INTERNATIONAL PRINTING STANDARDS, A VALUE-ADDED PROPOSITION

Th e twin issues of quality and productivity have surfaced as key factors for business survival and competitiveness in the printing and publishing industries. In the past, successful printers received fi lms, made plates, and achieved print-to-proof match by craft smanship. By investing in wider and faster presses, they achieved productivity at the same time. Today, successful printers received editorial content and ads in the form of digital fi les from around the world. Th ey adjusted their computer-to-plate (CTP) operations and printed at faster speed to numerical specifi cations. In this new paradigm, it is not uncommon to hear terms like ISO, PSO, CGATS, GRA CoL, G7, and ICC, creeping into the dialogue. But what do these mean and how will they impact print production operations? Th at is the rest of the story.