oSIST prEN 15474:2006

SLOVENSKI oSIST prEN 15474:2006

PREDSTANDARD
may 2006
Minimalne zahteve za združljivost kartuš s sistemom z brizgalnim tiskalnikom
Minimum requirements for remanufactured and compatible cartridges to safeguard
proper interaction with inkjet printer systems
ICS 37.100.20 Referenčna številka
oSIST prEN 15474:2006(en)
©  Standard je založil in izdal Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje ali kopiranje celote ali delov tega dokumenta ni dovoljeno

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EUROPEAN STANDARD
DRAFT
prEN 15474
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
February 2006
ICS

English Version
Minimum requirements for remanufactured and compatible
cartridges to safeguard proper interaction with inkjet printer
systems
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/SS H99.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which
stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language
made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Management Centre has the same
status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are aware and to
provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without notice and
shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36  B-1050 Brussels
© 2006 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 15474:2006: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

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prEN 15474:2006 (E)
Contents Page
Foreword.3
Introduction .3
1 Scope.3
2 Normative references.3
3 Terms and definitions .4
4 Process assurance.5
5 Labelling.5
6 Warranty Statement.6
7 Test preparation and equipment.6
7.1 Test conditions.6
7.2 Sample Taking.6
7.3 Test machines.6
7.4 Test paper.6
7.5 Visual inspection conditions for printouts .7
7.6 Visual inspection conditions for printer and cartridge components .7
7.7 Test charts.7
7.7.1 Test chart 1.7
7.7.2 Test chart 2.8
8 Cartridge testing.8
8.1 General test methods .8
8.1.1 Visual inspection (pass/fail) .8
8.1.2 Start-up behaviuor (pass/fail).8
8.1.3 Determining ink cartridge Yield according to ISO/IEC 24711 and ISO/IEC 24712.9
8.2 Physical ink testing:.9
8.2.1 Ink compatibility (pass/fail).9
8.2.2 Printer/printhead safeguard test and compatibility of the ink with material (pass/fail) .10
8.2.3 Altitude transportation testing (pass/fail) .12
8.2.4 Accelerated shelf life test (pass/fail).12
8.2.5 Drop testing (pass/fail).13
9 Reporting.13
Annex A (normative) Test chart 1.14
Annex B (normative) Test chart 2.15
Annex C (informative) Health & Safety.16
Annex D (informative) Test process (flow chart) .17
Annex E (informative) Form for the interpretations of the tests .18

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prEN 15474:2006 (E)
Foreword
This document (prEN 15474:2006) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/BT/TF 165
"Remanufactured and compatible toner and inkjet cartridges", the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
Introduction
This standard describes a basis for the assessment of reprocessed and compatible ink cartridges.
1 Scope
This standard applies to remanufactured and compatible ink cartridges for operation in a typical office
environment. The objective of the standard is to provide two areas for common testing:
1) Provide test methodologies to assess potential cartridge/ink interactions with the printer/printhead
and to safeguard the continuous functioning of the printer and printhead.
2) Measurement of yield.
No other claims can be made from this testing regarding image quality, reliability, etc.
In general throughout the text, only printers and prints are mentioned for the purpose of simplification.
Nevertheless this standard also applies to copiers, fax machines and multifunction machines as well as to the
copies and facsimiles produced by them however the methods described in this standard are for use on the
digital input printing part of any of these systems.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 780:1997, Packaging – Pictorial marking for handling of goods
1)
ISO/IEC 24711 , Method for the determination of ink cartridge yield for colour inkjet printers and multi-
function devices that contain inkjet printer components
2)
ISO/IEC 24712 , Colour Test Pages for the Measurement of Office Equipment Consumable Yield

1) in preparation (Status FCD 2005-10)
2) in preparation (Status CD 2005-10)
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prEN 15474:2006 (E)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:
3.1
Typical Office Environment
For the purpose of this standard the typical office environment is defined as:
Temperature:  Testing room average 23.0ºC ± 2ºC

