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OEMs Support New ISO Cartridge Yield Standards

February 8, 2007

INCITS announced its members’ support of the publication of new standards for ink (ISO/IEC 24711:2006) and color toner (ISO/IEC 19798:2006) printer cartridge yields by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). INCITS W1 members are proponents of industry standards and believe rigorous, worldwide ISO standards to measure ink and color toner cartridge yields will help customers make more informed purchase decisions by objectively and accurately evaluating print cartridge yields.

INCITS W1 membership includes Canon, Dell, Epson, HP, IBM, Kodak, Lexmark, Oki Data, Pitney Bowes, QualityLogic, Ricoh, Spencer Lab and Xerox. INCITS/W1 is the US Technical Advisory Group to the international subcommittee ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC28. SC28 is chartered with developing office equipment standards in the areas of: copying machines; page printers; word processors; electronic typewriters; facsimile equipment; office equipment supplies; office equipment specification sheets; and scanners.

The new standards for ink and color toner cartridge yields clearly define the key attributes that affect yield and apply robust statistical analysis so all manufacturers can utilize the same methodology when measuring yield. Until now, printer manufacturers have used a variety of methodologies to measure ink and color toner yields, making it challenging for customers to accurately compare yield measurements from leading suppliers.

“W1 has worked hard to provide input to ISO for the development of the new, internationally recognized ISO/IEC ink and color toner cartridge yield standards,” said Paul Jeran, Chair of INCITS W1. “We believe the robust criteria and consistency of the standards, combined with ISO’s unbiased and global approach results in significant benefits for customers and the printing industry alike.”

The new ink and color toner cartridge yield standards follow the adoption of he monochrome toner cartridge yield standard ISO/IEC 19752 in 2004. The ISO/IEC cartridge yield standards can be used to evaluate OEM, remanufactured and refilled toner cartridges.

The following are key provisions of these standards for inkjet and color laser cartridge yield:

• Standard test document suite: Use of a standard suite of 5 pages printed in a controlled environment with printer default settings.
• Number of cartridges tested: A minimum of nine of each cartridge is tested until they reach end of life, allowing reliable estimates of average predicted yield within statistically defined boundaries.
• Source for cartridges: Cartridges and printers used represent those available to customers on the open market.
• Clear, objective, end-of-life criteria: Determines cartridge yield using a well defined end-of-life criterion
• Number of printers: A minimum of three cartridge sets are tested on three different printers to avoid bias due to printer variability. Controlled environment: Printing environment is controlled and consistent because variations can affect yield.
• Objectivity: Because of worldwide and industry-wide participation, the testing criteria reflect objectivity in developing a reliable and rigorous standard.

About INCITS

The mission of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) is to promote the effective use of Information and Communication Technology through standardization in a way that balances the interests of all stakeholders and increases the global competitiveness of the member organizations. INCITS serves as the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1, which is responsible for international standardization in the field of information technology.

INCITS and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) are jointly accredited by, and operate under rules approved by, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). These rules are designed to ensure that voluntary standards are developed by the consensus of directly and materially affected interests. For further information, please contact INCITS, 1250 Eye St. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005 (www.incits.org).