Five Steps to Prepare for G7 Expert Training
It’s Time to Start Your Learning Journey!
You have made the decision to become a certified leader in color management, process, and quality control—something that will benefit both you and your employer!
This article lists the five steps to follow to prepare for and fund your G7 Expert Training and Certification.
Read on for preparation tips, questions your boss might ask, and links to an email template you can copy and paste to start the conversation.
1. Do Your Research
Why did you choose Idealliance’s G7® Expert Training Program? Here are some talking points:
- G7 Expert live online training has been carefully designed and tested for the optimal interactive online experience. Your instruction will cover everything you need to know to become an Idealliance certified leader in color management, process, and quality control across all print and proofing technologies.
- After you pass the G7 Expert certification exam, you will be certified to implement G7 in your facility to obtain G7 Master qualification. (G7 Master Facilities must be renewed annually.) See this link for more extensive information about the benefits of being a G7 Master Facility.
- When you sign up for training, you will receive a library of print resources so you can participate during the instructor-led hands-on activities. Downloadable production resource materials such as G7 test forms help you learn how to implement G7 in your facility to obtain G7 Master qualification.
- You will also receive access to the extensive online training library and G7 Expert online forum to support your continued growth as a G7 Expert and network with your peers.
- The earlier you register, the more time you have to complete Idealliance’s Color Management Professional® Fundamentals online training, provided in advance of the live training, completely free of charge (normally $309).
2. Make Sure Your Work is Covered While You’re Away
Whether it’s in-person or virtual, you need to plan out how your responsibilities will be covered while you’re participating in training.
Idealliance online live G7 Expert Training is five consecutive half-days, so be sure to arrange backup beforehand. (See sample training schedule here »)
Can you work a few longer shifts the week or two before the training starts? Or (for the online G7 training) can you work a little longer in the mornings before the training starts that day, or in the evenings after the training is over? Can you work a few weekends? Or do you have a colleague who will agree to cover your shifts?
3. Analyze the Costs
You have chosen to take G7 Expert training with the most recognized global leader in color management. Whether you are looking at one of our remote, live, online trainings or our in person training, G7 represents a return on investment that results in extraordinary cost savings for your company over time.
G7’s inherent gray stability and shared visual appearance means that ICC profiles have to be made far less often, keeping presses free to do more profitable work. Here’s a case study you can present to your boss that details how the US based Sandy Alexander saved $200,000 by implementing G7 into their print production.
In addition, by shortening the proofing process with the implementation of G7, you can reduce your ink usage by 10-15%, and cut way down on consumption of paper waste. Hence, G7 is not only suitable for sizable companies, but also small and medium enterprises.
4. Prepare Your Business Case
Everything we’ve established in this article so far adds up to the business case for training. All you need now are the specifics.
See the FAQs about G7 and G7 Expert Training below.
G7® is Idealliance’s industry-leading set of specifications for CMYK process that is used achieving gray balance and is the driving force for achieving visual similarity across all print processes. It can be used for any print process including flexo, litho, offset, injet,
G7 Certification is a valuable qualification for anyone involved in graphic reproduction where color is critical.
The G7 method outlines an easy-to-follow recipe for implementing ISO printing standards and additional metrics. The result is a simple but powerful way to match from proof to press.
The name G7 stands for “Gray”, plus the 7 primary and secondary solid ink values: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (CMYK), and Red, Green, and Blue (RGB). By controlling these elements, printers can more precisely control production color. Additional benefits of implementing the G7 methodology include a significant time and cost savings because the process brings all systems and processes in control with repeatable, predictable results—meaning less paper waste, less back and forth with the design team, less (or no) time needed for press checks, and many more benefits.
The International Organization for Standards (ISO) estimates more than 50,000 printers worldwide implement and maintain G7 based workflows.
Idealliance G7® Training and Certification teaches professionals how to analyze color and print-related issues and take corrective action to bring systems and processes in control to a set method, standard or specification with repeatable, predictable results.
Training also includes access to the included certification exam to earn status as a G7 Expert or G7 Professional.
