Color Standards: Who is Involved

Readers who would like to learn more about standards activities are encouraged to visit the sRGB web site, which has a "links" page (www.srgb.com/color_standards_bodies.htm) that will lead readers to standards work we have covered here, as well as the work we have not covered here. The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES), is the Secretariat for all U.S. graphic arts standards activities, maintains a current listing of graphic arts standards. Below are links to articles by David McDowell covering recent graphic arts and color standards activities:

Graphic Arts Color Standards
Source: 1999 TAGA Proceedings
Provides a brief history of digital standards activities in the printing and photographic industries. Describes ANSI CGATS TR 001, which prompted investigation of "reference printing conditions."

A First Look at Color Data Exchange for Packaging
Source: Draft for CGATS
Identifies areas needing attention in order for the packaging industry to benefit from electronic exchange of information.

Reference Printing Conditions-What Are They and Why Are They Important?
Source: IPA's Prepress Bulletin, March/April 1999
Discusses how a pre-defined set of ink gamuts and substrates can provide an aim or target to which a press (or color data) could be adjusted.

Graphic Arts Standards-A Current Status Report
Source: 25th IARIGIA Research Conference (Aug. 1998)
Identifies principal graphic arts standards activities addressing data exchange, printing process characterization, and color management. Includes the titles of 64 graphic-arts-related ISO standards.

PDF/X & TIFF/IT
Source: IPA's Prepress Bulletin, Nov./Dec. 1999
Explains the PDF/X-1 format standard for dissemination of a composite entity (primarily CMYK) in a form ready for final print reproduction. Identifies the objectives of PDF/X-2 for "partial composite digital data," and discusses continuing evolution of the TIFF/IT standard.

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