USA Print Standards Update

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

USA Print Standards Update

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

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)

?

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

The standards problem (USA) ICC-based users find today’s print specs

and standards inadequateCompared to ICC color matching

Technically-savvy users will not wait for standards to catch upThey’ll use whatever works best for them

GRACoL decided to take action

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

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

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

Exciting opportunity While up-dating standards, why not

design-in some “Shared appearance” between different processes?Similar ink huesSimilar gray balanceSimilar visual lightness and contrast

Reduces danger of “accidental re-purposing” - simplifies file exchange

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

Shared appearance testing New SWOP run (September) using

GRACoL processLooked 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

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

SWOP2006

GRACoL2006

How Shared Appearance looks

Similar overall appearance (within gamut and paper limits)

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

GRACoL7 Quick Review

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

Gray Balance One of the most vital visual parameters Traditionally defined as the color of a

50% black ink tint, or the color of paperToo ambiguous for reliable

“appearance” match New GRACoL7 definition:

50C, 40M, 40Y = a* 0.0, b* -2.0 Other paper colors?

Point for discussion

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

“NPDC” (Neutral Print Density Curve)

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

NPDC Controls lightness better than TVI curves Mimics typical CtP press

Averaged from many “uncalibrated” CtP runs plus FOGRA and Japanese dataClose to average of ECI profiles’ NPDC

Automatically adapts to different dynamic ranges with constant visual lightness

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

Highlight Range (HR) Neutral density (ND) of a mid-tone gray

patch minus paper NDHR = 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!

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

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?

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

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?

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

Long-term question How can international printing standards

adapt more quickly to new technologies or changing “best practices”?

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

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

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USA Printing Standards Update - CM 2006

SWOP2006

GRACoL2006

Thank You