu. After the experiment is completed, the resulting prints are compared with the originals and the appropriate conclusions are drawn.

Operation of the device in copier mode (if such an option is available)

One page of text and the same photographs (images No. 1 - No. 6) are copied with different quality settings. In each case, the page exit speed is measured after pressing the "Copy" button, and the resulting prints are compared with the originals.

Energy consumption

Energy consumption will be measured both while the device is running (printing, scanning, copying) and in idle mode (sleep).

Additional features

Sometimes manufacturers equip printers and MFPs with additional modules, such as network interfaces or memory card slots. In principle, this does not apply to the main functionality of office equipment, but for sure potential buyers it will be interesting to see how these knots perform in practice.

Results

In our opinion, the set of tests presented in this methodology is quite enough to fully unlock the potential of a printer or MFP and draw certain conclusions. In each review, we plan to publish links to scanned prints that were obtained during testing. So you can not only from our words, but also personally, according to some of your own criteria, evaluate the quality of printing (scanning, copying). In other words, with the help of this technique, we will try to give readers as much information as possible to draw up an objective picture of the possibilities of office equipment that will fall into our test laboratory.

Article read 2263 times

In contact with

Classmates

When in inkjet printer running out of ink, the user needs to refill the cartridge or purchase a new print cassette. Some users purchase only original consumables, others prefer compatible inks, but both the former and the latter are interested in obtaining high-quality prints and extending the life of their printing equipment.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to check the quality of the ink in the store, so the user has to rely only on the integrity of the manufacturers and personal experience in choise Supplies. But at home it is not difficult to test the quality of the purchased ink. This will require a printer, high-quality paper, and, in fact, purchased ink. The essence of testing inkjet ink at home is to print out special test pages or test items and carefully analyze them in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages of this ink. test page to check the quality of inkjet ink can be found on the Internet.

Test Page Elements for Inkjet Quality Testing

If you plan to use ink for printing home photos, then the first two elements of the test page will be enough for you, but if you use ink for professional commercial photo printing, then the test page should contain all the elements listed in the figure above.

An example of a test page with the designation of its main elements is presented below.

Legend:

1, 1a – gradient transition from white to black; 2 - a portrait of a person with a natural skin tone;

3 - image fragments containing light elements on a dark background and vice versa;

4 - dies with filling of different colors.

An example of a test page with the designation of its elements

Considering the received test page, you should pay attention not to the exact match of the shades of the received image with the original, but to the balance of the selected ink set. Filling is the main criterion here. gray color, which the inkjet printer generates during printing. The gray color should be pure, without foreign tint. If such a shade is present on the print, then the selected ink is far from ideal.

An example of color distortion in gray printing is shown in the following figure. Here is a comparison of several scans obtained during testing of inkjet ink. In testing, the same printer was used, the same settings were set when printing, printing was done on the same paper.

Ink A

Ink B

Ink B

Scans from inkjet testing

Ink B and AT when printed, they form extraneous shades: on the print B– blue, printed AT- lilac. This is especially noticeable in the gray fill of the picture located in the lower right corner. Ink BUT showed accurate color reproduction, which indicates their quality and balance.

An extraneous tint can appear both on the entire image and on its individual sections. Also, the low quality of the ink may be indicated by excessive pallor of the print, distortion or mixing of colors, insufficient image clarity and low rendering of fine details. In the appearance of these signs, only ink for cartridges can be guilty. Most likely, the manufacturer did not test their ink enough and released it to the market ahead of time. Pay attention to the drawing of fine details in the darkest and lightest areas of the image. Good printer ink draws small parts better quality than the bad ones. As an example, consider two scans of photographs printed in different inks on the same inkjet printer using the same paper.

Ink A

Ink B

Photos printed using the same photo paper

on the same inkjet printer but with different inks

Ink BUT show more realistic color reproduction and better render the smallest details of the image. Ink B do not convey halftones and small details clearly enough, their colors are not as natural and deep as on the first print. Light halftones in the figure B look flashy, there is no smooth transition between light and dark areas of the image.

