Proscale: a fast new way to measure subjective print and paper quality

We describe Proscale, a computer-based research technique for obtaining fas t, efficient judgments of paper and print quality from as many as 70 sample s by as many as 50 observers. Proscale uses an established psychological ju dgment technique called magnitude estimation scaling (MES), and adds the ne w feature of simultaneous comparison of all of the samples by each observer . Using Proscale, observers can efficiently compare many more samples than with the traditional all-pairs comparison technique. Proscale also includes instructions and software for carrying out multidimensional scaling (MDS), a procedure that allows the user to estimate the number of independent sub jective criteria on which the samples have been judged for similarity.