Readings to be made with a running average of 1 hour with readings recorded at
least every 15 minutes, all running average temperatures are to be between 20.0°C
and 26.0°C.
Relative Humidity: Testing room average 50% ± 10% RH

   Readings to be made with a running average of 1 hour with readings recorded at
   least every 15 minutes, all running average RHs are to be between 35% and 65%.
3.2
Ink
A coloured material (usually a liquid) for writing and printing in which dyestuffs, colour pigments and additional
substances are dissolved or carefully distributed and which dries by means of air supply and/or absorption
3.3
Inkjet cartridge
Reservoir for ink (with or without printhead)
3.4
Original inkjet cartridge
Unused inkjet cartridge put on the market by the printer manufacturer
3.5
Remanufactured inkjet cartridge
Empty original inkjet cartridge which has been cleaned and refilled and that can be used as an alternative to
the printer manufacturer's original inkjet cartridge
3.6
Compatible inkjet cartridge
Newly manufactured inkjet cartridge which can be used as an alternative to the printer manufacturer's original
inkjet cartridge
3.7
Yield
The number of prints as determined by ISO/IEC 24711 and ISO/IEC 24712
3.8
Ink compatibility
Capability of mixing of inks used in the printing system in any ratio without chemical reaction, separation in 2
phases, and/or deposition of solids dissolved in any of them
3.9
Material compatibility
No negative chemical reaction of ink with materials used in the printing system
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prEN 15474:2006 (E)
3.10
Predicted shelf life of inkjet cartridges
Anticipated storage life of an unused cartridge before performance degradation occurs as determined by
accelerated ageing tests
3.11
Start-up behaviour
Start-up printing behaviour of the test machine after installation of an unused inkjet cartridge
3.12
Cockle
The tendency of paper to become wrinkled due to printing. Wrinkle is a small ridge or furrow formed on the
paper surface by shrinking or contraction of the paper fibers when the ink moist them.
3.13
Curl
To form the paper into a curled shape by the effect of moisture changes, either from ambient or by printing.
3.14
Starvation
Print head failure with massive number of missing nozzles usually due to insufficient ink flow.
3.15
Streaking
One or multiple thin lines lighter than the background, usually produced by one or several missing or
malfunctioning nozzles.
4 Process assurance
The process shall be designed, validated, documented and audited to ensure that the product reproducibility
meets the test specifications and other requirements as set out in this document.
5 Labelling
The ink cartridge and package marking must inform the user clearly, that this is a remanufactured or
compatible ink cartridge.
The durable marking of the ink cartridges and boxes according to this standard has to include at least:
a) Name of the remanufacturer or compatible manufacturer or trade mark;
b) Type/model of the ink cartridge (product code).
The outer packaging has to be clearly readable and durable marked corresponding to the specifications of 5a)
and 5b) and must contain:
 Application range (printing systems);
 Storage and transportation conditions (symbols according to ISO 780:1997-11);
 "use before" date clearly readable or coded date of manufacture. The coded date shall consist of
three digits, the first digit giving the year (0 to 9) and the last two digits representing the calendar
week (01 to 52) (503, for example, stands for the year 2005 and the third calendar week).
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prEN 15474:2006 (E)
6 Warranty Statement
A Warranty Statement shall be made available to consumer indicating the conditions of the warranty in
relation to the cartridge as well as to the printer.
7 Test preparation and equipment
7.1 Test conditions
All tests have to be performed under 'typical office environment' conditions. Before start testing, the test paper,
cartridges and the test machine need to be acclimatised in the office environment. Deviations from these
conditions have to be noted in the test report.
For those inkjet cartridges that contain multiple ink reservoirs that cannot be individually replaced, the test
requirements apply to the entire cartridge.
NOTE For testing printer systems with multiple individual cartridges: If not all cartridges are being tested then any
cartridge positions not under test will be populated with original cartridges.
7.2 Sample Taking
Sample size is indicated in the various testing procedures. For several tests the same cartridge can be used
