Process Standard Offset Printing

The most important changes for the Offset Printing Process Standard and the ISO 12647 are summarized here.

New edition of ISOCoatedV2 in M1 in sight?

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Even almost 9 years after the introduction of the successor colour space PSOCoatedV3, ISOCoatedV2 / FOGRA39 is still the most widespread colour space in Europe. We at Proof GmbH count around 200 jobs from time to time for the German Printing and Media Industries Federation, among others. In the last count, proofs in ISOCoatedV2 accounted for around 68% of all proof jobs at our company. This is a clear sign of the continued widespread use of the colour space. ISOCoatedV2: From the classic colour space to the beacon of the …

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Current Proof Standards 2024

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Offset and Newsprint ISO Coated v2 (ECI) / ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI) Profile: ISOcoated_v2_eci.icc Standard for glossy and matte coated paper Paper: Types 1 and 2, gloss and matte coated Tone value increase curves A (CMY) and B (K) as defined in ISO 12647-2:2004 Characterisation Data: FOGRA39L ISOUncoated Profile: ISOUncoated.icc Standard for uncoated white natural paper Paper: paper grade 4, uncoated white offset, dot gain curves C (CMY) and D (K) from ISO 12647-2: 2004 Characterisation Data: FOGRA29L PSOCoatedV3 / Fogra 51 Profile: PSOcoated_v3.icc The successor of ISOCoatedV2 for glossy …

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Offset film lamination with matt or glossy OPP film of a print according to Fogra51 PSO Coated V3

Publication of Fogra 56/57 for Glossy and Matte Film Lamination of PSOCoatedV3 Prints

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A few days ago Fogra published the characterisation data for the new printing standards Fogra56 and Fogra57 while ECI provided the respective ICC profiles for download on the eci.org website. FOGRA56 and FOGRA57 are the separation and printing standards for matte and glossy film lamination of “PSO Coated v3” / Fogra51 prints. At Proof.de, with regard to the two predecessor standards Fogra49 and Fogra50 for glossy and matte film lamination of ISOCoatedV2 / Fogra39 prints, the majority of inquiries were for the standard for matte film lamination only, as this …

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First online printers switch to PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3

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With DieDruckerei.de, the first well-known online printer has switched to PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3. A sign that almost exactly three years after the new Fogra51/52 standards appeared, they are increasingly being used in production and as a requirement for printers to produce data. The fact that also here the conversion does not run completely smoothly, shows up in the data requirements, which recognize beside the new PSOCoatedV3 also a 300% variant of the profile – a legacy from the ISOCoatedV2 300% times, PSOCoatedV3 is present only in a 300% version, a …

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HLC Colour Atlas freieFarbe proof.de 2

CIELAB HLC Colour Atlas available in the Proof.de Shop

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It has taken almost a year, but we are all the more pleased now: The “CIELAB HLC Colour Atlas” is completed and can be ordered in our shop. The HLC Colour Atlas is a open source, high-precision colour system based on open standards.

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Fogra 54 – PSO SC-B Paper v3 – published and available for proofing

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Recently, Fogra provided the first web offset printing condition based on the new ISO 12647-2:2013 with the printing condition FOGRA54. Fogra 54 describes standardised offset printing in AM screen (48-70’cm) on supercalendered B-substance material (SC-B) with mineral oil-free printing inks. The ECI writes: “Mainly due to paper differences, the printing condition on today’s SC-B paper types no longer matches the characterization data set FOGRA40 and the profile »SC paper (ECI)«. As a consequence, when printing on SC-B paper, printers face significant problems to achieve the ink solid aim values of …

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Two years after publication: Large printing companies switch to Fogra 51 and 52

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It seems that by the end of 2017 the new standards PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3 are finally arriving on the wider printing market. At least with the printing company Thieme and – as of today – Schleunungdruck, two major operators in the market and Flyeralarm partners have switched to the new standards. After experts such as Christian Piskulla of Cleverprinting have already provocatively pointed out the failure of the new standards – “Scheitern PSOcoated_v3 und die ISO 12647-2:2013?” (Are PSOcoated_v3 and ISO 12647-2:2013 failing?), the new printing standards seem to be …

