Dr. Mark Mizen 5/15/2011

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Photo Book Standards and Requirements

Dr. Mark Mizen

Director of Digital Development, Creative Memories

Hardcover Binders International Spring Meeting, Quebec City, CanadaMay, 15, 2011, Los Angeles, CA

February 19, 2010

http://allaboutimages.wordpress.com

Photo Book Attribute Analysis

1. Brittleness2. Interleaving3. Varnishes/UV Coating4. Laminates5. Page Attachment Method6. Recycled Content7. Cover Board Composition8. End Paper9. Cover Material Composition10. Thermal11. Ozone12. Humidity13. Blocking 14. Adhesive Migration

15. Warp16. Light17. Lay-Flat18. Tear Strength19. Paper Bond Strength20. Abrasion21. Hard vs Soft Cover22. Binding Adhesives23. Window Abrasion24. Page Pull25. Cover to Book Block

Attachment26. Grain Direction27. Page Flexibility

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Brittleness

ISO 18908 Imaging materials – Photographic film –Determination of folding endurance

MIT Fold Tester

Determines durability, not lifetime

Test may not replicate product usage

InterleavingAcid Free Paper

Buffered or Non-Buffered

Must Not Harm Image (ISO 18916)

Minimum of Sizing (ISO 18902)

Dyes or pigments must not bleed (ISO 18902)

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Varnishes/UV Coating & Laminates

Varnishes/UV Coatings

Odor, gloss changes

Stable to aging (ISO 11800)

No chlorinated, nitrated, or acetate plastic sheeting (ISO 18902)

Laminate Strength (ASTM F2226)

At least 1.3 N/cm

Failure frequently happens at spine and with high density images

Page AttachmentNumerous Page Attachment Methods

Adhesive

…capable of forming an adequate bond between the surfaces to be joined…bonded areas cannot be separated without damage to the bonded surface. (NISO Z39.66)

Side-Sewn

Thread usage and sizing constraints (MSST ACTS)

Stapled/Saddle-Wired (MSST ACTS)

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Recycled Content/Ground Wood

Standards for paper permanence allow recycled content (ASTM)

Must meet lignin requirements (ISO 9706)

Digital printing extremely susceptible to black spots (ASTM F1442)

Industry standards may preclude recycled paper (Library of Congress)

Cover Board Composition

Generally contains lignin & recycled material.

Behind cover material and liner (except window cutout)

Affects warp.

Not covered by international standards.

Groundwood pulp paper becomes brittle and yellowed over time.

WoodComposition

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Endpaper

Essential part of book construction, affects final book strength and quality

No international standards

Photoreactivity – transfer of image from first page to end sheet

Grain parallel, 80# basis weight (MSST ACTS)

100 folds minimum, burst strength 40 points (MSS ACTS)

Cover Material Composition

No international standards on cover materials.

Relevant test methods Elmendorf Tear (TAPPI T-414) Tensile Strength (TAPPI T-404) Internal Bond (TAPPI UM 569) MIT Fold (TAPPI T-511) Bursting Strength/Mullen (TAPPI T-403) Blocking (#191, Method 5872) Elongation (TAPPI T-404) Abrasion – Stoll (#191, Method 5302) Odor…Free of marked odor (TAPPI T-483)

Photo reactivity…concern about image transfer from cover

Chemical migration, unstable cover material, e.g. PVC

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Thermal (Image Stability/Yellowing)

Arrhenius tests provide lifetime predictions (ISO 18909, 18924, 18936 DIS) Four measurements, 20°C range Many photo books are very

stable and it is difficult to reach endpoints.

Lifetime frequently corresponds to paper yellowing.

Other elevated temperature or cyclic tests provide information on long-term permanence without providing quantitative predictions for the product lifetimes (ISO 11798, 11800). Paper standards typically rely on paper properties, including pH, buffering, and lignin, to establish expected lifetimes (ISO 9706).

