Print quality is immediately visible to the end consumer. Colour shifts, registration errors, missing text, and paper defects directly impact brand perception. For regulatory labels (pharma, food, chemicals), print accuracy is a legal requirement.
The printing industry uses AQL 1.0 to 2.5 for most applications. Regulatory printing (pharmaceutical labels, safety data sheets) may require AQL 0.65 or tighter. Spectrophotometric colour measurement is standard practice.
| Defect Type | AQL | Inspection Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical (wrong text, missing info) | 0.65 | General II | Regulatory content |
| Major (colour shift, registration) | 1.5 | General II | Delta E measurement |
| Minor (dot gain, slight marks) | 2.5 | General I | Visual inspection standard |
AQL 0.65 inspection of chemical labels found a GHS hazard statement was truncated on 1% of labels. Correction before shipment prevented regulatory fines and product seizure at customs.
Spectrophotometric checks at AQL 1.5 confirmed Delta E stayed below 1.5 across a 2-million label run, meeting the premium brand client specification.
Undetected caliper variation in a paper batch caused feed jams on the client high-speed packaging line, resulting in 12 hours of downtime and $80,000 in lost production.
