ISO task force goes to work on PDF workflows

The new task force is being chaired by Martin Bailey, chief technology officer at Global Graphics Software, and has been formed in response to requests from transactional printers to be able to include media selections and simplex/duplex controls in a PDF file. When the PDF/VT Competence Center in the PDF Association reviewed this request it concluded that the benefits of a suitable option would apply across the entire printing industry, not just in variable data applications.

‘The new standard will enable graphic designers, file creators and buyers to describe how their final work should look without having to specify the details of the processes required to make it,’ said Bailey. ‘The thought process is that the digital front end (DFE) on a digital press can map from that to the actual steps needed. As a simple example, a request for a specific substrate should be fairly easy to map to an entry in the media library in a DFE and therefore to tray selections (on a sheet-fed press) and to installing the correct ICC color profile. In closed loop workflows such as web-to-print, the first mapping shouldn’t be necessary at all, because the media selection will be pre-populated from the same data as the media library.

‘Our first goal is a standard for graphic arts, but there has already been discussion of following on with equivalents targeted more specifically at packaging and at wide format.’

Those interested in getting involved are asked to contact their national standards body and request to work on ISO TC130/WG2/TF5. If the contact is unknown, introductions can be made through Martin Bailey on martin.bailey@globalgraphics.com.