Ozone

Imaging materials are sensitive to atmospheric pollutants such as ozone (ISO 18941 DIS).

Determination of ozone in ambient air (ISO 13964).

References and alternative methods for determining the ozone

concentration in laboratory test chambers (ISO 1431-3).

Ozone affects exposed areas such as the cover. It does not penetrate into a closed book.

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• Humidity

Recommended storage conditions: maximum 25°C, with 20-50% RH (ISO 18920)

Imaging materials are sensitive to humidity (ISO 18946 FDIS). Method suitable for cover and exposed pages, not

closed book.

Colorant migration most apparent at the border between two colorants.

Primarily affects dye-based inkjet, not electrophotographic prints.

No test method for effect of humidity on closed book. Colorant migration

Mold

Warp

• Blocking

An undesired adhesion or image transfer between sheets of printed material that might occur under moderate pressure, increased temperature, or increased humidity, while in storage or in use.

Blocking test for printed materials specifies a pressure of 3.4 kPa and a time of 21 h (ASTM D918). Temperate high humidity: 20°C, 90% RH (ASTM D4332)

Tropical: 40°C, 90% RH (ASTM D4332)

Desert: 60°C, 15% RH (ASTM D4332)

• Storing prints emulsion to emulsion is not allowed (ISO 18920).

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• WarpDistortion of the front and/or back covers of a bound book, so that the covers do not lie flat against the book block

Current standards provide no clear procedure for measuring warp and do not indicate acceptable levels. High Humidity Warp (80% RH, 23°C)

Books should not show warp; yet free from warp is not defined.

No difference between warp after manufacturing, versus warp that occurs over time when the book is exposed to humidity.

Standards for film and paper provide some procedures for measuring curl (ISO 18910, ISO 11556 & ASTM D4285)

Evaluate photo books at low and high humidity to minimize warp.

• Light

Xenon arc best to simulate indoor display conditions.

Best test method depends on cover material.

Plastics (ISO 4892‐2)

Textiles (ISO 105‐B02)

Photography (18909)

Light affects exposed areas such as the cover. It does not penetrate into a closed book.

HP Light Fade Simulator

HP Generic20 Years

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• Lay-Flat

No international standards for lay-flat.Evaluation (Otabind/Repkover Specifications) Opened at three places – first 5 leaves, center, last 5 leaves.

Apply slight to medium pressure to the left and right hand pages.

The book must stay open by itself.

Method does not define degrees of flatness.

Cross-grain paper stocks or book block bound with Hotmelt or PUR may offer some resistance and require additional pressure on "dressing" to stay open the first time a book is opened.

Standard Photo Book Lay-Flat Photo Book

• Tear Strength

Define for all components

Endpaper

Paper used for book block

Cover Material

Reinforcing materials used in the binding process.

Elmendorf Resistance Test (TAPP T414)

For Book Block Paper required strength based on basis weight (MSST ACTS). Photo books may require greater strength.

Soft-Covers tear and tensile strength minimums (MSST ACTS).

Reinforcing Materials include reinforcement of both endpapers of side-sewn books, lining for text blocks (ANSI/NISO/LBI Z39.78-2000).

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• Paper Bond Strength

Scott type internal bond strength (TAPPI T569)

Z-direction tensile internal bond strength (TAPPI T541)

Angle of 90° to the surface

Adhesive mounting systems (ISO 18932) Defined for adhesives, but also applicable to paper bond strength

Strength of approximately 1.3 N/cm required for good performance

• AbrasionTypes of Abrasion page-to-page page-to-interleaving paper page to cover material, including covers with a

“window” cut-out cover-to-cover

Test Methods Sutherland Rub (ASTM D5264, F1571, F2497) GA-CAT (ASTM F1486) Taber Abrader (ASTM F1478, D6037) Crockmeter (ASTM F1319, JIS L 0849, AATCC) Sugra FR-II (JIS L 0849, JIS K5701) Sugra NUS-ISO-3 (ISO 7784-3)

Current standards provide limited guidance on test parameters and little information on performance requirements.

