WAN-IFRA Announces International Color Quality Club 2026-2028 Results

Seventeen new publishing operations have earned membership in the International Color Quality Club for 2026 through 2028, according to announcements by WAN-IFRA. The 27th edition of the international print-quality contest evaluated newspapers worldwide on color fidelity, technical standards, and consistent reproduction.

New Members Join Global Quality Ranks

The World Printers Forum, established by the World Association of News Publishers, held the print-quality competition in May 2026. Organizers added 17 new publications to the Color Quality Club roster following a rigorous evaluation process.

According to the results, the newly accepted publications span multiple countries and print facilities. In India, new inductees include Anandabazar Patrika and The Telegraph published by ABP Pvt. Ltd. in Kolkata, alongside multiple editions of The Times of India printed across Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Mumbai, Sahibabad, and Gurugram by Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. Additional Indian publications joining the club are Dainik Jagran in Noida by Jagran Prakashan Ltd., Sakal editions in Kohlapur and Pune by Sakal Media Private Ltd., and Prajavani in Bangalore by The Printers (Mysore) Pvt. Ltd.

European print sites also secured new memberships. Slovenia’s Delo d.o.o. qualified with its publication Delo in Ljubljana, while Druck Carinthia GmbH and Co. KG earned membership for Kleine Zeitung Kärnten in St. Veit/Glan, Austria. Germany is represented by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in Kassel and the Stuttgarter Zeitung printed by MHS Print GmbH in Esslingen. Belgium’s Het Nieuwsblad, printed by Printing Partners Paal-Beringen in Paal-Beringen, rounds out the new intake.

Evaluation Standards and Technical Criteria

Contest evaluation combines objective technical measurements with expert visual assessments. Participants print a standardized test form known as the Cuboid for one full week during May, allowing judges to measure parameters such as dot gain, grey balance, and colour space.

Alongside these instrument readings, a panel of technical and industry experts reviews the submitted newspapers for print consistency, overall appearance, and surface defects. Sarah Lesting, Director of the World Printers Forum, stated that qualifying for the club shows strong process control and gives advertisers confidence in consistent quality. Prabhu Natrajan, ICQC Project Manager, noted that an increasing number of publications are meeting these tougher standards, though ISO newsprint quality remains a primary challenge for printers.

Recognition Levels and Upcoming Awards

The competition recognizes sustained print excellence through tiered club memberships tied to ISO 12647-3 certification. Basic Color Quality Club membership grants one star, while ISO certification earns two stars. Print sites accumulating five stars enter the Star Club, and those reaching ten stars or more join the Millennium Club.

Winners will receive their certificates at upcoming industry events. International publications will be honored at the World Printers Summit 2026 in Rotterdam on October 5, while South Asian publishers will collect their certificates at the Indian Printers Summit on September 9 at The Westin in Pune.