PSO (Process Standard Offset) Certification according to the UGRA system
The Norwegian Color Research Laboratory provides the service of certifying the Norwegian printing industry according to the UGRA system of PSO Certification in collaboration with UGRA.
PSO (Process Standard Offset)
The Process Standard Offset (PSO) is the method or standardized procedure for creation of print products. Implementation of PSO assures good quality print production from data creation to the final print production. In PSO, testing devices and control methods are described with which the production process can be controlled.
PSO (process standard offset) certification is not a new standard. It describes the Input to Output workflow which includes a number of ISO standards describing this workflow. In short, ISO defines the aims while PSO defines the methods to achieve those aims. The ISO standards, which the PSO covers, are:
- Organization & Documentation ISO 9000
- Data reception & data creation ISO 15930
- Display/Soft proofing ISO 12646
- Proofing ISO 12647 – 7
- Standard Illumination ISO 3664
- Plate making (Quality Management System ISO 9000)
- Print production ISO 12647 – 2
These functions are audited by the Color Lab in collaboration with UGRA. The certification audit is carried out in a day. Most of the measurements are made during the audit at the audited company. Only the prints are measured at the Color Lab in the week after the audit.
If the company receives the certification it is listed on the Color Lab website as a certified company. The certificate is valid for 2 years.
For more details please write us on e-mail: psoinfo@hig.no or contact on telephone 0047 6113 5198. PSO brochure as PDF (in norwegian)
For list of current PSO certified companies please click here.
AGI (Norsk Grafisk Tidsskrift) has published 5 articles, written by Sven Erik Skarsbø (sskarsbo@online.no) considering PSO.
agi 463 September 2008 (Dansk Grafisk Tidsskrift)
These articles are published with permission of the editor, AGI Norsk Grafisk Tidsskrift.
Data reception & creation ISO 15930
For data entry employees of the company should know how the data is to be acquired, which data is to be processed in which way and what action is to be taken in case of faulty data or data with an error.
For data creation, employees should show skills and knowledge in color management, layout production and PDF creation (ISO 15930).
Display/Soft proofing ISO 12646
The soft proof display must be setup in a favorable environment. The environment luminance must be adapted and the display must be calibrated. As bases serve ISO 3664 & ISO 12646.
Proof Production ISO 12647 – 7
The proof has to be accomplished according to the guidelines of ISO 12647 – 7. At proofing the “Visual Print Reference” is outputted. The colors are measured at the media Wedge. The measurements should lie within the ISO 12647 – 7 tolerances.
Standard Illumination ISO 3664
The illumination for color assessment for proofs & prints must meet the values of ISO 3664.
Plate making (Quality Management System ISO 9000)
No ISO standards specify any nominal values for the plate exposure. Therefore, plate making procedure documentation is checked. The PDF/X ready output test form is outputted to test the RIP adjustments.
Print production ISO 12647 – 2
In printing it is to be proven tat it is working according to the modern methods and the color values are reached according to ISO 12647 – 2. The measuring devices used are checked for maintenance. The print is compared visually to proof. The documentation & organization is checked in accordance with ISO 9000.