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• Hard vs. Soft Cover

Standards have different requirements for hard and soft cover books, need definitions (ISO 11800)

hard cover book – book bound in a rigid material, usually binder's board, made either from sewn leaves or as an adhesive binding from sheets glued together

soft cover book – book bound in flexible material, usually paper or light board, that can be made either from sewn leaves or as an adhesive binding from sheets glued together

Applications differ for hard and soft cover books

Consumer expectations differ for hard and cover books

Some test requirements may be the same, others will be different.

• Binding Adhesive

Adhesives used for all processes shall be capable of forming a permanent/durable bond between the surfaces to be joined. 72 h exposure to 54°C, 72 h to -6°C ± 3 °C, and 6 h to 24°C

The adhesive force shall be such that the bonded materials cannot be separated without damaging them. (ISO 11800)Materials requirements in some standards Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA emulsion), or similar hot-melt

adhesives shall not be used. (ISO 11800)

Many tasks in the bookbinding environment make standardization difficult Binding of book-block: PVA/Hot melt/PUR Case-making: some use pressure sensitive adhesives!!! Casing-in Tipping-in

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• Page-PullSetting a standard for tensile page-pull and flexing is difficult. Many widely varying types of machines. No known standards, only guidelines, and they differ from one

continent to another (Clark, Bookbinding with Adhesives, 1994)

Procedure Lay the book on a platform Pull at the sheet with a slow, steady motion. Measure the force required to remove the sheet divided by the

height of the book block

UK Standard German Standard USA Standard

Unacceptable Below 5.00 N/cm Below 4.50 N/cm Below 2.00 lb/in (3.50 N/cm)

Satisfactory 5.00-7.25 N/cm 5.00-6.25 N/cm 2.00-2.50 lb/in (3.50-4.38 N/cm)

Good 7.25-9.00 N/cm 6.25-7.25 N/cm 2.50-3.50 lb/in (4.38-6.12 N/cm)

Very Good Above 9.00 N/cm 7.25-8.00 N/cm 3.50-4.00 lb/in (6.12-7.00 N/cm)

Excellent Above 8.00 N/cm Above 4.00 lb/in (7.00 N/cm)

Cover to Book Block Attachment Strength

Current standards provide definitions for casing-in photo books. Standards include suggested material specifications, test methods, and specific results (ANSI Z39.78, MSST ACTS, ISO 11800)Adhesive definition in ANSI Z39.78 is a starting point for Adhesive Attachment of the book block, with contributions from the MSST. Text blocks shall be cased in using an adhesive that is

compatible with the adhesives used to make the case, to help ensure that the case adheres tightly and securely to the text block. Adhesion of the endpapers in the joint is critical and must permit full opening of the cover.

Test methods are available for joint adherence on hard cover and soft cover books (ANSI Z39.78. MSST ACTS).

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• Grain Direction

Grain Direction, as defined in the referenced Binding Standards has no testing associated with it. Instead, it is determined at the mill or paper merchant.A new definition must be created for photo books that takes into account both adhesive and side-sewn binding methods as in the MSST. The grain direction of bound materials should always be moving

parallel to the binding edge; Parallel grain allows for proper roughing that in turn aids

adherence, stability, and surface area to the site of the fiber tear for adhesive binding applications.

Parallel grain allows for better openability of side-sewn volumes, and proper folding of saddle-wire bindings.

Consistent with existing standards (ANSI Z39.66, ISO 11800)

Durability and longevity are important

Look at intended use.

Test all factors.

Use international standards when possible.

Performance

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• Acknowledgements

Creative Memories for their focus on quality photo books and their support for standards development.

ISO TC42, WG5 TG2 Imaging Materials – Storage and Mechanical Properties, including HBI