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SMS READY or not?

The Spot Matching System, both our Standard and ECO colour palettes, as well as custom SMS colours, are adapted to be completely seamless whether the colour is printed on coated or uncoated substrate.

The colours are optimized for reproduction/printing in full accordance with ISO 12647-2.

In short, this means that any Printshop that is capable of printing correctly according to ISO 12647 within a dE00 of 3 is qualified to be SMS READY for sure. SMS READY Printshops can offer their customers to use SMS colours in design to be printed at the Printshop, - and they are specialized to check jobs to make sure that SMS colours are correct, before going to press. See further information for Printshops at www.spotmatchingsystem.com/printers and www.spotmatchingsystem.com/services.

Digital / hybrid Printers note: Here is a very useful handbook that describes how you can adjust your digital presses to print according to the ISO 12647 on your digital presses, - PSD - Process Standard Digital.

Printshops (Offset, Flexo, Gravure, Digital)

ISO 12647-2/3

ISO 12647-3 is the global standard for newspaper printing. Our SMS ECO colours are optimized for newspaper printing to this standard. Newspaper printers interested in offering printing of SMS ECO colours to their customers, please contact sms@spot-nordic.com for assistance.

 ISO 12647-2 is the default printing standard for CMYK offset printing worldwide and consequently the printing standard to be used for correct reproduction of SMS Standard and SMS MAX colours (and of course our SMS ECO colour can easily be printed correctly using these standards.

Most printers will be familiar with the Fogra 39, Fogra 47, Fogra 51, Fogra 52 or GRACoL CRPC3 and CRPC6 in the case of G7 printers. Designers may be more familiar with names of icc profiles, such as ISO Coated v2 or PSO Coated v3 etc. ISO Coated v2 is simply the name of the icc profile created for printing to Fogra 39 and PSO Coated v3 is the name of the icc profile that is made for printing to Fogra 51.

Print  shops in all categories of printing (not only offset) that are able to receive PDF documents prepared using one or more of the supported ICC profiles for SMS colours, either for direct output and printing according to ISO 12647-2 or for CMYK-to-CMYK conversion to an in-house printing standard resulting in the same colour outcome, - visually identical to a certified proof according to ISO 12647-7-2016 for the respective substrate are qualified to be SMS READY.

Our goal is not to make things difficult for Printshops but to make life as easy as utterly possible for designers and print customers. To keep things as easy as possible for designers and customers of Printshops, SMS READY Printshops have to accept being able to receive PDF's that contain SMS colour in CMYK format with one of the supported, standard icc profile embedded to the PDF.

This should be enough information for an SMS READY Printshop to know what papertype to use for the job and what colours the customer expects. Again, Printshops are free to use their in-house icc profiles and fingerprint even each press for itself. However, each press has to be up to the task of printing our SMS colours correctly on the requested substrate, which the embedded CMYK icc profile dictates.

This however does not mean that Printshops that print on non-standard substrates cannot print SMS colours on  those substrates. As long as the colour gamut is large enough, an SMS READY printer can print on any substrate they wish.

SMS READY Printshops can even supply their customers with custom icc profiles and assist them (if necessary) to convert their SMS colour correctly to the custom CMYK icc profile for each job.

The condition for the SMS READY certificate remains the same, regardless of substrate - a MAX dE00 or 3 or less for the SMS colour palette the Printshop is certified for. 

We have recently streamlined our test form and in fact changed it into a few colour patches that can be added to any job and printed along with the regular colorbar.

The SMS test patches can be downloaded free of charge here.

Please contact sms@spot-nordic.commfor a higher resolution version of the badge or further information..

In general
It is not a condition that the Printer has a formal PSO/PSD or G7 certification but we recommend formal certifications for Printers, just like we recommend taking advantage of the best available solutions available for process control in prepress and on press for best possible outcome.

It is simply up to each Printer to decide whether they are ready to commit to keeping SMS colours within a MAX dE2000 of 3 or less, - or not.

Proofing facilities   

Proofing facilities that provide contract proofs on Fogra or G7 certified proofing media (Fogra 39, Fogra 47, Fogra 51 and Fogra 52 / CRPC3 and CRPC6) printed on a minimum of 4-up proofing device with an inline measurement device for certification according to ISO 12647-7-2016, may apply to enter into a service agreement with Spot-Nordic to print and provide SMS standard and custom proofs to SMS customers in their vicinity.

Maximum allowed dE2000 between our SMS target colours and proof is 2 or less.  A handheld M0/M1/M2 enabled spectral device is required on location to take random measurements to ensure correct and consistent proof production to SMS standards.

Once these conditions have been fulfilled the proofing facility is considered SMS READY and an appropriate SMS READY certificate will be issued to the proofing facility outlining their print standards.

Contact sms@spot-nordic.com for more information and assistance.

Product Manufacturers         

Product manufacturers in any category, that are capable of consistently reproducing products dyed in SMS colours within a MAX dE of 2 (colour measured with a 0/45 instrument at either D50 or D65 and compared to the SMS master LAB values) can apply for an SMS READY certificate.

Please download our SMS test patches here and contact sms@spot-nordic.com for assistance.

Combination of Colourserver + RIP + Printer/Press + (optional) substrate.         

Manufacturers of Colourservers, digital printers/digital presses/proofing devices + optionally substrates, that are capable of handling PDF files prepared with the aforementioned icc profiles for either direct output and consistent printing of SMS colour to standards within a combined MAX dE00 of 2 or less can apply for an SMS READY certificate.

Please download our SMS test patches here and contact sms@spot-nordic.com for assistance.

Combination of Printer + Paper/Media        

Any combination of a Printer + Paper/Media capable of reproducting either SMS ECO, SMS Standard or SMS MAX colours within a MAX dE00 of 2 or less, is qualified for an SMS READY certificate.

The certification can be issued both to the manufacturer or to a qualified reseller of the Printer or the media (SMS READY Expert training required).

Please download our SMS test patches here and contact sms@spot-nordic.com for assistance.

QC software and hardware   

Software and hardware (including spectral and density measurement devices) that support and aid with consistent printing of SMS colours can apply for an SMS READY certificate.
Spectral measurement devices need to measure any SMS colour within a dE00 of 2 or less from the actual LAB value of the printed sample to be considered.

Inks, dyes and paint (any material)         

Manufacturers in these categories that have the technology and capacity to commit to producing a recipe and a colour sample (if requested), ink, dye or paint which, when applied to the intended material, will match any requested SMS colour, visually and instrumentally, in D50 or D65 light, with a MAX dE2000 difference of 1 or less, once the sample is dry, can apply for an SMS READY certificate.

Please download our SMS test patches here and contact sms@spot-nordic.com for assistance.

Paper

Papertypes that are consistent with papertypes suited for printing of SMS colours - see here, that the manufacturer commits to manufacturing within a dE2000 of 2 or less from the respective standard white point can apply for an SMS READY certificate.

Shop SMS              SMS Technical            SMS products & services             SMS in articles and webinars              Testimonies

SMS and the environment         SMS news        SMS READY Experts         Interesting links      SMS: How, why and when       SMS Q&A