Joining a growing list of ISO-certified printers, SOS Director Michael Schulz emphasizes that customers are increasingly expecting ISO quality colour from their print service providers.

He says, “Making the decision to become ISO complaint has been a worthwhile experience for SOS. Our staff has seen immediate improvements across all departments.

“As more of the larger print buyers are asking for ISO compliance of their printers, we felt it was an important step to take both for our current and future customers.”

Kayell’s Luke Wooldridge supervised the ISO programme starting with the GMG RapidCheck colour wedge to assess SOS’s current press conditions on their Heidelberg and Akiyama ten-colour machines and other multi-colour presses.

Linearisation of SOS’s Fuji Boxer platesetter followed to allow the GMG PressControl test forme to be printed free of any applied curves.

The following stages involved printing and measuring ink aim points using densitometry and spectrophotometry, to within the ISO gamut and specification.

Dot gain patches are produced, read and matched to the ISO dotgain curve. The CTP platemaker, Rip, proofer and monitors are all calibrated using the compliant data. Kayell provides all the necessary ICC – ISO profiles.

Wooldridge says, “From this point on, the GMG RapidCheck wedge is used to regularly analyse press conditions and show compliance and/or deviation from the ISO standard, in which case compliance curved are applied in order to bring production back into spec.

“Six-monthly audits are part of the on-going ISO Printer of Australia and New Zealand certification.”

Schulz continues, “We are delighted at not just achieving ISO compliance, but also the positive effect the process has had on our organization, people and customer service. We have even managed to reduce waste and increase productivity.”

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