The printing industry was valued at $494.53 billion in 2023 alone. ISO standards ensure quality and consistency across different devices and technologies in commercial printing. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent national standard development organization. It comprises standards bodies from over 160 countries.
In commercial printing, ISO standards are crucial for maintaining the quality and consistency that today’s consumers expect. Understanding and meeting these standards helps you innovate and grow in a competitive environment.
The printing industry is increasingly complex, and balancing profitability with changing client expectations is challenging. ISO standards can help you achieve this goal. As a professional printer, adhering to these standards means your products meet global quality benchmarks.
Compliance with ISO standards also helps you maintain trust with your clients. It helps you provide high-quality products in line with international standards. It’s crucial for printing companies to enhance process stability, meet print buyer expectations and facilitate trade in the global market.
The core tenet of process control is improving processes based on monitoring. As the printing industry is already process-heavy, having a set of comprehensive standards in place is invaluable. ISO printing process control standards, also known as the ISO 12647 family, define color reproduction requirements and specify process control parameters.
Adhering to these standards can bring significant benefits to your print management, including improved consistency and quality, reduced costs, and less waste. They cover various printing methods and processes, including:
ISO 12647-1:2013 defines a minimum set of primary process control parameters. It allows you to specify specific production prints’ visual characteristics and technical properties. You can use it to run process-independent simulations of fully characterized printing conditions.
This standard provides a framework for consistent color production across different print runs and printing technologies. It promotes a structured approach to color management, streamlining workflows, and reducing the time spent on color adjustments and corrections.
This standard outlines the processes for achieving color quality and consistency in offset printing. It provides guidelines for controlling the printing process, including conditions under which printing should occur. ISO 12647-2 also specifies color targets for different print and materials and measurement methods for assessing color accuracy.
It outlines the types of inks and substrates used for offset printing and emphasizes the importance of regular equipment maintenance and calibration. With standardized processes and a framework for quality assurance, you can meet client requirements for color accuracy, which is crucial for branding and marketing materials.
ISO 12647-3 aims to enhance communication between printers, publishers and advertisers. It also informs buyers of the expected results so they can plan accordingly. It defines tolerances and allows for objective quality evaluations so newspapers remain competitive in print media.
The parameters of this standard cover several process stages — color separation, making of the printing formed, ok print or proof, and production printing. Its specifications for controlling the coldset offset printing process ensure the printed output meets desired quality and color standards. It also outlines the types of ink and newsprint materials you should use in printing.
This standard establishes process parameters for four-color publication gravure printing. It applies to any publication in gravure printing, including magazines, catalogs and commercial materials. It also covers process-color gravure package printing and half- and continuous-tone proofing processes.
In addition to laying out color targets and ink and substrate specifications, ISO 12647-4 discusses proofing methods to verify that output matches the intended design.
This standard specifies the requirements for the screen printing of four-color process material used for display, signage and graphics. It’s specifically for flat-bed or cylinder printing equipment and covers the following processes:
ISO 12647-5 provides guidelines on managing variables such as mesh type, ink viscosity and squeegee pressure to ensure accurate color production and consistency throughout printing.
This standard outlines the data exchange and information requirements for flexographic printing of packaging and publication materials, including newsprint. It also applies to proofing processes and guides the definition of spot colors used in flexographic printing. The standard gives a recommended hue angle for colors, giving you some leeway in establishing targets for a specific substrate.
According to ISO 12647-6, primary parameters directly impact an image’s visual characteristics, while secondary parameters indirectly influence the image. The standard suggests values of the primary parameters intended specifically for four-color process printing.
ISO 12647-7 specifies requirements for systems that produce digital proof print hard copies. In short, it establishes criteria for the certification of proofing systems and proof creation. It also contains requirements for proof substrates and provides recommendations on the appropriate test methods for these requirements.
This standard outlines requirements for handling digital data for proofing, including file formats, color spaces and data integrity. It also details the systems for controlling the proofing process, like environmental conditions, documentation processes and operator training.
This standard outlines the requirements for ensuring your systems create printed proofs from digital data that meet specific requirements. Your proofs should look the same as the final prints, which will appear when printed under controlled conditions. It specifies how to handle and prepare data to ensure accurate color reproduction in a validation print.
ISO 12647-8 also defines printing methods, including measuring and documenting key parameters like ink density, dot gain and color gamut. It sets clear acceptance criteria for the validation print and outlines acceptable tolerances for color differences and other quality parameters.
ISO 12647-9 outlines the requirements for systems that create color offset prints on metal surfaces with white coating. It’s designed for flat sheet metal applications and doesn’t apply to shaped or preconstructed items like cans. This standard also includes recommendations for testing methods related to these requirements.
This standard differs from ISO 12647-2, which focuses on offset prints for paper and cardboard. ISO 12647-9 covers color values for white-coated metal surfaces using offset lithography without relying on the color of the backing.
The need for accurate color is becoming more prevalent as buyers become more discerning and color standards evolve. You can improve color control with the right tools, processes and standards. ISO print standards cover various aspects of color management and viewing, including:
This standard specifies viewing conditions for reflective and transmissive media, such as photographic and photomechanical prints. It applies specifically to:
ISO 3664 aims to define and set practical tolerances for viewing conditions, including illumination levels, luminance, and immediate surround and ambient conditions in the field of view. Non-compliance or changes to these factors can have a significant effect on the appearance of an image.
This standard establishes spectral measurement guidelines. It outlines the methods for calculating color parameters in graphic arts images, including digital and traditional prints, especially when using paper treated with optical brightening agents (OBAs). It focuses on colorimetric computation standards for graphic arts images and covers various printing methods, including offset, letterpress and digital printing.
