1. ISO 12647-2 Whats in it for me? During the last few years many questions have raised about the The same way of preparation new process standardization in the graphics industry:in every situation would really ISO 12647-2. Even though more and more companies get familiarmake things easy. with this standard, it is still not clear what they are supposed to do with it. This information will briefly try to clarify the standard, But things can go wrong. to whom it may concern and what it means to printers.Especially when more suppliers(design, advertising studio,prepress, press) are involved.And when things can go From craftmanship to The software packages wewrong, it will go wrong. It process industry use today should be ablewill lead to reprints, a lot of The printing process has to produce every possible disappointment, frustrations always been considered asgraphical expression, with up and extra costs. a real profession. The whole to 141 different preferences. graphic industry is full with experienced people, with a When we take a look at the lot of skill and professionaltraditional printing process, knowledge. we see that almost every pressoperator is really trying to tuneThe printbuyerThe buyer of printed matteris especially interested in theISO standard! Companiesthat can meet this standard,deliver a good, consistentand predictable print quality.Always the same colorperformance of your brochuresand packaging where everyou print it. That is a bigadvantage. After some years of The last 20 years we have seen and manipulate the printing introduction, you can really many changes. Nothing is the press, to get to the best color say: the ISO 12647-standard is same anymore and everythingquality out of his machine. or will be accepted everywhere is done digitally, mainly in the There are many options to in the world, it brings better prepress department. manipulate: use of differentquality and it reduces the costsorts of ink, raster size, paperat the same time. What more While the use of information types, etc. just to get the bestdo you want? in a digital format makesout of it. Of course, for the Maybe you still have second life easy at some places, theprinter this is a very motivating thoughts about the need digital flow also creates aprocess. He really can make for ISO 12647 and the lot of problems. The results things better. The graphics implementation process, but of image manipulationprinting process is reallywe can assure you that your software applications are fullyalive. This method can really customers will want the new dependant of the settings of be a good solution for smallstandard to be the minimum the user. And believe me: most companies who control the required quality level. users have different settings. prepress and have an excellentrelation with their customer.

2. Standardization of the It describes per paper typeStandard Offset-Druck. It is a production process and per type of print processinternational accepted standard To be able to make your prints (offset, heatset, etc) the color which is being setup and kept predictable, it is necessary gamut and Tone Value Increaseup to date by the ISO Technical that the process can be(TVI). Based on this standard, Committees (TC 130). After the standardized. Within the independent institutes haveintroduction, the standard has digital production process,produced ICC colour profiles,had a few updates. The last already many standards havewhich means that everyonebig update was in 2004. The been introduced successfully.in the graphical chain exactly standard has been devided Color separations, digital knows what the standard is,in sub categories to describe proofing, and color simulation and can effectively use this the different print methods, in a monitor (softproofing)standard in (his part of) theThe categories are: Offset and are based on ICC profiles. PDF process. heat set rotation (ISO12647-2), files are created and checked coldset rotation (ISO12647-3), via so called Certified PDF/ By working this way, peopleGravure (ISO 12647-4), silk- X1 and/or PDF/X-3 standardscreate a transparent workflow. screen (ISO 12647-5), flexo (ISO (GhentPdfWorkGroup). MoreThe digital document will1647-6), and digital proofing and more digital proofs arebe created according to(ISO 12647-7). produced with a color controlthe general accepted color strip on the side, sothat thestandard, and the same The standard describes in full user is able to check the colorstandard applies during thedetail to which parameters the accuracy of the proof and seeprepress and printing process. printing work should comply: whether the proof is a goodAs you can understand, there description of the color gamutare many advantages in and TVI per category of paperworking with a standard. The (paper type), or in otherbehaviour of the colors have words how does the printbecome predictable duringlook like. The standard alsothe production process, from describes the specifications ofdigital photography all thethe inks which have to be usedway to the final print process.