The fundamental purpose of ISO International Standards or standardization activities is to provide the requirements and methods for homogeneity and uniformity of products. This report describes trends and resulting conclusions regarding international standardization of color reproduction, briefly summarized here:
1) The standard for the treatment of UV light and its influence on print quality is almost complete.
2) Colorimetric measurement and computation, rather than the densitometric measurement and computation, is the dominant procedure for evaluating print quality.
3) Standards pertaining to spot color are needed, especially for package printing.
4) Standardization activities related to workflow associated with the printing process are underway; these will become more important in the future.

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Recently, many printing companies perform the action of guaranteeing print quality. Since there are many changing factors involved in the printing process, standardization of the printing process is required. Problems associated with print standardization are PMS and CMS. PMS is press management systems. CMS is color management systems. PMS is attained for controlling printing machine conditions. By visual checking print roller surface conditions and by measuring temperatures on print rollers are very important for PMS. By practicing those procedures, you will be able to maintain suitable emulsification property, which leads to stable printing. CMS is attained for following procedures. First step is to establish standard printing condition in your pressroom. Second step is to make printing matter with formerly mentioned standard condition. Third step is to match color of proof with printing matter in your pressroom. These actions lead to the resolution of print trouble and add value. This report introduces these actions.

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At our company, we are promoting a new way of standardizing color printing by introducing an authentication standard and the Japan Color Certification System as in-house criteria for managing colors. The transition from relatively conventional methods for managing print colors based on the senses, which vary from one person to another, to a method of management that uses objective numerical values has proved advantageous for us. These advantages go beyond merely improving the reproducibility and stability of colors in printed materials. The company is now effectively training young operators, and they are rapidly adapting to the new technology. Furthermore, it has become possible to accurately define the colors of printed materials by comparing and analyzing the numerical values of the colors therein; furthermore, use of the Japan Color Certification System facilitates the visualization of data in charts and graphs. The use of these standards also improves the decision-making process and facilitates clarification of problematic points for proposals to improve the quality and efficiency of the printing process. This paper provides examples of how our company has put the Japan Color Certification System to practical use to promote printing standardization.

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To tackle the sharply rising costs of printing-related materials with a positive attitude, in-house workflow should be modified to reduce waste at manufacturing sites. Standardizing color with a waterless printing method for daily operation could be a possible solution as elimination of a dampening solution would minimize instability caused by dot gain and poor registration caused by paper shrinkage. The Japan Color Certification System (JC) is a rigid color management system for both printers and print customers since it is fully compliant with international standards. Therefore, use of this system provides a sense of security for all parties. Establishing a CMS based on JC could also reduce waste; thus helping printers survive in a harsh and competitive world.

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The Japan Color Certification System (JC), which has been implemented according to international standards, has been developed for color representation in the field of printing. However, this arrangement is not entirely practical since the JC is not fully utilized as the color standard by printers and print customers in terms of quality control. Originally, the JC was designed for coated paper (not coated carton paper), namely for commercial or publication printing (i.e., information-related printing); therefore, it should be modified for packaging related printing, which can secure more stable profits compared to commercial or publication printing. This research focuses on the possibility of utilizing the JC for packaging related printing (especially for plastic printing) to schematize a practical color management system, which can ensure consistency of printing quality and facilitate good relations between customers and printers.

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The ISO standard for determination of air permeance through the Oken method was published in May 2015. This ISO pulp and paper test standard is the first time of proposal by Japan. The Oken method was developed in 1961, and it has spread mainly in Japan; in fact, it has been used for more than 1,000 units in Japan. The Oken method is the typical air permeance measurement testing technique used in Japan along with the Gurley method. However, the Oken method has not spread widely outside of Japan; it has been used for only about 100 units overseas. The underlying principle of this method is unique. Air pressure on the inlet side of a narrow capillary is maintained at a constant value. Air passes through the capillary and then the test piece. The outlet side of the test piece is the atmosphere. Air pressure between the capillary and the test piece depends on the air permeance of the test piece. Benefits of the Oken method are as follows: a) measurement time is short; b) the measurement range is wide; c) correlation with other methods is good; d) operation is simple; and e) maintenance is easy. Based on the unique principle foundational to this method and an understanding of these benefits, publication of this ISO standard was realized, even though the Oken method has not been used to a great extent overseas.

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