Have you ever received a print order featuring green-hued people that look more alien than human? If you have, working with a G7 Master Printer can help ensure that little green men don’t invade your print materials in the future. But, even if your print color has never been that far off, there are still ways that G7 Printer Certification can benefit you.
So, what’s G7 Certification? Well, it’s not a secret code name for a covert brand of government investigating the existence of aliens. Rather, it’s a proven way for printers to ensure the highest level of color accuracy and quality for their customers. Read on to learn more:
What is G7 Certification in Printing?
The G7 Master Printer Certification is an undertaking that select printing companies pursue to ensure the highest level of color accuracy and consistency for all print jobs that run on each and every press or printing device.
The G7 Printer Certification program was established in 2006 by Idealliance, a non-profit organization that develops professional standards, specifications, and workflows that optimize the print and packaging supply chain. According to Idealliance, the promise of G7 Certification is “One file, one separation, one calibration, one aim point. Print anywhere.™”
The G7 Certification Process
G7 Printer Certification is highly technical. The process requires that each printing device is calibrated using a unique color chart called a P2P and a device called a spectrophotometer, which captures and evaluates color. A printer must demonstrate excellence in three categories to receive master-level certification. They are:
- Gray: grayscale colors that match the ideal G7 neutral density curve
- Targeted: solid ink measurements for the primary and secondary solid ink colors for each color space (cyan, yellow, and magenta or red, green, and blue) within the G7 color targets
- Colorspace: extremely close color match across the entire color spectrum
Three Ways that G7 Master Printer Certification Benefits You
#1 Accurate Color
A tiny color shift can signal big problems. The history of print marketing is filled with color fails — of bologna that looks sickly green, oranges that look like lemons, and blue skies that look gray. Of course, accurate color isn’t only necessary for photography but also for brand colors. Your logo reflects the brand’s personality, quality and value. So what does it say if the color is inconsistent?
When you work with a company with G7 Master Printer Certification, you’ll have the most consistent visual match from proof to print. Plus, brand colors will always look the same, regardless of how they’re produced.
G7 Master Printer Certification Helps Ensure Color Accuracy:
- Across devices. G7 Certification means you’ll get the same predictable color output every time, whether your job is running on a digital press or an offset press or even on a large format printer. So you can feel confident that everything matches, including brochures, mailings, promotional items, and signage.
- Across substrates. Accurate color isn’t limited to jobs printed on coated or uncoated papers. G7 Certification helps ensure that your colors look just as good on specialty paper stocks and other materials, including rubber, wood, or fabric.
- Across time. Reorders will always look the same as the first order.
#2 Saves Money
While accurate color is the most significant benefit of working with a G7 Certified Printer, you may also recognize some cost savings. Here are a couple of ways:
- Fewer spot colors. You may find that there’s no need to use a spot color to get your logo or brand colors to look just right. We can make sure that color accuracy is spot-on even without spot color.
- Print only the quantity you need. G7 Master Printer Certification increases the color accuracy of digital printing. So you may be able to use a digital press for key brand materials — the ones you usually run offset — without compromising quality.
#3 Saves Time
When color is right the first time, the whole process runs smoother, saving your precious time and possibly shortening the timelines for your print job. Here’s how:
- Smoother proofing process. You can expect fewer proofs sent back and forth since the color will be accurate the first time.
- No need for press checks. You can count on a close color match to the proof, whether your job runs on a large format printer or offset or digital press. So there’s no need for onsite press checks that eat up a chunk of your day. Of course, we’re always happy to see you if you want to stop by!
Discover More Benefits of Working with Point B
Point B can help make sure that every print project achieves color accuracy that’s out of this world — in a good way. We are certified as a G7 Master Printer and have a range of printing presses for every print project, including offset presses for large jobs, digital presses for quick runs, and large format for graphics and signage. Plus, amazing printing is just the beginning when you work with Point B. We also offer custom solutions and support for all your marketing needs, including websites, promotions, fulfillment, and more.