New standards announced for the print industry

In an Australian first, two new standards for the print industry have been announced by Standards Australia. The standards will identify specific printing processes and make sure that print companies can achieve compliance, resulting in more accurate products for consumers, whether they are in New South Wales, South Australia or even Moorabbin.

In order to perceive accurate colour, lighting and room conditions need to be controlled as a change in any one of these conditions can impact how the human eye interprets colour. Photographers and digital artists regularly calibrate their devices to match standards set by international organisations, such as Adobe, but now Australian printers will have local standards that they can adhere to in order to improve all their products, including flyer printing and digital business cards.

Luke Wooldridge, Chairman of Australia’s ISO standards committee explains, “The colour of that light is going to affect the colour of the product. The print and proof can match under one condition, but not under another – without the correct lighting, it won’t match the proof. That can cost the printer money to correct a job.”

According to print21online.com the two standards have been named “ISO 2846-1:2006 Graphic technology – Colour and transparency of printing ink sets for four-colour printing – part 1: Sheet fed and heat-set web offset lithographic printing,” and “ISO 3664:2009 Graphic technology and photography – viewing conditions.”

Once the standards have passed through a two year ratification process, the total number of standards for the Australian print industry will be six.