Industry Standards Overview

Process Color Standards (ISO 12647)

ISO 12647 is the primary standard series for graphic technology process control. The most relevant parts for typical print production:

• ISO 12647-2 — offset lithography (sheet-fed & web). The basis for PSO, FOGRA, and GRACoL characterisation data and ICC profiles
• ISO 12647-6 — flexographic printing. Growing importance for packaging production
• ISO 12647-7 — digital proofing. Defines requirements for proofs used to simulate press output

G7 — Gray Balance Method

G7 is an industry method (IDEAlliance) for achieving visually similar gray balance across any printing process or device. Unlike ICC profiling, which targets exact colorimetry, G7 targets a specific neutral gray response defined by the NPDC (Neutral Print Density Curve).

ChromaChecker supports G7 evaluation and calibration in Print Inspector. CC Capture carries G7® Certification for its measurement and curve generation workflow.

Characterisation Data Sets

Standard characterisation datasets provide the reference colorimetric data that ICC profiles are built from. The most common sets used in ChromaChecker workflows:

• FOGRA39 — ISO 12647-2, coated paper, widely used in Europe (Coated FOGRA39, PSO Coated v2)
• FOGRA51 — ISO 12647-2 updated, M1 measurement, coated paper
• FOGRA52 — ISO 12647-2 updated, M1, uncoated paper
• GRACoL 2013 — North American coated offset standard, M1
• SWOP 2013 — North American publication printing standard
• CRPC-6 (CGATS21) — used in G7 Colorspace workflows

Viewing Conditions — ISO 3664

ISO 3664:2009 defines the viewing conditions for evaluating reflective and transmissive media and colour monitor displays. ChromaChecker Lighting Inspector audits viewing booths against ISO 3664 requirements — verifying illuminance, colour temperature, uniformity, and metamerism quality grade.