Printing Certification and PSA Bob Chung, RIT (2c) Presented at the Institute of Print-Media Professionals Meeting, September 13, 2012, Hong Kong

Outline Customer requirements and printing standardization Printing standards define common requirements PSO, G7 and PSA APTEC and RIT partnership Meeting customer’s needs 2

Customer Requirements and Printing Standardization Building trust between printers and print buyers –The old way is based on a personal relationship. –The new way is based on demonstrated technical capability and management systems. –Certification is the 3 rd Party attestation that the printer is technically capable and has effective quality management systems for sustained performance. 3

Printing Standards Define Common requirements Technical capability is defined by ANSI and ISO standards. –Applicable printing standards include ISO/DIS , ANSI/CGATS TR 016, etc. Management system is defined by ISO 9001 and ISO TC130/WG13 standards. –ISO TC130/WG13 is developing a sector-specific management system requirement for tone and color reproduction quality. 4

PSA Certification PSA is a certification scheme and RIT is the certification body providing services to printers seeking PSA certification. –Printers who demonstrate printing conformance to a dataset become PSA Certified Printers. –PSA Certified Printers who are G7 Masters and choose the GRACoL dataset can also become G7 GRACoL Certified Printers*. * Same for G7 SWOP Certified Printers 5

PSA Certification with Honors PSA with Honors recognizes printers who have sound management system support and are able to print in conformance on a sustained basis. –PSA Certified is a prerequisite. –PSA with Honors will be available when ISO Conformity assessment and management system requirements for tone and color quality is published. 6

PSO and PSA Similarities –Both are workflow-based certification schemes. 3 rd party on-site audit, followed by measurement and audit reporting Workflow covers data reception, proofing, and printing. Differences –PSO focuses on conformance to process control aims, as defined by ISO , for offset. Fixed substrate color, single tolerance, offset only –PSA focuses conformance to dataset, as defined by ISO/DIS and CGATS TR 016. Substrate correction, multi-tolerance, multiple printing devices 7

ISO and ISO StandardISO ISO/DIS Starting pointSpecifies printing parameters and process control aims Specifies reference printing conditions (RPCs) CalibrationTVI adjustmentsTVI, gray balance, or device link adjustment Dataset generation and testing Printing trials, sampling, measurement, and data analysis Dataset standardization No public reviewPublic reviewed through ANSI and ISO balloting 8

G7 and PSA G7 is a press calibration method with a qualification scheme specified by G7 Pass/Fail Criteria in three levels. –G7 Gray, G7 Targeted, and G7 Colorspace PSA focuses conformance to dataset, as defined by ISO/DIS and CGATS TR 016. –PSA Certified Printers who are G7 Masters and choose the GRACoL dataset can also become G7 GRACoL Certified Printers. 9

Costs of PSA Audit A standard PSA Audit for printers who are already G7 Masters is $5500 USD. –Including 30% discount off standard pricing –Not including consultant costs 10

APTEC and RIT Partnership APTEC is the exclusive partner of RIT in the Greater China region. –RIT owns training contents and post training assessment. APTEC trains PSA consultants. Consultants receive certificates from RIT and APTEC. –APTEC is responsible for customer communication from initial inquiry to audit closure. RIT performs audits and issues audit reports. 11

APTEC and RIT Partnership Short term objectives –Introduce conformance to dataset –Train APTEC staff as PSA trainers –Train Pro-Act & HKDI staff as PSA auditors –Conduct initial audits Long term objectives –Promote printing standardization –Enable industry adoption of printing to standards Provide industry education and training Create a base of qualified experts 12

Meeting Customer’s Needs Every printing company faces the challenges of managing its daily operations to meet customer’s perceived and unmet needs. –Conformance to dataset and become PSA Certified are strategic in meeting customer’s color match needs across multiple substrates and printing platforms. 13

Tips for Success 1.Plan Why PSA certification is important to you Who else is interested in PSA Gather relevant requirements 2.Do Study PSA Assessment Criteria Secure necessary tools, materials and equipment Institute training Implement standards compliant workflow 3.Check Conduct self studies Measure your progress Close process gap 4.Act Contact APTEC for PSA audit Prepare for on-site audit Participate in the audit Celebrate the success 14

Thank you. Q/A 15