Overview
ISO 22934:2021 - Graphic technology - Communication of offset ink properties defines a standard set of offset ink properties that ink suppliers must communicate to printers. Its purpose is to enable optimized print production planning and ensure inks are suitable for the intended use of the final product (the final product is not necessarily the finished print). The standard excludes specific aspects of food safety and children’s toy safety.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope of communication
- Information must be provided in an official language of the local market and delivered on container labels and technical data sheets.
- Safety data sheets (SDS) must be available and supplied for hazardous formulations.
- Mandatory identification
- Product name, use, colour, and supplier contact data on the container.
- Properties to be communicated
- Intended usage: printable substrates (e.g., paper, PE, PET), preprint requirements (e.g., corona treatment), and explicitly where the ink is not intended to be used.
- Light fastness: expressed in levels 1–8 (or intermediate "x-y") and determined per ISO 12040.
- Transparency: categorized as "opaque", "semi opaque", or "transparent" (method referenced in ISO 2846‑1).
- Drying mechanism: categories include "oxidative", "setting", "radiation curing" (subtypes: mercury lamps, iron-doped mercury lamps, UV‑LED, electron beam), or "other".
- Resistance to solvents and alkali:
- Ethanol resistance: "fast", "unstable", or "conditional" (test per ISO 2836).
- Specific solvent mixture (60% denatured ethanol, 30% ethyl acetate, 10% 1‑methoxy‑2‑propanol): categorical resistance (ISO 2836).
- Alkali resistance: "fast" or "unstable" (ISO 2836); for harsher conditions, ISO 12632 testing is recommended.
- Fresh conditioning: indicate skin-avoiding properties for oxidative drying sheet‑fed inks.
- Additional information
- Parties may mutually agree to report other film properties (gloss, slip, special resistances).
Applications and who uses it
ISO 22934 is practical for:
- Ink suppliers - to standardize technical data sheets and labels for offset inks.
- Printers and production planners - for selecting inks compatible with substrates, varnishes, drying systems, and production workflows.
- Quality managers and procurement teams - to verify ink suitability, resistance, and performance claims.
- Packaging printers - to coordinate ink selection with finishing processes (note: food‑contact safety requires other guidance).
Benefits include improved production planning, reduced rework from incompatibilities (e.g., solvent bleeding or poor drying), and clearer supplier–printer communication.
Related standards
- ISO 2836 - Assessment of resistance of prints to various agents
- ISO 12040 - Assessment of light fastness (filtered xenon arc)
- ISO 2846‑1 - Colour and transparency of printing ink sets
- ISO 12632 - Hot alkali penetration and resistance
Keywords: ISO 22934, offset ink properties, graphic technology, communication of ink properties, light fastness, transparency, drying mechanism, solvent resistance, safety data sheet, offset printing.
