The Hindu has been awarded membership of the International Newspaper Colour Quality Club (INCQC), a coveted global recognition for print quality, for 2012 through 2014.

This recognition took into account the performance standards of the printing facility in Coimbatore of Kasturi & Sons Limited, the company that owns The Hindu , among other publications. The company, which has printing units in multiple centres, has one of its largest such facilities in Coimbatore, with a high-speed, double-width press.

In the tenth INCQC, 192 newspapers participated across four categories. The Hindu’s entry, in Category 1 (for coldset offset), successfully complied with the stringent standards that were set.

WAN-IFRA, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, announced this during the World Publishing Expo 2012 in Frankfurt recently, and handed over the documents to representatives of the company.

IFRA started a programme in 1994 to systematically and scientifically examine the print quality of participating newspapers. Points were awarded for various printing parameters and aesthetic values. Those newspapers that consistently maintained high standards are declared to be members of the exclusive Colour Quality Club. The visual impact is important to readers and advertisers alike.

The successful newspapers have demonstrated their capacity to print to exacting ISO standards and reliably reproduce colour images and advertisements consistently, worldwide, and with the intended effect.

“The INCQC quality initiative helps ensure that the reader receives an attractive, high-quality product and the advertiser an outstanding advertising carrier,” said Manfred Werfel, Executive Director of Newspaper Production at WAN-IFRA.

Participating newspapers were asked to print the IFRA quality target cuboid in their regular edition once a month for three months. Printed copies were sent to Germany where experts evaluated them for quality and visual impact. The base standard IFRA follows is the ISO 12647-3, which specifies quality levels for printing materials and processes.

Related Topics