Tinting strength is an essential property of printing ink dispersions. Although test results on wet drawdowns and tints do not guarantee equivalency of dry printed ink films, they provide useful parameters for quality assurance of established formulations, gaging relative degree of dispersion, and estimating the color value of colorants from different batches, sources, or grades.

1.1 These test methods cover procedures for determining the relative tinting strength of paste-type printing ink dispersions by visual or instrumental evaluation of tints prepared by manual or automated mixing.

1.2 These test methods are applicable to paste-type printing inks, flushed pigments, and other pigment dispersions that are essentially nonvolatile under ordinary room conditions and for which there is a wet reference standard of the same pigmentation and consistency. With proper choice of tinting base, they are applicable to dispersions of any color, including black and white. Note 1 - The instrumental procedures for tinting strength are similar in principle to those described in Test Methods D 387, D 2745, D 4838, and D 6531.

1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.