There are currently only 38 printers in the country who have achieved externally verified ISO 12647-2, and while this represents only one per cent of all domestic printers, the volume of print they produce would be approaching 50 per cent of all sheetfed print.
PMP is not on the list as it self-certifies. All the other biggest printers are there, including numbers two, three and four IPMG, Geon, and Blue Star, along with other large print businesses such as Finsbury Green, SOS, Sinnott Bros, Southern Colour and Vega. Along with the offset printers there are digital printers on the list, including On Demand and Jagar, together with wide format printer Look. Web printers Webstar and Offset Alpine are on the list.
The LIA, PIAA and the AU TC130 committee believed that it would be more efficient and effective to centralise this information, and provide the printing industry, and its customers, with easily accessible information that would promote the use of ISO standards in printing.
Committee chairman Luke Wooldridge says, “Printing to standards is becoming increasingly important, certainly for print buyers, so by promoting those printers that have achieved the ISO standard we are helping print buyers to make informed choices through one central location, and helping those printers that have gone through the standardisation process to promote that to the market. These printers deserve the recognition for their efforts in gaining certification and this website now provides a central point of reference for all buyers of print that need to acquire ISO standards-based product.”
The organisations are planning to use sponsorship and advertising revenue from the website to promote it to print buyers, as well as to advertising and marketing agencies, both directly and through their relevant associations.
Philip Andersen, CEO of Printing Industries says, “The promotion of ISO standards to print specifiers and buyers should indicate to the market that print is lifting its game, and that there are an increasing number of printers out there that can print to a predictable standard. It should also provide a powerful impetus for printers not yet going down the standards route to get on the road.”
The list of certified printers is just one part of the first major revision to the Colour Standards website since its launch in August of 2008. Other changes include recent ISO news, up-to-date information regarding standards for Graphic Technology and a current list of companies who can offer certification to 12647 standard.
Until now print buyers searching for quality printers faced a difficult task as all certified printers were listed only on the websites of the various organisations that offered the certification. Those include Fogra and Ugra.
The Colour Standards website will be updated quarterly and companies who feel they should be listed on the website can contact the TC 130 committee via the contact-us page of the website.
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