M+E Druckhaus International Print & Media Services, Belm, Germany, has successfully implemented the latest ISO and FOGRA offset printing standards, supported by GMG and in collaboration with its repro partners, Peter Becker GmbH.

Tuebingen (February 16, 2016) - M+E Druckhaus International Print & Media Services, Belm, Germany, has successfully implemented the latest ISO and FOGRA offset printing standards, supported by GMG and in collaboration with its repro partners, Peter Becker GmbH. M+E prints sales material for leading retailers where accurate color control is critical. Using GMG ColorServer and GMG ColorProof solutions has made M+E's move to the new standards straightforward and provided prints that match proofs.

Quality is key in the retail sector and any business that wants to play a leading role in this area needs to keep pace with new developments and standards. For the most recent edition of a retail client's 32-page catalogue published every two weeks, M+E's production team decided to implement the latest standards for offset printing. The brochure was produced in line with the ISO 12647-2:2013 standard using FOGRA51 data, even before the new data set had been officially released, as part of an initial trial by the repro and printing teams, supported by GMG. 

Both prepress activities and the printing of the catalogue were completed in accordance with the new criteria. During the process, the repro team used GMG ColorServer, GMG ColorProof, and GMG ProofControl, while the proofs were printed on GMG ProofPaper semimatte 250 OBA. 

From proof to print with the new data set

Once the image is processed in RGB, automated CMYK conversions are completed using GMG ColorServer. In order to provide the best possible data for printing on optically brightened paper, Peter Becker decided to use the FOGRA51 data set for the first time. Thanks to the new output intent already stored within GMG ColorServer and GMG ColorProof, the switch to the new system proved extremely straightforward. Use of GMG ProofPaper semimatte 250 OBA was the final element in the process. "With this switch, we changed every parameter at once (proof paper, separation, and color adjustment) yet still hit our target on the first run," says a very happy Michael Stephen, Head of Visualization at Peter Becker. 

For both the print company and its client, the proof approval process in particular involved a move into uncharted territory. While previously approval took place using the FOGRA39 data set on brightener-free paper, FOGRA51 now-for the first time-takes account of the effect of optical brighteners in typically coated production stock; the proof could therefore be printed on OBA proof paper with its significant fluorescent effect. This allowed the repro specialists at Peter Becker to establish in practice just how well the various GMG components work together, even for optically brightened references. 

M+E Druckhaus, too, was eager to implement the new standard immediately. Ahead of the print date, CTP curves were identified to ensure that printing would comply with the modified description of the dot gain curves in the ISO 12647-2:2013 standard. Lars Höcker-Gödecker of M+E summarizes the technical details of the printing process: "The print was completed on a coated offset paper with a color coordinate that matches the F51 paper tone relatively well. Through a slight adjustment of the print densities, a proof-to-print match was quickly achieved. For the second printing form no further readjustment was needed. Ultimately, not a lot has changed for us in the printing process. The densities are nearly identical with the previously-used values and we were soon comfortable with the new plate curve. However, the proof now matches the final print much more closely!" 

GMG's Senior Technical Advisor, Juergen Seitz, says: "Working so closely on this project with M+E and Peter Becker has been very interesting. Not only has it shown how important the implementation of the new standards is for accurate color output, it has also illustrated perfectly how this can be achieved efficiently and cost-effectively using GMG solutions."