NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies has published two new technical standards, one relating to characterization of 4-color process printing, and the other on an exchange format for color and process control data. IT8.7/4-2005, Graphic technology — Input data for characterization of 4-color process printing— Expanded data set, was developed to address the need for additional data points to provide better sampling of color space, and to provide more data at the highlight end of the scale, including more 4-color data with low levels of black. This additional data is needed by several industry segments, especially packaging. The standard defines a data set of ink value combinations that may be used to characterize 4-color process printing, and is robust enough for all general applications. While it is primarily aimed at process color printing with CMYK inks, it may also be used with any combination of three chromatic inks and a dark ink. It is seen as an alternate to the current IT8.7/3 data set when more data is desired. CGATS.17-2005, Graphic technology — Exchange format for color and process control data using XML or ASCII text, was developed in an effort to consolidate format requirements for the exchange of spectral measurement data, colorimetric data and densitometric data in electronic form. A number of CGATS, IT8 and ISO standards require the reporting of measured and/or computed data. Several of these standards contain suggested formats for this purpose, which have used the ASCII keyword-value pair approach and have been widely used by some industry segments. However, there has never been a consolidated definition of the various formats. CGATS.17 is intended to support all existing and future graphic arts standards that exchange measured, computed or process control data, and the associated metadata necessary for its proper interpretation. It specifically is not intended for graphic arts content data, which are covered by CGATS/ISO 15930 and CGATS/ISO 12639. The file formats defined in CGATS.17 are a combination of XML and extensions of the existing ASCII keyword-value file format, coupled with the necessary tools to allow appropriate conversions to and from XML and ASCII keyword-value files. However, either of the file formats may be used independently. Users must obtain a full copy of IT8.7/4 and CGATS.17 to have the components necessary to use these standards. An order form is available at http://www.npes.org/standards/orderform.html, or from the NPES Publications Department at 703/264-7200. The cost of IT8.7/4 is $25, and the cost of CGATS.17 is $20. NPES members receive a discount. Files supporting both standards are freely available from the NPES Standards Workroom at http://www.npes.org/standards.tools.html.