The first quarter of 2015 finds the Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC) Executive Committee and project teams busy preparing for Forum 2015. This year, we will be hosting the pre conference session, titled “Eye On Research.” Chaired by Dr. Sam Ingram of Clemson University and cochair Jean Jackson of Graymills Corporation, the session will feature a research project conducted by Clemson University graduate student Jason Palmer on elastomer plate technology.
A second pertinent presentation will be delivered by Steve Smiley of SmileyColor & Associates and Dr. Ingram, titled “I See Spots!” How can we get real measurement data? An international group of scientists, practitioners, mathematicians, technicians and others are moving toward identification of a practical metric representing tint percent of spot colors. The math and current results of testing will be explained, with a focus on practical application.
Contribute to FQC
Rounding out the session will be a hands on, audience driven brainstorming session on future FQC project needs. This will be your chance to bring your technological challenges, production efficiency initiatives and general flexo technology questions to the table to discuss in an open forum with other industry members. The objective will be to recognize the technology challenges that are being faced right now by the membership, and initiate project charters that can be reviewed and endorsed by the FQC Executive Committee.
We’re looking for potential project leaders and team members to support our mission to provide the industry with a better understanding of the factors controlling the quality of the flexographic printing process. FQC projects investigate selected process variables in order to further develop reproducible process concepts that will allow for measurable advancements in flexographic printing technology. We do this because we are actively contributing our data, knowledge and opinions to global graphic standards committees and associations, and Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST), based on valid research.
In fact, I urge you to thoroughly read and digest the FQC Standards Working Group (SWG) update provided by Dr. Danny Rich of Sun Chemical. It is a testament to all of the variables and documentation that is being created and tuned by the various standards committees that affect our industry. We thank Dr. Rich and the SWG members for their tireless efforts on representing our unique industry prospective.
Forum’s FQC Session
The FQC Session, “Research That Resonates,” will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 4. This session will feature the final report of two FQC projects:
- The Near Neutral Dataset Assessment
- High Resolution Printing: Part A
These two projects have been conducted with the support of many volunteer resources from the membership in an effort to document and bring clarity to their respective topics. The FQC Executive Committee would like to thank all leaders and team members for bringing these projects to completion.
In addition to the final project reports, we are pleased to again feature the presentation of the Rossini Scholarship winners. The first place winner, Nathan Pretorius of Clemson University, will present “Printing A Capacitive Touch Interface Using Flexography.” This research intends to produce a working prototype of a touch interface using the flexo process. The second place winners, Amanda Cockroft and Katherine Dayton of Western Michigan University, will present their research on “Repurposing Flexographic Printing Plates.” Both of these presentations will showcase the valuable research that is being done at academic institutions and highlight the work of students that are the future of our industry.
Standards Working Group Update
The fall of 2014 was fairly busy for the Standards Working Group (SWG), as there were many standards being balloted and the ISO TC 130 held its plenary meeting in mid November in Beijing, China. As China has taken on the secretary role for ISO TC 130, it is now common for meetings not sponsored by other “P” members of ISO TC 130 to be held in China.
Working Group 1
Working Group 1, Terminology continues to work on and further expand the documents on terminology related to graphic reproduction, including prepress function, on press activities and postpress processes.