(for example ISO 2846-1 forThis will reduce costs for offset and heat set rotation).corrections. Another advantage The ISO 12674-1 describes theis that the print quality really general definitions, like theimproves a lot! Because thespecification how to measuredigital files are being prepared colors and similar issues. simulation of the final printaccording to the standard, and result (Certified proofing). also the proofs are produced Fogra characteristic data andaccording to the samestandard ICC colour profiles Of course, it is very importantstandard, unwanted color shiftsThe last ten years several that the producer of the digital will be visible in an early stageofficial ISO12647 press material, at the beginning ofof the process. As soon as the tests have been done and the the production chain, knowsoptimum ink thickness hasFOGRA institute has measured what happens during thebeen reached, the the colors ofand analysed the results of printing process and knows onthe final print will be equal with these tests. The acquired data what basis the final printingthe colors of the digital proof. is actually the photo spectral takes place. This is one of theNo need for lithographicfingerprint of the standard main reasons why the industrywork at the printing press anyproduced print work, the so- has set up a standard. more!called characteristic data. This data is being classified and For the (standard) printingISO 12647 in short have follow up names like process, many variablesThe standard has beenFOGRA 17L, FOGRA 18L, etc. At have been put together in aintroduced in 1996, basedthis moment the FOGRA 27L- worldwide accepted standard: on the German Process30L are the most well known, ISO 12647. This standard describes how standard printing should be and how the end result should look like. 3. build-up for black is slightlyThe ISO certificatedifferent from the profiles It is possible for any companycreated by ECI. in the graphical sector to becertified by the Swiss UGRAWhat profile for what kindinstitute or the Germanof paper? FOGRA institute. There areAs mentioned before, theremany national institutes in theare different kinds of papervarious countries who can doclasses defined for the various a complete ISO certificationprinting techniques. The most project. If your company wantfamiliar ones (offset and heatto become a ISO-certifiedset rotation according to ISO company, it is recommended to12647-2 and coldset rotationask an independent specialist the characteristic data basedaccording to ISO 12647-3) are to help you through all the on the different kinds of papermentioned on this page. required procedures. In general within ISO 12647-2:2004, the you can say that you can present standard for offset. Changes for the printing office reach the status of certified You will probably know these In the flow to ISOaccording to the ISO 12647, if print results; they are thestandardization, one of the you can show in a official audit measured results from thebiggest changes for a printingthat you produce your printed Altona Testsuite. The FOGRAcompany is the switch tomatter completely according to 39 and 40 have been released process control by photothe ISO procedures and quality during Spring 2007. Thesespectral measurements. In the methods. The validity of the characteristic data describe the old days, measuring the density certificate is usually 2 years. paper types 1/2 and SC paper.was enough. But now people The SC paper type is mostlywill have to check the colors used for heatset.with a spectrophotometer.This is an obligation in the ISO Based on this characteristic 12647 standard! This means data it is possible to makethat your printing company accurate ICC profiles, which can will need a spectrophotometer be used in the print preparation and that you will have to have process, for generating correctadequate knowledge and color separations and forskills of spectral measurement accurate color simulation on a systems. Many companies digital proofing system. can offer a training on spectralmeasurement systems. It is not necessary to create the ICC profiles yourself, it already has been done! The independent institute ECI (European Colour Initiative) has created the standard profiles. The profiles are free toISO 12647-2 Offset en heatset (web offset) download from the ECI websitePT* Description ICC profile (www.eci.org) . So go ahead and use them!1/2 Gloss and Matt Coated paper ISOcoated_v2_eci.icc3 LWC paper, heatsetISOwebcoated.icc By the way, Adobe uses 4 Uncoated woodfree white ISOuncoated.icc the same characteristic5 Uncoated woodfree yellowish ISOuncoatedyellowish.icc data. Creative Suite 2 installs a standard ICCISO 12647-3 Coldset (Newspaper) profile that is called PT* Description ICC profile EuropeISOCoatedFOGRA27. - Newsprint ISONewspaper26v4.icc icc. Although this profile is*Papertype suited for standard work, the 4. What happens next? Probably you havent seen al your questions answered in this information about ISO 12647-2. What could be the impact on your technical and commercial organisation? How about paper and ink specifications? How do I prepare for ISO 12647-2?These are all questions that can be answered by us. Koldenhof Grafimedia Expertise has been active for many years with advice and implementations in the area of color management. We give support to companys that are implementing the norm ISO 12647.For more information:The Netherlands: www.colormanagement.nl www.koldenhof.nlwww.fogra.org www.bvdm-online.de www.eci.org www.ugra.ch www.vigc.be www.color.org Koldenhof Grafimedia Expertise Lange Kerkdam 61 2242 BR Wassenaar tel. +31 70 336 02 42www.koldenhof.nl www.colormanagement.nl erik@koldenhof.nl