IEC 62899-401:2025

IEC 62899-401 ®
Edition 2.0 2025-05
REDLINE VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Printed electronics –
Part 401: Printability – Overview
ICS 31.180 ISBN 978-2-8327-0421-9
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– 2 – IEC 62899-401:2025 RLV © IEC 2025
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
INTRODUCTION . 2
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Overview of the IEC 62899-4XX series . 8
5 Outline of the standardization of printability in printed electronics . 10
5.1 Outline of measurements of qualities . 10
5.2 Outline of requirement for printability . 11
5.3 Outline of the analysis and compliance test methods . 11
5.4 Outline of the measuring methods for environmental conditions . 11
Bibliography . 12

Table 1 – Structure of IEC 62899-4XX series . 10

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
PRINTED ELECTRONICS –
Part 401: Printability – Overview

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as "IEC Publication(s)"). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
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6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
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9) IEC draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
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shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This redline version of the official IEC Standard allows the user to identify the changes
made to the previous edition IEC 62899-401:2017. A vertical bar appears in the margin
wherever a change has been made. Additions are in green text, deletions are in
strikethrough red text.
– 4 – IEC 62899-401:2025 RLV © IEC 2025
IEC 62899-401 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 119:Printed electronics. It is an
International Standard.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 2017. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) The published IEC 62899-4XX documents are listed in the Bibliography.
b) The definitions of printed electronics, printed pattern, and void are modified.
c) The term printing media is specified as printing plate.
d) The term pattern width is specified as line pattern width.
e) The term thickness is specified as thickness of printed line.
f) The definition of basic pattern is modified.
g) The structure of IEC 62899-4XX series is updated according to the present projected
documents numbering.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
119/535/FDIS 119/542/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
A list of all parts in the IEC 62899 series, published under the general title Printed electronics,
can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn, or
• revised.
INTRODUCTION
This part of IEC 62899 contains an overview of measurements and requirements for printability
in printed electronics. This document The IEC 62899-4XX series provides highly reliable
measurements for the comparable evaluation and the necessary specifications for the quality
and reproducibility of printed patterns.
The requests from industry for this document are the guarantee of both the quality and
reproducibility in order to facilitate international trade and enhance user value in the field of the
printed electronics.
Quality and reproducibility of the printing technology in electronics manufacturing help to
facilitate international trade and enhanced user value in the field of printed electronics.

– 6 – IEC 62899-401:2025 RLV © IEC 2025
PRINTED ELECTRONICS –
Part 401: Printability – Overview

1 Scope
This part of IEC 62899 provides an overview of the IEC 62899-4XX series and explains its
modular structure. The IEC 62899-4XX series establishes requirements for the printability of
printed electronics. These requirements are stated as measurement of quality, reproducibility,
analysis and compliance test methods, as well as measuring methods for environmental
conditions.
The IEC 62899-4XX series specifies the measurements and the requirements of both the quality
and the reproducibility of printed patterns as the result of the interaction of printing media, plate,
ink, substrate, and environmental condition.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60050 (all parts), International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) (available at
www.electropedia.org)
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions given in IEC 60050 and
the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
printed electronics
technology for the creation and production of electrotechnical products by means of printing
methods
Note 1 to entry: This technology has potentially a number of application fields.
type of electrical or electronic devices, components or systems manufactured using printing
processes
[SOURCE: IEC 62899-101:2019, 3.102, modified – added "components" after "devices”.]

3.2
printability
interrelationship of inks, other functional materials and substrates in conjunction with printing
equipment in order to achieve the desired electrotechnical function
[SOURCE: IEC 62899-101:2019, 3.100]
3.3
printed pattern
set of electric and electronic device, parts, and circuits, which is printed with electronic
functional inks on the surface of substrates by means of various printing techniques
shapes, forms or configuration of printed material
3.4
printing media
parts involved in the printing process such as plate, cliché, blanket, nozzle, etc, excluding ink
and substrate
printing plate
critical component with designed pattern or image for temporary storing and transferring an
inked pattern or image to a substrate in a printing process
Note 1 to entry: Printing plate is often referred to as relief plate in the flexography process, planographic plate in
lithography, intaglio in the gravure process, and screen mesh (mask) in screen printing.

3.5
line pattern width
average stroke width, where the stroke width is measured from edge to edge along a line
perpendicular to the center line of the image element
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC TS 24790:2012, 3.22, modified – the word “normal” in the definition of line
width has been replaced by “perpendicular”]
width of, and space between, line patterns
3.6
edge waviness
degree to which a pattern edge conforms to a measurement plane
[SOURCE: ISO 12635:2008, 2.5, modified – the word "plate" in the original definition has been
replaced by "pattern"]
[SOURCE: IEC 62899-101:2019, 3.43]
3.7
void
absence of ink outside the printed edge zone and outside the segment end zones in an area
that should be inked
[SOURCE: ISO 1004-2:2013, 3.1.3, modified – the word “magnetic” in the original definition has
been removed]
printing defect created by the absence of ink in a localized area of a
printed layer
[SOURCE: IEC 62899-101:2019, 3.143, modified – added "printing defect created by the"
before "absence" and replaced "that should be inked" by "in a localized area of a printed layer.]

