The Australian TC 130 committee (AU/TC 130) says the current development is in acknowledgement of the high demand for a specific standard which addresses the wide scope of digital printing technologies.

Currently there is not a specific standard for digital production printing with the only digital standards, 12647-7 (contract proofing) and the soon to be released 12647-8 (validation print), addressing single copy output.

In the absence of a specific standard that addresses digital production printing, several Australian companies have already achieved certification of their digital presses to the existing offset standard (12647-2).

Luke Wooldridge chairman of the AU/TC 130 says there is an undeniable demand for a specific digital production standard, which ISO 15311 hopes to address.

He says, “The Australian TC 130 committee understands that the method of how a digital printing device is evaluated has stirred debate in the past. We welcome feedback from relevant parties within our industry which we hope will lead to a refined standard which will be of benefit to our industry.”

Under the general title ‘Graphic technology – requirements for printed matter utilizing digital printing technologies for the commercial and industrial production’, ISO 15311 will consist of the following parts:

Part 1: Parameters and measurement methods

Part 2: Commercial production printing

Part 3: Large Format Printing (Signage

Wooldridge adds that while the path to becoming a fully fledged ISO standard could take up to two years, it will allow plenty of opportunity for interested parties within the Australian graphic technology industry to participate in the refinement and development of this new standard.

He says, “The new standard will put in place some clear guidelines and show what is achievable and expected from certain devices, which will help Australian printers compete in an international market.”

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