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Enhancing Print Standards: The Need for Updated ISO Specifications in the USA

The USA print standards landscape is evolving, with increased challenges for ICC-based users finding current specifications inadequate. GRACoL is responding by updating ISO 12647-2 standards to enhance compatibility across various processes. The goal is to achieve a "shared appearance" across different printing methods, encompassing similar ink hues, gray balance, and visual lightness. New testing efforts, including a recent SWOP run, show promising results. This initiative prioritizes adaptability and user needs in printing technologies to drive wider adoption and streamline file exchange.

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Enhancing Print Standards: The Need for Updated ISO Specifications in the USA

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  1. USA Print Standards Update

  2. USA print specifications • SWOP (publication) • Uses ISO 2846 inks • GRACoL (commercial) • Uses ISO 12647 (but darker K) • FIRST (Flexo) • Inks similar to ISO • SNAP (newspaper) • ?

  3. The standards problem (USA) • ICC-based users find today’s print specs and standards inadequate • Compared to ICC color matching • Technically-savvy users will not wait for standards to catch up • They’ll use whatever works best for them • GRACoL decided to take action

  4. Print standards need to… • Catch up with latest user-trends like ICC, CtP, digital proofing, etc. • Learn to adapt more quickly to new technologies and expectations • Promote themselves better to get wider adoption • GRACoL’s answer: • Enhanced implementation of ISO 12647-2

  5. Exciting opportunity • While up-dating standards, why not design-in some “Shared appearance” between different processes? • Similar ink hues • Similar gray balance • Similar visual lightness and contrast • Reduces danger of “accidental re-purposing” - simplifies file exchange

  6. Shared appearance testing • New SWOP run (September) using GRACoL process • Looked very similar to GRACoL sheets, (except contrast, of course) • Flexo test run (December) • Close match to SWOP and GRACoL sheets • First newsprint tests (January) • Very encouraging first results

  7. How Shared Appearance looks • Similar overall appearance (within gamut and paper limits) GRACoL 2006 SWOP 2006

  8. GRACoL7 Quick Review

  9. Gray Balance • One of the most vital visual parameters • Traditionally defined as the color of a 50% black ink tint, or the color of paper • Too ambiguous for reliable “appearance” match • New GRACoL7 definition: • 50C, 40M, 40Y = a* 0.0, b* -2.0 • Other paper colors? • Point for discussion

  10. “NPDC” (Neutral Print Density Curve)

  11. NPDC • Controls lightness better than TVI curves • Mimics typical CtP press • Averaged from many “uncalibrated” CtP runs plus FOGRA and Japanese data • Close to average of ECI profiles’ NPDC • Automatically adapts to different dynamic ranges with constant visual lightness

  12. Highlight Range (HR) • Neutral density (ND) of a mid-tone gray patch minus paper ND • HR = 0.54 (constant) • Easier to monitor than TVI, but more visually useful • K50 vs. C50,M40,Y40 ND? • Same? Darker? Lighter? • This is a point for debate!

  13. International agreement? • ISO should define CMY gray balance? • Use same ink colors in all countries? • With new 2-color overprint values • Aim for “shared appearance” between different print standards?

  14. Remaining Questions • Gray Balance basis? • Paper? K ink? Arbitrary a*b*? • Same or different for different-colored stocks? • TVI vs NPDC? • How to specify both without conflict? • K50 vs. C50,M40,Y40? • Lighter? Darker? Same? • K ink solid? • Darken to match industry trends?

  15. Long-term question • How can international printing standards adapt more quickly to new technologies or changing “best practices”?

  16. Testing the GRACoL7 ideas • FOGRA test run Feb 20-21 • Try it yourself • Download GRACoL7 beta packet (targets, docs, graphs, etc.) at www.gracol.org • Answer the questionnaire on PAB list by Elie Khoury and Mike Rodriguez

  17. Thank You SWOP 2006 GRACoL 2006

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