Working Group 2
Working Group 2, Prepress Data Exchange had a relatively busy year in 2014. The following WG2 projects have reached completion since the 27th plenary in Berlin:
- ISO 12640-5, Graphic technology – Prepress digital data exchange – Part 5: Scene referred standard color image data (RIMM/SCID)
- ISO 16684-2, Graphic technology – Extensible metadata platform (XMP) – Part 2: Validation using RELAX NG
- ISO 16760, Graphic technology – Prepress data exchange – Preparation and visualization of RGB images to be used in RGB based graphic arts workflows
- ISO 17972-1 Graphic technology – Color data exchange format (CxF/x) – Part 1: Relationship to CxF/3
- ISO 17972-2, Graphic technology – Color data exchange format (CxF/x) – Part 2: Scanner target data
- ISO 17972-3, Graphic technology – Color data exchange format (CxF/x) – Part 3: Output target data
- ISO 17972-4, Graphic technology – Color data exchange format (CxF/x) – Part 4: Spot color characterization data (CxF/X-4)
- ISO 18620, Graphic Technology – Tone response curve adjustment
- ISO 19445, Graphic Technology – Metadata for graphic arts workflow – Part 1: XMP metadata for image and document proofing
- PDF/X – General: In starting work toward understanding what is involved in moving to ISO 32000-2 vs. PDF 1.6, a document has been created based on ISO 15930-7, tentatively named ISO 15930-2016, where information on previous histories has been removed, along with all references to Adobe. This document was circulated for a 30 day review by WG2 and WG2/TF2, which closed in June of last year. The chair of WG2/TF2 is currently reviewing and consolidating the comments received
- PDF/VT – WG2/TF3 has initiated work, at Stage 0, to develop a new part of ISO 16612 to enable the use of the PDF placeholder architecture to accomplish content substitution. The tentative title of the new part is: Graphic technology – Variable data exchange – Part 3: Using PDF/X-4 for content substitution. This document is being actively developed at the WD stage using teleconference meetings. A task force, chaired by Martin Bailey, is actively meeting by teleconference to create a set of PDF/VT Application Notes
Working Group 3
Working Group 3, Process Control And Related Metrology convener Dr. Kraushaar reported the following activities to the ISO TC 130 plenary meeting:
- ISO/DIS 12646, Graphic technology – Displays for color proofing – Characteristics and viewing conditions. The DIS ballot has been approved
- ISO/DIS 14861, Graphic technology – Color Proofing using electronic displays. The DIS ballot has been approved
- ISO/FDIS 12647-5 Graphic technology – Process control for the manufacture of halftone color separation, proofs and production prints – Part 5: Screen printing. ISO/FDIS 12647-5 (Ed 2) has been approved with two negative votes
- ISO 12647-6:2012, Graphic technology – Process control for the production of halftone color separations, proofs and production prints – Part 6: Flexographic printing. Project leader deleted the reference to ISO 2846-5, to be able to withdraw this standard. A minor revision will be initiated to incorporate that change
- ISO/CD12647-7:2007, Graphic technology – Process control for the manufacture of halftone color separation, proofs and production prints – Part 7: Off press proofing processes working directly from digital data. The CD ballot comments have been resolved. Due to the technical discussion the resolved document is subject for a second CD ballot
- ISO/PDTS 15311-1, Graphic Technology – Requirements for printed matter utilizing digital printing technologies for the commercial and industrial production – Part 1: Parameters and measurement measures. It was agreed to move ISO 15311-1 to a Technical Specification (TS) track. A PDTS draft of ISO 15311-1 that incorporates the changes agreed to in London has been circulated. At the last WG3 meeting it was discussed to split this document into “development” and “release” versions. The results of the review has been discussed and debated. It was agreed that the document including the resolved comments should be balloted for a second DTS ballot
- ISO/PDTS 15311-2, Graphic Technology – Requirements for printed matter utilizing digital printing technologies for the commercial and industrial production – Part 2: Commercial production printing. ISO 15311-2 will also be moved to a TS track. After a heated debate the scope was challenged and questioned. A group of involved experts tried to resolve this differences and to draft an agreed upon introduction and scope. Depending on the outcome of this activity the project might be continued or deleted at the upcoming Bologna, Italy meeting
- ISO/PDTS 15311-3, Graphic Technology – Requirements for printed matter utilizing digital printing technologies for the commercial and industrial production – Part 3: Large format signage printing. After a heated debate the scope was challenged and questioned. A group of involved experts tried to resolve this differences and to draft an agreed upon introduction and scope. Depending on the outcome of this activity the project might be continued or deleted at the upcoming Bologna, Italy meeting
- ISO/FDIS 15339-1, Graphic technology – Printing of digital data – Part 1: Basic principles. The FDIS ballot was negative. A plenary resolution will show if this document will be published as a TS or deleted
- ISO/FDIS 15339-2 – Printing from digital data across multiple technologies – Part 2: Characterized reference printing conditions. The FDIS ballot was negative. A plenary resolution will show if this document will be published as a TS or deleted