December 5, 2002 -- The International Organization for Standardization's Technical Committee 130 (Graphic Technology) has announced formation of a new task force to develop an international standard relating to the exchange of variable printing data. The standard will be based on CGATS.20-2002, Graphic technology - Variable printing data exchange using PPML and PDF (PPML/VDX), which was developed by Subcommittee 6, Task Force 2 of the American National Standards Institute accredited Committee for Graphic Arts Technologies Standards (CGATS). At a September meeting of ISO TC 130 Working Group 2 (Prepress Data Exchange), it was agreed to move the work defined by CGATS.20 into the international standards arena, with the work to be done by a newly-formed Task Force 3 (TF 3) under TC 130 WG 2. CGATS.20 will serve as the initial draft of the work. CGATS.20 defines a data format and its usage to permit methods of exchange of digital data for variable data printing. It focuses on the exchange of files between establishments as well as within an integrated environment that produces variable data printing. In particular, the standard is concerned with the exchange of content information as well as data representing the final appearance of customized or personalized print products to be manufactured. The standard was developed to respond to the workflow requirements associated with the efficient and reliable exchange of final form data between one or more senders or receivers. Technical experts from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Germany, Israel, Japan, Russian Federation, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States participate on ISO TC 130 WG 2. These countries will be identifying technical experts to serve on the newly formed task force. The task force will be chaired by Tim Donahue of the United States, Senior Software Engineer with NexPress Solutions LLC, who served as the document editor for CGATS.20, and who will also serve as document editor for the new ISO standard. "Open standards are driving the solid, broad growth of digital color printing -- particularly the growth of variable printing that incorporates personalization and customization," Donahue stated. "Extending the PPML/VDX open standard to meet international needs will give printers, marketers and creative agencies all over the globe the exciting opportunity to create new, higher-value print products." This work is open to anyone having an interest. For more information, or to express an interest in participating in this work as a Technical Expert for the United States, or as an Observer on the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (U.S. TAG), contact Mary Abbott of the U.S. TAG Secretariat at 703-264-7229 or [email protected] . Organizations that do not have a U.S. office should contact the standards body in their headquarters country. NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies serves as the Secretariat to both the U.S. TAG to ISO TC 130 and to ANSI CGATS, and administers the work of ISO TC 130 WG2 and its task forces. NPES is a U.S. non-profit trade association representing more than 460 companies engaged in manufacturing and importing for sale or distribution of machinery, equipment, systems, software and supplies used in every printing, publishing and converting process from desktop design and image generation and processing to multiple output options and targeted dissemination systems. Complete information about the Association, its programs, including standards development, and its member companies is available at www.npes.org, by e-mail at [email protected], by telephone at 703/264-7200, or by fax at 703/620-0994.