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3.8
surface roughness
surface topology of an area of top surface of the pattern
Note 1 to entry: The surface roughness comprises roughness, microroughness and nano-scale roughness
depending on the application.
3.9
thickness of printed line
distance between the top surface and bottom side of the printed pattern
distance between the top surface and bottom side in the width direction of printed line
Note 1 to entry: This is only valid for non-absorbing substrates.
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62899-402-4:2021, 3.3, modified – "thickness of the printed pattern" has
been replaced with "thickness of printed line", the second term has been deleted, in the
definition "maximum" has been deleted, "pattern" has been replaced with "line" and the note
has been added.]
3.10
basic pattern
pattern prepared in a basic way for the inspection of the requirements for reproducibility of the
printed pattern
set of two-dimensional figures for inspecting the reproducibility of printed patterns, consisting
of the evaluation pattern and alignment marks used for accurate positioning of the substrate
with respect to the printing apparatus
[SOURCE: IEC 62899-101: 2019, 3.10]
3.11
quality in printed pattern
conformity to the specified requirements of the shape and uniformity of the printed pattern
3.12
reproducibility of printed pattern
fidelity of individual qualities of the printed pattern to that of the design data
[SOURCE: IEC 62899-101:2019, 3.112]
3.13
plating
plate making
3.13
surface profile
surface characteristics comprised of form and waviness
4 Overview of the IEC 62899-4XX series
The IEC 62899-4XX series shall is intended to be constructed in such a way as to extend the
series in the future and cover new technologies in printed electronics.
– IEC 62899-401 specifies the overview of this series;
– IEC 62899-402-1 specifies the measurement method of the line pattern widths of the printed
patterns in printed electronics;

– IEC 62899-402-2 specifies the measurement method of the edge waviness of the printed
patterns in printed electronics;
– IEC 62899-402-3 specifies the measurement method of the voids of the printed patterns by
using two-dimensional optical image in printed electronics;
– IEC TR 62899-402-4 specifies the measurement method of the surface roughness of the
printed patterns in printed electronics provides the technical information on the classification
and measurement methods for morphology;
– IEC 62899-402-5 specifies the measurement method of the thickness surface roughness of
the printed patterns in printed electronics (under preparation);
62899-402-6 specifies the measurement method of the surface profile thickness of the
– IEC
printed patterns in printed electronics (under preparation);
– IEC 62899-402-7 specifies the measurement method of the surface profile of the printed
patterns in printed electronics (under preparation);
– IEC 62899-402-8 specifies the measurement method of the shape pattern dimension of the
printed patterns in printed electronics (under preparation);
– IEC 62899-402-y specifies the measurement method of the register mark dimension of the
printed patterns in printed electronics (under preparation);
– IEC 62899-403-1 specifies the requirements for reproducibility of basic patterns using
printing machine;
– IEC 62899-403-2 specifies the requirements for reproducibility of basic patterns using
plating printing plate (under preparation);
– IEC 62899-403-3 specifies the requirements for reproducibility of basic application patterns
in printed electronics (under preparation);
– IEC 62899-404 specifies the analysis and compliance test methods for printability in printed
electronics (under preparation);
– IEC 62899-405 specifies the environmental condition for the measurements of printed
patterns in printed electronics (under preparation).
IEC 62899-4XX consists of the parts listed in Clause 4, under the general title Printed
electronics – Printability as shown in Table 1. Whenever necessary, outdated methods can be
replaced by state-of-the-art technology.

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Table 1 – Structure of IEC 62899-4XX series
Actual and projected
document numbering
(and development
Structure of IEC 62899-4XX series
stage at the time of
publication)
Part 401: Printability – Overview
IEC 62899-401
Part 402: Printability – (Horizontal Pattern width Line pattern IEC 62899-402-1
Measurement of qualities variance) widths
Edge waviness IEC 62899-402-2
Void IEC 62899-402-3
Shape pattern dimension IEC 62899-402-8
(under preparation)
Register marks dimension IEC 62899-402-y
(under preparation)
(Vertical Classification and IEC TR 62899-402-4
variance) measurement for
morphology
Surface roughness IEC 62899-402-5
IEC 62899 (under preparation)
Printed
electronics
Thickness IEC 62899-402-56
(under preparation)
Surface profile IEC 62899-402-67
(under preparation)
Part 403: Printability – Basic patterns for evaluation of printing IEC 62899-403-1
Requirements for machine
reproducibility
Basic patterns for plating printing plate IEC 62899-403-2
(under preparation)
Basic patterns for applications IEC 62899-403-3
(under preparation)
Part 404: Printability – Analysis and compliance test methods IEC 62899-404
(under preparation)
Part 405: Printability – Measuring methods for environmental IEC 62899-405
conditions (under preparation)
NOTE The numbering of IEC 62899-4xx is (including planned projects) as follows:
The IEC 62899 bit of IEC 62899-4xx shows that it is the series entitled "Printed electronics".
The 4 bit of IEC 62899-4xx shows that it is part of the "Printability" series.
The 4xx bit of IEC 62899-4xx indicates the part number.

5 Outline of the standardization of printability in printed electronics
5.1 Outline of measurements of qualities
The printed pattern on the surface of the substrate has a three-dimensional structure. Therefore,
the quality factors of shape are classified into horizontal and vertical elements to the surface.

The quality factors in the horizontal position are described as variances of:
1) length and width,
2) edge waviness, and
3) void.
The quality factors in the vertical position are described as
a) thickness,
b) surface roughness, and
c) surface profile.
In order to prepare a comparable evaluation on printed patterns, suitable measurement methods
shall be provided for the measurement of the quality factors to compare the printed patterns.
5.2 Outline of requirement for printability
Most of the printed patterns for the electro
...