A year ago, Still Creek Press attained its goal of becoming a G7 Master Printer, and has implemented many improvements resulting in our lithographic, colour digital and large format printing devices now conforming to the internationally recognized GRACoL® colour standard, an achievement we are quite proud of. In the last few weeks we revisited the process as sheets need to be qualified by IDEAlliance each year in order to maintain our G7 Master Printer status. The process can be painstaking but ultimately the gratification in seeing the proof to press match is reward in itself at the end of the day.
We have found that even though IDEAlliance and GRACoL® have been around for a while, there is one question that keeps coming our way:
What is GRACoL® 7 (G7)?
In 1966 a graphics arts task force was formed by the Graphic Communications Association (GCA) to develop a document containing general guidelines and recommendations that could be used as a reference source across the industry for quality colour printing. With the support from representatives of IPA and GATF, the GRACoL® Committee developed the printing guidelines that have since become de facto standards in many pressrooms. GRACoL® stands for “General Requirements for Applications in Commercial Offset Lithography”, which began in 1996 and published its first standard in 2002.
GRACoL® helps print buyers, designers, and specifiers work more effectively with print suppliers. This book has become the standard of reference and educational medium on the modern lithographic process. It is a tool-kit of standards, tips, and answers to common problems. By following the GRACoL® guidelines and recommendations, you will benefit in the following ways:
- Reduce costs, decrease turn-around times, and avoid re-makes.
- Develop internal guidelines for reliable process controls.
- Acquire print predictability: know what you’ll get on press -before you get there.
- Demonstrate printing quality through achievable print guidelines and target goals.
- Build upon the education in fundamentals of printing and developing technologies.
- Clarification of what is reasonable to ask of print suppliers.
GRACoL® helps promote better communication between print buyers and print suppliers and helps avoid disappointment in expectations. Improved processes maintain printing as a competitive force in the communications marketplace.
Still Creek Press again retained the services of Ernst Vegt at Coast Imaging Arts, who has been an invaluable resource as we continue to move forward, implementing this standard across more varied equipment and substrates.
Xerox Confident Colour Certified
In the last few months we have worked with Xerox to gain their Confident Colour Certified accreditation for our digital colour devices, which also centres around G7 methodology.
What You Can Do?
By choosing a printer that is GRACoL® 7 (G7) certified, you can know that your work is printed to the highest standards of quality and consistency. Contact one of our Print Made Easy account representatives for more info.
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