Printability refers to the paper's ability to reproduce images sharply, correctly and without displacement of the ink.

Printability is the interactioning result of different paper-related factors, which contribute to the full use of the quality potential of the paper in the print process. Parameters for printability are mainly properties that influence the visual quality of a printed product.

Printability is not the same as print quality because print quality is also determined by other factors of printing technology. A number of basic tests for checking printability are described below.

Mottling test

Mottling (cloudy printout) refers to the aspect of the uneven appearance of a printed page. The mottling test is carried out during ongoing paper production to test for the formation of mottled patches. A paper sample is printed using a laboratory printing press and is then assessed visually and with the help of objective measurement with DOMAS image recognition software. There are also other processes in which the printing ink is applied by hand.

Full tone mottling is tested with cyan during ongoing paper production.
Subjective evaluation takes place on a scale of 2 (good) to 8 (bad). 

Absorbency Test

Absorbency describes the ability of the paper to absorb the oils contained in the printing ink.

The absorbency test is usually carried out with test print machinery from IGT or Prüfbau. For this a special test ink is printed onto a paper sample, which is then pressed together with an unprinted paper sample under high pressure for 30, 60 and 120 seconds in order to simulate the weight of the stack of paper on the bottom sheet (170 N/cm). Depending on the level of absorption, excess ink is transferred to the unprinted paper. The more solvent the paper has absorbed, the less printing ink is transferred. After this test, the amount of ink transferred after a particular time is measured. Absorbency is important for constant performance by the paper in the printing process.