Treating the paper with OBAs enhances its brightness by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) light and re-emitting it as visible blue light, making the paper appear whiter. This fluorescence can create challenges in color management, which ISO 13655 aims to correct. The standard defines four measurement conditions:
ISO 20654 outlines a system for assessing intermediate tones of spot ink. It provides a method for calculating spot color tone value (SCTV) to produce a more even appearance of tones between the ink and the substrate. SCTV is the colorimetric difference between the tint, substrate and solid. Using a set of target values, you can use SCTV to measure the print process, create a correction curve and determine if your corrected processes achieve the desired outcome.
While ISO 20654 does not explicitly prescribe a specification target, it does provide a standardized methodology for spot color evaluation. You can use this formula to calibrate and manage the printed tone behavior of these colors.
Workflows are essential in the printing industry. They save you time and boost the quality of the end product by ensuring the output is accurate and correctly formatted for the destination imaging system. The following standards help you manage your digital workflows to strike a balance between quality and efficiency:
This standard establishes principles for printing from digital data across multiple technologies. It sets out guidelines for using color characterization data to define how input data relates to printed colors. This process is vital for preparing files, organizing jobs, creating proofs and producing printed materials for various printing conditions and on various output devices. ISO 15339-1 also explains how to adjust color characterization data to account for the typical range of colors found in different substrates.
In addition to ensuring consistency in file preparation and job assembly, the standard establishes a framework for color measurement that you can apply across different printing technologies. It also helps you define acceptable color tolerances, keeping variations in digital data printing within acceptable limits.
ISO 12646 outlines the standards for two levels of quality that digital displays must meet when used for softproofing color images. It allows you to choose the level of performance that best suits your needs for color accuracy and consistency. It includes requirements for the display’s brightness and color and how these properties may change depending on the viewing angle and the signals used to drive the display.
This standard defines conformance levels for display characteristics and includes uniformity, convergence, refresh rate, spatial resolution and screen glare requirements. It also contains requirements for the display control signals, ensuring that displays perform consistently regardless of the input.
Quality control is the foundation of the print industry, from technical details to volumes and deadlines. As a printing professional, you know that every stage of the printing process defines the next. The following ISO standards set the bar for printing processes worldwide:
ISO 19302 defines the requirements for printing workflow color conformity.
It covers different printing processes and colors, including cyan, magenta, yellow and key (CMYK), spot only or multicolor. This standard also details setting up the prepress part of your printing workflow. It lays a solid foundation for color management. It provides evaluation methods for tone and color reproduction, allowing you to produce quality work consistently.
The standard includes a workflow auditing framework. It gives you the tools to identify inefficiencies in your color management and correct them to align with global best practices. It’s crucial for businesses that rely on precise color reproduction.
ISO/IEC 24734:2021 outlines a method for measuring digital printing devices, considering their different applications and print job types. It measures print speed in pages per minute and applies to various devices and print technology. These devices may have different paper feed and finishing options and can be connected to any network. ISO/IEC 24734:2021 applies to color and monochrome devices.
The standard also includes instructions for setting up tests, running them and reporting the results. It aims to provide standardized measurement methods, establishing a consistent and repeatable approach to measuring print productivity. The document helps manufacturers and users understand and compare the productivity of digital printers based on typical usage patterns.
This standard establishes methods for determining cartridge page yield. It measures how many pages a toner cartridge can print for monochrome printers that use toner cartridges without a separate photoconductor. It can also apply to the printing part of multifunction devices with digital printing capabilities.
ISO/IEC 19752’s primary purpose is to assess the page yield of toner cartridges— thus, it doesn’t provide information about other aspects of printing, like quality or reliability. Page yield depends on many factors, including the content, page coverage, printer condition and cartridge storage. ISO/IEC 19752 aims to provide assessment and comparison data for printing professionals. It includes testing methods to assess page yield in your particular setup. You can use this information to ensure consistency and reliability in your printing.
To make the test results comparable across brands and cartridge models, the ISO created a set of similar procedures to measure page yield:
ISO 9706 outlines the requirements for permanent paper. It specifies the minimum strength of paper, measured by a tear test. It also outlines the minimum amount of substances that help neutralize acid, like calcium carbonate. The standard also limits the maximum amount of easily oxidized materials in the paper, measured by the kappa number. It defines the acceptable pH range for a cold water extract of the paper.
This standard provides a way to specify and identify papers with a high degree of permanence. It helps you purchase paper that meets the minimum requirements and ensures long-term document preservation.
Adopting ISO standards in your printing business can transform your operations. ISO certification has several benefits, including:
Despite the many benefits of implementing ISO standards throughout your printing operation, it’s natural to face some challenges, especially in the early stages. Your workflows will change, often requiring equipment and training investment. Some common challenges you might face during implementation include the following:
ISO standards play a vital role in the printing industry by providing comprehensive guidelines for quality, consistency and efficiency. As technology evolves, these standards adapt to address new challenges. However, they maintain the fundamental goal of ensuring high-quality print production across all platforms and methods.
ISO standards are evolving. They are updated regularly to account for industry changes. We can also expect the development of new standards for emerging print technologies. Like many other industries, printing also sees an increased focus on sustainability, which ISO standards will likely reflect in the future. As technology evolves, we may also see a greater emphasis on color management across devices.
Adopting ISO standards means making positive changes to your business operations. While they can improve your processes, reduce waste and help you manage color, you may need help to bring your ISO compliance to life. Partnering with Fujifilm gives you access to our comprehensive development efforts, from printing material to system and workflow.
Tackle the challenge of the competitive printing landscape with us. Our comprehensive solutions are designed to align with crucial ISO standards, ensuring consistent quality and optimal productivity across all print jobs. Request a demo and experience the Fujifilm difference today!