as indicated.
7.3 Test machines
The test machines should be selected to provide the most stressful test environment in terms of speed of
printing. Criteria for speed:
 For black and colour cartridges: specified monochrome speed of the printer;
 For photo cartridges: specified photo speed of the printer.
The printers shall be in accordance with the series type for which the inkjet cartridge is produced ("original
machine").
The inkjet cartridges shall be installed in the original machine in accordance with the instructions of the printer
manufacturer and, if applicable, according to any additional instructions or precautions stated by the cartridge
(re)manufacturer.
The test machine shall be operated using the default settings given by the printer manufacturer during initial
installation of the printer driver; it shall be maintained in specified and documented intervals in a way that it
can be guaranteed that the original print quality of the new test machine with the delivered original cartridges
is still reached before the current test starts (If the test machine is a new one use the cartridges delivered with
the printer according to the procedure in section 8.2.2 procedure A).
If a different type of paper is used, the printer setting shall be adjusted to the test paper. Recommendations of
the printer manufacturer shall be followed.
7.4 Test paper
According to the information provided the following types of A4 paper (if applicable) shall be used as test
paper during the tests if they are recommended by the manufacturer for the test machine described in 7.3:
2
Test paper 1: Commercial white paper, suitable for inkjet prints, 80 g/m , uncoated;
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prEN 15474:2006 (E)
Test paper 2: One-side coated white paper ("Ink Jet Quality");
Test paper 3: The photo paper of the highest quality as recommended by the printer or ink manufacturer.
If no paper is recommended by the printer manufacturer, test paper 1, of any brand, is used for the tests.
Alternatively if the printer manufacturer specifies the use of a specific type, brand or size of paper, then this
paper shall be used as a default for all tests instead of test papers 1 to 3. The specific paper used shall be the
consistently recorded and continuously used. The side indicated on the packaging is printed.
If the test requires all test papers use them in the following order: test paper 1, test paper 2, test paper 3. If the
printer auto selects the print mode according to the paper type, then disable the auto select print mode and
select the print mode manually.
7.5 Visual inspection conditions for printouts
For visual inspection of printouts the following conditions are to be met when testing:
 Lighting of the testing object under 45° with a minimum of 500 lux nominal illumination;
 Care should be taken in the case of use of chromatic illuminants that could alter the judgement of
defects (If there are specific cases of chromatic illuminants that should be used then they should be
specified in detail). In order to enhance yellow nozzle health judgements a blue filter is
recommended;
 Observation of the testing object on an opaque white base (10 unprinted sheets of the test paper
underneath the testing object) at a distance of about 50 cm;
 The testing persons must have normal colour vision and visual acuity.
7.6 Visual inspection conditions for printer and cartridge components
For visual inspection of printer and cartridge components the following conditions are to be met when testing:
 Inspection of removable test objects (e.g. disposable printhead) shall be conducted with a minimum
of 500 lux nominal illumination;
 Inspection of non removable parts (e.g. capping station) shall be conducted under sufficient
illumination;
 Printhead carriage needs to be out of the capping station;
 Potential defects at the capping station should be inspected using a spot light;
 The testing persons must have normal colour vision and visual acuity.
7.7 Test charts
3)
The test charts, shown in Annex A and B are available from a server in digital form.
7.7.1 Test chart 1
Apart from a text box for the test conditions test chart 1 contains seven images which are assigned to
particular tests, see Annex A.

3) BAM server: http://www.ps.bam.de/CEN.
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prEN 15474:2006 (E)
7.7.2 Test chart 2
Apart from a text box for the test conditions test chart 2 contains 8 x 8 = 64 photos including skin tones and
memory colours. The photos make balanced use of the colour space, see Annex B.
8 Cartridge testing
Al
...