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Fogra 51/52: Profiles and Characterisation Data Online at Fogra and ECI

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Following today’s kick-off of the new Fogra 51 (PSO Coated V3) and Fogra 52 (PSO Uncoated V3) printing conditions, Fogra and ECI (European Color Initiative) have published the new profiles and associated characterisation data on their respective websites. The Fogra characterisation data for Fogra 51 and 52 can be found here You can download the ECI profiles here, somewhat hidden in the middle of the page In each download you will also find PDF files with explanations and notes on the respective profiles and characterisation data. On the Fogra page …

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fogra cert logo and pdf-x-ready logo

Proof GmbH: First Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 certified company worldwide

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Proof GmbH has again been certified by Fogra in September 2015, this time for the standards Fogra 51 (PSOCoated_v3), Fogra 52 (PSOuncoated_v3) and Fogra 39 (ISOcoatedv2). The Proof GmbH has thus reaffirmed it’s quality by the strict criteria of Fogra. The tests Fogra conducted went far beyond the pure colorimetric readout of a media wedge. The special proofs for Fogra were evaluated among the following criteria: Color accuracy of the Ugra / Fogra media wedge CMYK 3 Overall color accuracy and gamut Uniformity and homogeneity of the proofsProof GmbH has again been certified …

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Fogra 51 and 52: The new printing conditions start in September 2015

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With long delay, the new printing conditions Fogra Fogra 51 and 52 – PSOCoatedV3 and PSOUncoatedV3 – will be presented at the end of September and finally come into practice. The German bvdm invites together with Fogra and ECI to a joint “kick-off” of the new printing conditions in the “Hochschule der Medien” in Stuttgart.

On Wednesday, the 30th of September 2015 from 10 o’clock representatives of the associations will introduce in the university the innovations, Karl Michael Meinecke wrote of the ECI mailing list.

In this kick-off the new, jointly developed printing conditions and  to implement the ISO 12647-2:2013 are presented to printing and media professionals. Attendance is expected to be free, but registration with name and company to the email address ks@bvdm-online.de is requested. The event takes place at the HdM in auditorium i003 in the Nobel Straße 10, D-70569 Stuttgart (Vaihingen) in the Stuttgart Media University.

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Ugra Fogra-MediaWedge V3.0 and measuring protocol

New Proof papers for Fogra51 and Fogra52 in use

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Three weeks ago, we have introduced two new proofing papers for the proof of Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 Beta standard and other color standards, that require proof papers with optical brighteners: EFI Proof Paper 8245 OBA Semimatte EFI Proof Paper 8175 OBA Matte A proof for coated papers with optical brighteners, we offer on semi matte EFI 8245 OBA semimatte with 245 gr / sqm. The EFI Proof Paper 8245OBA Semimatte has been specifically designed for proofing white and brightened, coated papers. The white point of this semi matte paper is …

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Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 Beta Proofs available

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By switching to the new Fiery XF 6.1 and the use of the new X-Rite SpectroProofer ILS-30 measuring instruments, we are now able to proof the current beta versions of the new printing standards Fogra 51 and Fogra 52. Since the current proofing profiles are available only in preliminary beta versions, the versions are of course not color binding and legally binding. Nevertheless, interested agencies and printers can get a picture of the current state of development and evaluate the coming changes of the OBA proofing papers used better match the colors …

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ONE Technologies: The proof paper for Fogra 51 announced in May is still not available.

Fogra Fogra 51 and 52: No Start in sight.

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Fogra Fogra 51 and 52, optical brighteners and the new standards for offset printing and proofing are currently on everyone’s lips. In the proof area we still see only announcements and beta versions, but no real solutionsby now. In 2013 the reorganization of ISO 12647-2 was adopted for offset printing, but according to ECI the earliest “expected recommendation on the implementation of the new ISO 12647-2 as well as the provision of appropriate handouts and instruments’ will be in 2015. The current status of Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 from our perspective:

Color profiles:

  • Fogra Fogra 51 and 52 have completed the beta phase at the Fogra in May 2014 and were forwarded to the ECI. The there in the project “fred15” compiled information and downloads are but from March, July to October 2014, but since then there has been no more news on the new standards. So there is currently no date for the release of the final profiles, handouts and tools foreseeable. Fogra, ECI, bvdm and UGRA continue to work together on the new standards.

