The Business Benefits of Implementing G7 Methodology In Your Print Process
By Kiran Deshpande, G7 Expert
You gain a significant competitive edge when your workflow is efficient and replicable—especially when it comes to meeting color expectations from proof to print. The G7® Methodology from Idealliance is a global specification for CMYK process, that is used to consistently hit clients’ color targets. ISO estimates more than 50,000 printers worldwide implement and maintain G7 based workflows. In fact, G7 is a required certification by many leading print buyers.
What Does G7 Mean?
The name G7 stands for “Gray”, plus the 7 colors of primary and secondary solid ink values:
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (CMYK), and Red, Green, and Blue (RGB). It controls two aspects, tonality and gray balance, in order to define a shared visual appearance for printed grays. By controlling these elements, printers can more precisely control production colors. Additional benefits of implementing the G7 methodology include a significant time and cost savings because it brings all systems and processes in control with repeatable, predictable results—meaning less wastage of material, less approval cycles, less color-matching time needed for press set-ups, and many more benefits.
Regardless of how, when, or where a product is printed, the basis of G7® allows for visual consistency every time.
Over the past several years, I have been involved in optimization and calibration of various printing processes across different plants with varying complexities. For example, substrates covering paper, board, plastic films with different structures, printing technologies covering offset, flexo, gravure, digital printing and ink types covering solvent-based, water-based, UV inks etc. It’s good to see in practice how G7 provides consistent visual appearance across these multiple complex printing conditions with a common set of aims, while offering the flexibility through different compliance levels.
About G7 Calibration for Printing
G7 calibration is also an easy-to-manage established starting point, so any four-color print condition can be easily calibrated to ensure consistent output, whether or not you use additional color management. The characterized reference printing conditions (CRPCs) of ISO-PAS 15339 are globally recognized and all based on G7, which simplifies communication and reproduction of color content across the entire supply chain from print buyer, designer, prepress to print production.
When you attend G7 Training to become certified, or when you have a certified G7 Expert or G7 Professional on your team, you can then move to become an Idealliance Qualified Master Facility, which will allow you to actively manage your production, align your supply chain, and take advantage of the globally recognized benefits of G7 status as a leading print facility, opening up additional opportunities to serve major brands around the world.
Opportunities to Go Deeper with G7
G7 Expert Virtual Open House
Find out more at the upcoming G7 Expert Virtual Open House, July 6, 2021, at 10:00 am ET.
I will be hosting this free Open House with Idealliance to answer your questions about performing G7 calibration and optimization for different print conditions. I will provide details on G7 for individuals and organizations, whether you are just beginning or already on your journey with G7 based print and packaging production.
Bring your G7-related questions such as:
- What software and hardware do we need to get G7 going?
- Regarding substrate, is G7 appropriate for coloured papers?
- Is there a “normal” amount of time required per printer to a) setup b) maintain G7 in our own plant?
- and more…
G7 Expert Training
Then attend Idealliance’s online live G7 Expert Training which I will be leading on July 26-30, 2021. G7® Expert Live Online Training 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.
In this multi-day training I focus on G7 based print and packaging applications, and G7 integration, maintenance, and process control across all print and proofing applications to be able to implement directly into established print workflows.
This international training is led in English and open to all global registrants. Details and registration here »
About the Author:
Kiran Deshpande is a Global Senior Color Management Expert at Siegwerk, located in the UK. He is also an Idealliance Certified G7® Expert Trainer. You can register for his upcoming G7 Expert training here »