If you're about to run to the supplies store for new ink after receiving poor quality test prints, stop! Practice shows that it is possible to achieve quite satisfactory print quality by experimenting with the settings in the "printer - ink - paper" system. If you do everything right, you can increase the realism and colorfulness of your photos and improve the color reproduction of midtones and shades. If you plan to use inkjet ink for professional photo printing, then you will have to spend a little more time finding a balance in the printer-ink-paper system. You may need to print more than one test page before you get a satisfactory picture. Let's take a picture as an example.

Basic test page

The base test page has a pale yellow tint. The faces of the children shown at the bottom of the test page look faded, the shades are not vibrant and natural enough.

Open the color settings window on your computer and find the halftone curve. Turn it down in settings yellow, increase and adjust the brightness and clarity of the image. Print a second test page with the new settings.

Test page after additional color adjustments

The test page after adjusting the color reproduction looks more natural: the milky yellow tint has disappeared, the images have become more realistic, clearer, and brighter.

If the color rendering setting does not give the expected results, then most likely you are using photo paper that is not suitable for this ink. In this case, you will not get satisfactory print quality without color distortion even using original inks, not to mention cheaper compatible inks.

In conclusion, it should be noted that correct selection inkjet printing is a rather time-consuming and complicated process for the average buyer. Therefore, if you are not confident in your knowledge and strength in the field of inkjet printing and printer maintenance, it is better to seek the advice of professionals.

In contact with

The perfect test sheet. This example shows what a flawless print should look like.



recurring black dots arranged vertically on a white test sheet. This test sheet characterizes the most common type of marriage - a spot breakdown of the photoconductor photolayer. Breakouts come in different diameters: from barely visible dots to greasy spots. AT this case there is a need complete replacement photoconductor, as there is no technology to restore it. This decision is made depending on the client's requirements for print quality, since small dot breakdowns when printing only text are almost indistinguishable and there is no need to replace the photoconductor. But over time, the dots increase in size. Then it will be possible to think about replacing such an important component.



Defective magnetic shaft. A vertical stripe on a black test sheet indicates a scratch on the magnetic roller, which is a defect. In this case, the magnetic shaft must be replaced, as light streak significantly degrades the print quality of text and pictures.



A solid vertical black line on a white test sheet. The appearance of a continuous or intermittent vertical single black or several stripes along the edges of the white test sheet indicates serious damage to the photo layer on the drum. Otherwise, such drums are called "burnt". These defects are clearly visible to the naked eye. The photo layer at the site of damage has a characteristic Brown color or, if absent, exposes the next layers. The photoconductor must be replaced. On a black test sheet with such defects, a discontinuous band is visible along the edge.



An example of the marriage of Samsung and Xerox cartridges. They differ from defects on HP and Canon cartridges due to the difference in the technological device. Spots on both test sheets, vertical streaks on the black test sheet, and repeated horizontal dots on white indicate the need to replace the large rubber roller, photoconductor.



The toner is low. The photo shows what the test sheet looks like when the toner cartridge runs out. This is especially noticeable on the black test sheet. This example is not a defect. It's just time to refill the cartridge.



Divorces and waves on a light dough. The appearance of streaks and waves on a light test indicates improper storage of the cartridge, as a result of which it has become damp. In this case, the consumable must be cleaned of old toner and refilled in a new way.



Vertical stripe, pallor print. Paleness of the print, well distinguishable vertical stripe on a black test result from scratches on the magnetic roller, as well as its heavy wear. The same symptoms appear when the photoconductor is burnt out. To improve print quality, it is advisable to replace worn or damaged components.



Toner stuck on the squeegee. Sometimes toner can stick to various parts of the cartridge due to the temperature rise in the printer during operation, significantly reducing print quality. It is necessary to clean the squeegee, remove excess toner from the parts.



We talked about the main defects of cartridges and their impact on print quality.