Key Color Management Tools and Certifications

No matter what segment of the printing industry you serve or who your customers are, one thing has become universal: Everyone wants accurate color. They want color to match across everything, from postcards, to signage and packaging, even to digital materials. It’s challenging to reproduce colors using different technologies and varied media so it appears the same to the naked eye and casual consumer, but that is exactly what a color management expert brings to the table.

And while there will always be a certain amount of artistry to getting color right, today’s experts rely on science, numbers, tools, and training. That approach ensures they don’t just achieve great color on one project, but hit that color every time, on every platform — even days, weeks, or months apart.

What separates the true experts is a combination of intense training and the right tools and equipment.

“Setting and keeping standard practices is the best way to create repeatable results,” Andy Bullock, partner at PRINTING United Alliance member company and Portland, Oregon-based Spanner, said at the G7/G7+ Exchange held at PRINTING United Expo last fall. “Everyone has to be on the same page. We’re not talking about rules that will restrict your innovation, design, or your ability to create. Standard practices create results.”

The Training and Certifications

The G7 Certification is vitally important in the history of color management, but it wasn’t built for the various printing platforms in use today. The new G7+ standard, available for certification through PRINTING United Alliance, takes that into account and is designed to work across every platform and media, making it a definitive tool no matter what segment is served.

“It’s an updated take on really great balance and tonality, and improving that to then calibrate printing devices, whether it’s wide-format, inkjet, flexible packaging, flexo, toner devices, offset, commercial, gravure — you name it,” Jordan Gorski, vice president of Global Standards and Certifications at PRINTING United Alliance, says.

One thing to note — the original G7 isn’t going away. If a shop is already G7 Certified, is happy with its current technology platforms, and doesn’t have plans to expand into new segments, sticking with G7 is acceptable. It is still a powerful tool, and will continue to serve offset-centered workflows for many years to come.

But there is no denying convergence has gained steam in the recent months and years, and print service providers (PSPs) will only continue to expand into new markets, requiring them to invest in new technologies. When it comes to print calibration, color management, and the processes needed to ensure color is reproduced accurately every time, G7+ is the gold standard.

G7/G7+ isn’t just a standard — it’s a certification. Whether a PSP chooses to take the course online via the iLEARNING+ platform, or attend one of the live workshops throughout the year, becoming a certified expert or facility gives operations an edge. It is a way for PSPs to show clients their better color standards aren’t just “talk,” but that they’re taking concrete steps to ensure it. In fact, some major brands have started to mandate G7/G7+ certification for the PSPs they work with, giving another great reason to consider it.

For PSPs that are already G7-certified — either individually or as a facility — they can choose to upgrade or continue to renew those certifications.

G7/G7+ isn’t the only color management course offered on iLEARNING+. For PSPs that aren’t looking for a full color certification or those that need staff to more deeply understand color management theories, there are a number of great options. Courses include Color Management Fundamentals, Photoshop Color Correction, Expanded Color Gamuts, and even AI and Color Management. There are an incredible 74 courses on the iLEARNING+ platform dedicated to color and color management, some offering certifications, while some are educational, with more being added all the time.

There are also other sources for color management training and certification. Most live events, such as the ISA Sign Expo and PRINTING United Expo, as well as smaller events, offer workshops geared toward getting better color across platforms and projects. And many vendors, such as X-rite Pantone, Mutoh, EFI, and more offer educational sessions that can be geared toward getting the best out of a specific piece of equipment, or just essentials on getting the most out of every job. A great place to start is for a PSP to look at the equipment it already has and the OEMs it has relationships with — then ask if they offer color-specific training. Look at user groups or events to attend and attend the color-focused seminars.

The Tools

When it comes to finding the right color management tools, the possibilities today are seemingly endless. There is a wide range of hardware vendors offering color tools, from on-press solutions that run alongside the job to off-press devices used to check and verify color. And of course, the software options are both numerous and powerful — some break color down into manageable buckets, making it easy for even a new operator to get great color right from the start; while others are complex and detailed, allowing a color expert to fine tune every color channel to the smallest particles.

For most shops, a combination of the two is likely going to be the best bet. For PSPs that have invested in the training for someone to become a color expert, make sure that expert has access to both the hardware and software tools they need to get the most out of the training. Make them the beginning and the end of color quality control, ensuring every job is perfect.

At the same time, take the time to train operators and others in the shop on the more accessible color tools that are often on the presses themselves. This will help them understand what the tools are doing and what adjustments they can make if something is off during a run. Having a combination of both, with everyone in the operation working toward better color across every job, will help a PSP build a reputation for reliable and accurate color reproduction, leaving clients satisfied with the results.

Essential tools include, at a minimum, having a spectrophotometer to test and measure color. Ideally, there will be one on the press to ensure color doesn’t drift through a run, as well as a handheld for the color expert to double check.

Another essential tool is a lightbox with the ability to simulate different types of light. Not all light is created equal, and one of the biggest challenges of color management is that it might look right in the lighting of a pressroom, but once it is out in the world, it might appear differently. Having the ability to see what the color will do in multiple environments allows a PSP to tailor every project to the places it will be seen.

Finally, consider having a professional-level color calibration tool on hand to make sure displays show the same thing. While a PSP can’t force its clients to calibrate to its standards, it can at least make sure its entire operation sees the same thing, which will cut down on problems and catch color errors a lot sooner.

For some segments of the industry, color has always been a critical factor, but for others, it was an afterthought. As technologies and segments converge, and brands look to consolidate their jobs to just a few PSPs, color is no longer something any operation can afford to ignore or treat as a casual afterthought. While certification might be the end-goal for some, just getting started with training and the right tools can set a PSP apart from its competition and ensure its operation is the one brands call when they need to get it right the first time.