Developments in digital print standardization

Digital Printing has been established as one of the most rapidly evolving printing processes since its first introduction in 1982. In the years that followed, digital printing became the one significant new technology for print media production. Digital printing is continuously changing the print media landscape. Although, DP creates structural changes in production workflow and processes, it lacks in terms of print standardization, compared to offset printing for example, where consistent aim values and guidelines apply by means of ISO 12647-2. This drawback basically depends on two factors, which are interrelated. Firstly, there are many different technologies that are used in digital printing, and, each of them shows substantial difference in printing technology, substrates, data preparation, process control and image quality requirements. Secondly, compared to conventional printing, some digital printing technologies are still developing. After all, digital printing is versatile and variable in every way and cannot be standardized under a single standard. A research on the digital printing technologies, processes and workflows is needed, to determine if a print specifications and quality controls (among them color management), can be applied in Digital Printing, and if possible, to which segment. Since color is very important to printing, especially in packaging and marketing applications, the print evolution demands for matching colors across technologies, substrates, materials and colorants. This paper intends to reveal the present status regarding Digital Printing Standardization. The question posed is whether standards can be applied and in which segments of digital printing either as technology or print sector (commercial decoration, packaging). Within the paper, an analysis of the current industrial typical guidelines ranging from data creation all the way to printing will be made. Guidelines that are determined either by the manufactures of the digital printing machines, or by Institutes, such as FOGRA are reviewed for output process control and colour fidelity. As such, this paper can be regarded as a first attempt to preview the basis where standardization for digital printing processes can be developed.