This training is for printers, press, and prepress/premedia operators, service engineers, trainers, or solution architects, graphic designers, brand managers, or packaging engineers, quality assurance personnel, process engineers, or Lean professionals anywhere in the world.
G7 Experts and G7 Professionals are trained and certified in G7 color management, and process and quality control for proofing and printing equipment.
G7 Experts and G7 professionals attend the exact same training program, however, there is a price difference because of two main differences between the certifications:
G7 Experts:
- Must pass the certification exam with a score of at least 90%
- Are licensed to perform G7 Master Qualifications & G7 Master Renewal Qualifications
G7 Professionals:
- Must pass the certification exam with a score of at least 80%
- Are licensed to perform G7 Master Renewal Qualifications only.
A G7 Professional is typically an in-house quality/technical professional.
The better question is, What’s the return on investment? Companies using the G7 methodology typically report savings of thousands if not millions of dollars over time.
However, here are the details about what you can expect:
G7 Expert Training & Certification Fees
- $2,149 for Idealliance Members
- $2,619 for Non-members
Details
- Good for two years
- Licensed to perform G7 Master Qualifications & G7 Master Renewal Qualifications.
- Online Recertification Review & Exam required every two years within 90 days of certification expiration:
- $259 for Idealliance Members
- $319 Non-members
G7 Professional Training & Certification Fees
- $1,799 for Idealliance Members
- $2,009 for Non-members
Details
- Good for two years
- Licensed to perform G7 Master Renewal Qualifications only.
- Online Recertification Review & Exam required every two years within 90 days of certification expiration:
- $129 for Idealliance Members
- $149 Non-members
Not a member? Individuals can sign up for Associate level membership for just $95/year! Learn more and join »
G7 Master Qualification is granted to a physical facility. This certification demonstrates your facility’s leading capabilities in color management, device alignment, and standardization to serve the global print and packaging supply chains. It is required by many leading print buyers and global brands.
G7 Master Qualification status indicates that the facility has calibrated certain equipment and systems to G7 gray balance and neutral tone curves and is capable of delivering G7 proofs and print products.
While many G7 Masters are printing companies, other graphic solutions providers such as creative and premedia providers may also be qualified as G7 Masters.
Qualification is granted according to three distinct compliance levels: Grayscale, Targeted, and Colorspace. Learn more about G7 Master Facility Qualification here »
After attending G7 Expert Training, you will be certified to submit for facility based G7 certification for any print technology. When you, and your facility are certified in G7, you gain a significant competitive edge having your workflow be efficient and replicable to meet color expectations from proof to print.
G7 training covers a variety of topics, including:
- What G7 certification is and what its benefits are
- CIELab and ICC profiling
- Calibration principles
- Proofer calibration and verification
- Color management
- Linearization
- Calibrating and profiling a press
- Simulating GRACoL or other color space
- Verifying press and proof accuracy
- G7 compliance
- Press calibration and G7 press control
- Quality control
- Manual calibration
- Pre-press workflow
- Managing expectations
Yes! If you are interested in hosting a private G7 training for your team, private G7 Training is customizable to suit the needs of your print facility as well as your print supply chain and print supply chain partners. Contact Mike Grady, VP of Global Partnerships for details.
5. Register for Training!
Ready to register? Click the button below to see upcoming training options and sign up!
Need to Convince Your Boss? (Download these free email templates)
Click to download two email templates you can use to help make your case for attending training.
- Copy the text into an email.
- Fill in your company information.
- Add your personal touch.
- Choose the training dates you’d like to attend (See all available trainings here »)
- Send email!
Additional Resources
See the following links to find out more about G7 and G7 Training.
ABOUT IDEALLIANCE
Idealliance is a transformational industry association for print and packaging, working with brand owners, content and media creators, agencies, designers, material suppliers, OEMs, technology developers, and service providers around the world. We serve the graphic communication industry by creating superior industry training and certification programs, developing professional standards and specifications, and redefining workflows for the entire print and packaging supply chain.
Become a member of Idealliance and transform the way you work—forever.
Contact Jordan Gorski, Executive Director, to explore whether G7 is right for your company.
jgorski@idealliance.org | 703.837.1096