FQC/SWG Updates: A Wrap Up of Forum 2017, a Look Forward

Working Group 2

The prepress data exchange group saw updates to:

• ISO/NWI/CD 12641-2 Graphic technology – Prepress digital data exchange – Part 2: Advanced color targets for input scanner calibration. The working draft (WD) was approved and the comments that were submitted are being resolved. A new committee draft (CD) was to be prepared for ballot by the end of the year. As of the time of this report, no new ballot has been received
• ISO 12647-8:2012 Graphic technology – Process control for the production of halftone color separations, proof and production prints – Part 8: Validation print processes working directly from digital data. This standard is under systematic review to see if it needs to be revised or if it can be kept for another five year period. The ballot closed on May 26
• ISO/PWI/WD 20616-1, Graphic technology – File format for quality control data and metadata – Part 1: Print Requirements eXchange (PRX). Several new sets of meeting minutes have been uploaded to the reviewer area on Dropbox. Please contact Joe Tuccitto if you wish to review the activities of these committees
• ISO/NWI/CD 20616-2, Graphic technology – File format for quality control data and metadata – Part 2: Print Quality eXchange (PQX). The ballot on this New Work Item proposal was reviewed and there were 44 comments from around the world. The U.S. voted to approve the ballot but included four pages of comments, both editorial and technical. There were many comments from other countries as well, and a pre draft international standard (DIS) ballot is being prepared. Each of these comments will be documented and then discussed during the meetings in Toronto in June
• ISO 15930-1:2001, Graphic technology – Prepress digital data exchange – Use of PDF – Part 1: Complete exchange using CMYK data (PDF/X-1 and PDF/X-1a). This standard was under systematic review and is being balloted to see if a revision is required. But the result of the balloting indicated no revision is needed and the standard is good for another five years
• ISO/CD 15930-9.3, Graphic technology – Prepress digital data exchange – Use of PDF – Part 9: Complete exchange of printing data (PDF/X-6) and partial exchange of printing data with external profile reference (PDF/X-6p and PDF/X-6n) using PDF 2.0. The third committee draft was approved and will move to DIS
• ISO 16684-1:2012 Graphic technology – Extensible metadata platform (XMP) specification – Part 1: Data model, serialization and core properties. This standard is under systematic review and the ballot closed on May 26
• ISO/DIS 17972-3.2 Graphic technology – Color data exchange format (CxF/X) – Part 3: Output target data (CxF/X-3). This standard was approved in a second DIS stage ballot and will now be moving to the final draft international standard (FDIS) stage
• ISO/DIS 17972-4, Graphic technology — Color data exchange format (CxF/X) — Part 4: Spot color characterization data (CxF/X-4). This standard has passed the DIS ballot and is moving to FDIS. It is anticipated it should be approved by the middle of the summer
• ISO/FDIS 19593-1, Graphic technology — Use of PDF to associate processing steps and content data — Part 1: Processing steps 2016. This ballot was approved at the DIS stage in September but has yet to be released in an FDIS ballot

Working Group 3

The process control and related metrology group saw updates to:

• ISO 12647-2:2013/AMD1, Graphic technology – Process control for the manufacture of halftone color separation, proofs and production prints – Part 2: Offset lithographic processes – Amendment 1. CD ballot was held on an amendment to process control standard for offset printing. The results of the CD ballot will be discussed in Toronto. The amendment is to change some of the values for the range of substrate used in offset printing
• ISO/DTS 15311-1, Graphic technology – Requirements for printed matter for commercial and industrial production – Part 1: Measurement methods and reporting schema. This draft technical specification was approved with no negative votes and some comments
• ISO/DTS 15311-2, Graphic technology – Requirements for printed matter for commercial and industrial production – Part 2: Commercial print output. This draft technical specification was approved with a negative vote from Japan and many comments
• ISO/DIS 20654, Graphic technology – Measurement and calculation of spot color tone value. This draft standard passed the DIS ballot and has been revised and is currently out for FDIS ballot
• ISO/PNWI 21328, Graphic technology – Standard ink set for multicolor printing. Several lab and production scale trials are scheduled for this technology and a working draft ballot is anticipated by early 2017. Currently, the inks submitted for trial are consistent with the aims given the current version of Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST). No new information has been disclosed on this proposed work item

Working Group 4

The media and materials group saw updates to:

• ISO 2846-1, Graphic technology – Color and transparency of printing ink sets for 4-color printing – Part 1: Sheetfed and heat set web offset lithographic printing. This standard was revised and approved without comment and then balloted to move directly to publication with no FDIS stage. This is last of the old standards on the color and transparency of 4-color process printing inks and applies only to sheetfed/heat set offset printing.

Joint Working Group 7

The color management group, in conjunction with the ICC, had one update:

• ISO/CD 20677, Image technology color management – Extensions to architecture, profile format and data structure. The CD ballot passed and a DIS ballot has been prepared. The new ballot should be distributed after the June meetings in Toronto. Details of this draft standard were presented at the FQC Pre-Conference Session

Joint Working Group 8

The color measurement group, in conjunction with ISO TC 42 Photography, also had one update:

• ISO/DIS 13655.2 Graphic technology – Spectral measurement and colorimetric computation for graphic arts images. The second DIS ballot was approved and an FDIS ballot has been distributed. The results of the FDIS will be discussed in Toronto. Details of this standard were also presented at the FQC Pre-Conference Session

If you would like to review and comment on any of the upcoming ballots on these standards, please contact FTA Director of Education Joe Tuccitto.

About the Authors: Jean Engelke is the chair of FTA’s Flexo Quality Consortium and a member of FTA’s Board of Directors and FFTA’s Board of Trustees. She has earned an AAS in graphic and design technology, a B.A. in printing management, an MBA and an M.A. in industrial engineering management. Jean started her career teaching printing and paper science at Western Michigan University. She has held positions in R&D, engineering and global product marketing with Appleton Papers, Alcan Packaging and Kodak. Currently she is the business development manager – packaging group for RR Donnelley. In 2017, she received the FTA President’s Award.

Dr. Danny Rich obtained a master’s degree in physics in 1977 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA. In 1998, he joined Sun Chemical Corp. to direct the Sun Chemical Color Research Laboratory in the Daniel J. Carlick Technical Center in Carlstadt, NJ. He has been awarded the Nickerson Service award from the Inter-Society Color Council in 1999, the National Printing Ink Manufacturers award for Technical Achievement in 2008, a Thomas Alva Edison award for innovation by the Research Council of New Jersey in 2008, the Robert F. Reed Medal from the Printing Industries of America in 2013 and the Mattiello Memorial Award from the American Coatings Association in 2015.

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