Adopting International Printing Standards and Certification Bob Chung, Professor RIT, Rochester, NY, USA September 19-20, 2012

Topics ❖ Connecting the dots ❖ Printing industry trends ❖ Printing standardization and certification ❖ New rules of the game ❖ Managing change 2

Connecting the Dots ❖ Given 9 dots in a 3 by 3 formation, what are the minimum number of connected straight lines needed to connect all 9 dots without lifting the pencil? 3  

Connecting the Dots ❖ Most of us would agree, it’s ‘5.’ 4  

Connecting the Dots ❖ A better answer is ‘4’ if we think outside the box, i.e., there is no boundary. 5  

Connecting the Dots ❖ The take-away  Paradigms provide ‘boundaries’ or ‘rules’ for us to follow. While they help us to be successful, they may block our minds to see other possibilities.  Past rules may not apply to new problems, i.e., ‘business as usual’ may not be the best thing for a company.  Acquiring new paradigms takes courage and requires change. 6

Printing Industry Trends ❖ Technology outlook  Digitization and the Internet are breaking down technology and distance barriers.  The speed and ease of moving job contents and business information has transformed our industry from a local/regional business to a national/international business.  DRUPA 2012 technology showcase  More color  More personalized to high volume workflow solutions  More automation  More digital production inkjet presses 7

Printing Industry Trends ❖ Competition outlook  The competition used to be the printer across town. it’s now everywhere, i.e.,  The printer across the country and the printer across the ocean.  The e-media provider who is providing print as an e-media alternative.  Our own clients who start their in-house, in-plant printing operations due to ease of operation, cycle-time reduction, information sensitivity, etc. 8

Printing Industry Trends ❖ Market and customer outlook  Print buyers are becoming more global. They want to work with few preferred suppliers to keep their supply chains manageable. GASMA PRINT’s vision, “Simplify the Future”  They demand predictable and repeatable color across different printing technologies and from different media.  They view printing certification as a sound basis for building trust between printers and themselves. 9

New Rules of the Game ❖ What do these changes mean to a printing company?  Where are my customers going?  Do I know my customer’s perceived and unmet needs?  What do I need to know about printing certification to earn my current and future customer’s trust?  How do I ‘connect the dots’ in the new PRINTING paradigms? 10

New Rules of the Game ❖ RIT perspectives  2009 – The U.S. printing industry requested RIT to create a certification scheme  2010 – Conducted standards and certification survey, personal visits to Europe (Switzerland, the Netherlands, U.K., Germany), joined ISO/TC130  2011 – Certification scheme development, conformity assessment, ANSI/CGATS TR 016  2012 – PSA certification scheme, testing, partnership with IDEAlliance and APTEC. 11

New Rules of the Game ❖ A Bangkok Summit objective is to bring current information of international printing standards to users in Thailand.  The summit agenda covers many certification schemes and process control approaches to printing standardization.  ISO standards specify aims and tolerances. ISO does not dictate how to implement it. ISO does not dictate which certification schemes to follow.  Which approach best addresses my customer’s perceived and unmet needs?  How do PSO, G7, and PSA differ? 12

G7 and PSA ❖ G7 is a press calibration method and a qualification scheme per G7 Pass/Fail Criteria.  No audit, no production variation assessment ❖ PSA focuses conformance to dataset, as defined by ISO/DIS and ANSI/CGATS TR 016.  RIT is the 3 rd party auditor.  PSA offers two levels of certification: PSA Certified and PSA with Honors.  RIT and IDEAlliance, working together, define “G7 GRACoL Certified Printer” based on the PSA certification and G7 Master Printer status. 13

PSO and PSA 14 SchemePSOPSA Applicable standards ISO ISO ISO 2846 ISO/DIS ANSI/CGATS TR 016 ISO/TS Calibration & control TVI adjustmentPrinter’s choice (TVI, gray balance, device link) White pointProofing and printing substrates adhere to specified aims Proofing and printing aims are adjusted based on the white point of the substrate being printed Printing conformance requirements 4 solids (∆E* ab ), 4 midtone TVIs, 1 midtone spread Dataset (∆E 00 ), 4 solids (∆E 00 ), 4 midtone (∆E 00 ), 1 midtone triplet (∆E 00 )

New Rules of the Game ❖ Printers want repeatable color. Customers want predictable color.  ISO defines process control conformance aims.  ISO/DIS & CGATS TR016 define product color conformance aims. 15 ISO process control ISO/DIS product control

New Rules of the Game ❖ Customers prefer paper with bluish cast.  The bluish white of the paper (containing OBA) causes two problems:  It affects printed colors, including greys and solids, thus, printing conformance.  There is a mismatch between non-OBA proofs and OBA prints. 16

New Rules of the Game ❖ ISO (2004)  The first significant printing standard that demonstrated ‘printing by numbers’ since the film-based workflow days.  It focuses on process control and considers color management outside of its scope.  Characterization dataset, e.g., Fogra 39, was the result of process control and was not ISO balloted.  No provision for substrate correction which leads to proof-to-print mismatch. 17

New Rules of the Game ❖ ISO/DIS (2011)  A new printing standard that uses digital data as common input to multiple printing technologies.  It defines a set of reference printing conditions (characterization datasets) with substrate correction to enable printing to substrate-corrected dataset.  The use of press calibration, process control, and color management are at printer’s discretion. 18

New Rules of the Game ❖ RIT has done extensive tests on the effect of proofing and printing to substrate-corrected dataset on proof-to- print match under the influence of OBA. 19 ISO Print ISO Proof ISO Proof The results are positive.

New Rules of the Game  PSA is a new certification scheme based on national and international standards.  ISO/DIS (2011)  ANSI/CGATS TR 016 (2012)  PSA addresses printer’s certification needs based on dataset conformance using typical papers.  PSA also addresses print buyer’s unmet needs, i.e., print-to-proof color match under the influence OBA. 20

Managing Change ❖ E very printer faces the challenges of managing its daily operations to meet customer’s perceived and unmet needs.  Printing certification is strategic in building customer's trust.  Printing conformance to dataset is strategic in meeting customer’s color match needs across multiple substrates and printing platforms. 21

Managing Change 1.Plan  What are my customer’s requirements?  Why certification is important to my company?  Who else is interested in certification? 2.Do  Implement standards compliant workflow  Decide conformance schemes  Select a team  Institute training 22 3.Check  Conduct self studies  Measure progress  Close process gap 4.Act  Contact certification body  Prepare for on-site audit  Participate in the audit  Celebrate the success

Thank you. Q/A Bob Chung, Professor RIT, Rochester, NY, USA 23 RIT printing alumni in Bangkok, Thailand in September 19, 2012 are (from left) Jaruwat, Channassa, Bob, Theera, and Sunchut.