Abstract

This study analyzes product quality in a printing micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) using defect records collected over the most recent five-month period. Employing a descriptive quantitative approach, the research classifies defects, evaluates their frequency distribution, and establishes improvement priorities to support practical quality control actions. The dataset contains 106 defect occurrences comprising five defect types: Color Mismatch (37 cases), Blurred Print Output (28 cases), Print Misalignment/Shifted Position (17 cases), Uneven Screen-Printing Result (13 cases), and Ink Smearing/Overflow (11 cases). The results show that Color Mismatch, Blurred Print Output, and Print Misalignment/Shifted Position constitute the dominant defects, jointly accounting for 77.36% of total defects, indicating that stabilization of color reproduction, print clarity, and registration should be the primary focus of improvement. Root-cause exploration suggests that these defects are driven by interacting factors related to operator consistency and competence, machine calibration and cleanliness, non-standardized setup and proofing procedures, variability in ink and substrate characteristics, the absence of objective inspection criteria, and environmental conditions such as humidity and lighting. The study recommends standardizing process parameters and proofing practices, implementing first-off inspection and pre-production checklists, strengthening ink/material control, and adopting preventive maintenance to reduce defect recurrence and improve output consistency.