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Proof GmbH Fogracert Contract Proof Creation 28651

Proof GmbH: Fogra certified for ISOcoatedv2 (Fogra 39) and PSOUncoated (Fogra 47)

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The Proof GmbH has again successfully completed Fogra certification for the production of contract proofs – Contract Proof Creation. The certification proofs have been produced both on EPSON 7900 and EPSON 9900 proof printers with SpectroProofer measuring instruments. Our two proofing papers were included in the certification process. Proof GmbH is therefore certified for the most frequently used Proofing Standards. The requirements for the Fogra certification go far beyond simply measuring the media wedge. So the proofs are analyzed according to the following criteria: Compliance with the tolerances of the …

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ISO12647… and then what? On the further development of the ProcessStandard Offset Printing

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Fogra is currently working with great commitment on modernising ISO 12647 and adapting it to current environmental conditions.

Important innovations of the reformed ISO 12647 will be:

  • Innovations regarding paper types (PT)
  • New tone value increases
  • For proofing: New papers with optical brighteners

Why is ISO 12647 being revised? Environmental conditions have changed significantly at three central points since the last revision in 2004.

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Softproof – opportunity or risk?

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Softproof means: The correct color display of a printed product on a monitor. Both a standardized print, e.g. according to process standard offset printing, can be simulated – e.g. a later offset print according to ISOCoatedV2 can be simulated correctly in colour on the screen – and the output on digital terminals such as LFP systems in advertising technology. From a technical point of view, soft proofs are now well controllable. The monitor technology is advanced enough to provide excellent displays with a high color gamut and consistent illumination even …

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Embed profiles for proofing? Yes or No?

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The question often arises whether color profiles should be embedded in the PDF files for proofing. To answer the question, you have to get some answers: The proof should simulate the subsequent offset printing. For offset printing, with few exceptions, the imagesetters have been configured so that a 70% black in the file is displayed as 70% black on the printing plate, no matter what profile was specified in the file. It didn’t matter whether it was coated paper or uncoated paper: 70% in the file corresponded to 70% on …

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D50 is not the same as D50: Standardized light and ISO3664:2009

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Since 2009, printers and proofing service providers have increasingly encountered a new D50 lighting standard: ISO 3664:2009, which defines how the new D50 standardized light, under which proofs and print products are to be evaluated, looks like. The new standard light contains UV components that address the optical brighteners that are frequently used in offset papers nowadays.

The result: next to a bluish-white glowing sheet in the pressroom, there is a yellowish-pale proof.

What is the reason for this? The standard came sort of as a surprise and was poorly communicated within the industry. All proofing substrates available from proofing service providers contain no or almost no optical brighteners – this was previously a requirement. And under the old D50 standardized light – which did not contain any UV components – the proof and production run looked identical, since the optical brighteners were not addressed in the production run. Proofing and production printing can no longer be compared on all new presses that are already equipped with light tubes of the new standard: This looks completely different, the differences in paper white are absolutely obvious.

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Standardized light and metamerism effect

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A proof is only as good as the light under which it is viewed. Just going to the window or switching on the light at dusk is useless: between December and July, between 8 am and 8 pm, between cloudy and sunny days there is a huge difference in the lighting, which makes any colour evaluation impossible. And if you switch on the light, you normally switch on a bulb with 2700 Kelvin – or even worse: an energy-saving neon bulb that somehow shines in any spectra… a disaster! The …

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Ugra Fogra-MediaWedge V3.0 and measuring protocol

What is the UGRA-Fogra Media Wedge 3.0 used for?

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Every print shop in Germany adheres to a predefined standard, the process standard offset printing. This standard defines target and tolerance values for printed products. In order to prove that your proof delivered to the print shop meets these standards or is within the tolerances, the media wedge is measured and the values analysed in case of doubt – i.e. in case of a streak. If these measured values are correct, the print shop is obliged to adhere to and achieve these values. Practice generally shows the following: If you …

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