Print Quality Test Methods for Linerboard

We printed a wide range of brown linerboards on a commercial web flexo press and on the IGT F1 flexo proof press. The print results from the web press and the proof press were well-correlated, showing that the F1 press can predict web press performance. Profilometric roughness provided the best predictions of print quality. The correlation between visual assessment and the common Sheffield roughness was very poor. This is of concern, considering the number of mills that still use the Sheffield test. We printed a wide range of white top and solid bleached linerboards on the F1 proof press only, and the print results were also well-correlated with profilometric roughness.