SGIA convenes colour standards group

The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) in the US has convened a working group to address colour standards for digital printing. It includes representatives from Fujifilm, Mimaki, Mutoh, Ricoh, 3M and Nazdar among others.

“There is a big gap in the specification arena in the printing industry,” said Ray Weiss, director of digital print programmes, SGIA. “While colour specifications such as SWOP and Gracol are based on offset presses running traditional CMYK inks, digital printing is the Wild West, with substrates and ink sets varying tremendously. This is a challenging project, but we have some of the best colour people in the industry working on it.” Ultimately, Weiss said, the new targets will reduce waste, leading to more satisfied customers. SGIA’s working group brings together manufacturers of inks, media, printers, software designers, PSPs and colour experts. The Sonoco Institute at Clemson University will provide measurement data, and SGIA chief economist Andrew Paparozzi will oversee the statistical calculations involved.