FOGRA – PANTONE – FSC – ISO Certifications for Digital Printing

FOGRA PRINTING CERTIFICATION

First of all, let us explain what this certification means and what it implies, and then see what were the reasons behind the decision to take this step. We have succeeded in obtaining the most wanted certification in the printing industry at world-wide level, as a demonstration of good practice and quality in the digital printing industry. The membership to this elite group in the printing industry represents, for Global Print, the biggest achievement, as we will continue to develop good quality relationships with our beneficiaries.

The exact reproduction of Pantone colors according to brand identity is one of the major challenges of the printing industry, especially for the large digital print. In order to achieve the best performance in this respect, it is necessary to strictly comply with all requirements in the design, print and quality control processes, but not least of the latest technology equipment capable of high performance.

FOGRA certification, guarantees compliance with the most demanding requirements throughout the digital print process, from the setting of the graphic file parameters, the colorimetry measurement to obtain consistent colors for the whole print run, correct calibration of the digital printer and up to the final quality control. Obtaining a constant level of color and quality at professional level is a priority for us so that we can guarantee the correct reproduction of PANTONE colors. This important aspect for all companies wishing to respect brand colors on all materials, was pursued by obtaining process certifications for both digital printing on rigid materials, roll-to-roll digital printing as well as of the already classical sheet fed digital printing.

The objective of the Fogra Institute of Research and certification for Media Technologies (Fogra Forschungsinstitut für Medientechnologien e.V) it is to promote the highest quality standards for the printing process and the most modern technologies in the fields of research and development so that the print industry benefits from the results of this activity. The association has its own institute, with a team consisting of approximately 50 members, including chemists, physicists and engineers.

Fogra Printing – Digital Print with highest printing certification

The FOGRA certification itself is taking the most demanding exam and passing it – the organization that ensures this having the purpose to guarantee customers that you are actually able to do what you say you can do. The rules of ISO 12647 or PSD standards can be purchased by any company and can be implemented both directly by its own staff, or by using a consultant accredited by international organizations. The certification is made by specialized accredited organizations – research associations in graphical technology such as Fogra and Ugra, being accredited as laboratories. Internationally, there are certainly several entities providing services for the implementation of ISO 12647 standards, but not all are accredited for certification. And from here comes the value of the certification obtained through an accredited organization, as is Fogra in this case.

One of the challenges in the field of graphics technology is the growing interest of the beneficiaries of this industry’s products in high quality, but also in commercial conditions requiring an appropriate level of efficiency and productivity of the industrial operator that provides those products.

Inherently, one of the most important criteria is to reproduce the color that needs to be achieved not only as expected. Often in the equation all sorts of variables appear: production sites, print technologies, printing media, product batches or even the viewing conditions in which the final product is displayed.

The Fogra certification is not only a guarantee of quality but also a confirmation of the technical and know-how level of the production process used.

It has a few advantages in controlling the quality management process:

• Ensures correct calibration/adjustment for repeatable and predictable results;
• The ability to identify and correct errors typically present in a PDF document, errors generally responsible for the failure of the result of the printing process, called technically “prelight”;
• Ability to generate files in PDF/X-1 and PDF/X-4 format according to PDFX-Ready specification rules;
• Processing files in PDF/X format, color management, color accuracy and uniformity, durability and color resistance to UV radiation;
• Understanding the potential technical limitations in the processing of complex documents, as well as the measures necessary for their early detection;
• Know-how – Assessment of the level of training of operators, their ability to address problems, as well as the level of understanding of the production process.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the series of FOGRA standards does not apply and are useful only to printers, but also to those involved in producing a printed product – design offices, advertising agencies, publishing houses, printing departments of large enterprises or prepress companies in accordance with ISO 12647 standards.

Global Print Printing House is part of the few companies that have obtained FOGRA certification and is subject to a series of rigorous tests on various configurations and print conditions for a wide range of functions.

Follow this link to see our official FOGRA Certification:
https://fogra.org/zertifizieren/zertifizierte-partner-und-unternehmen/prozessstandard-digitaldruck-psd?tx_bwsfogracert_cert%5Baction%5D=show&tx_bwsfogracert_cert%5Bcontroller%5D=Model9&tx_bwsfogracert_cert%5Bmodel9%5D=60&cHash=b93782e1408504f1a0955a9f6851c0c1

THE FSC CERTIFICATION

Since 2023, we have also implemented this product certification, recognized under the generic name of "FSC". Consumers are more and more concerned about choosing responsibly made products. FSC certification allows companies to use the FSC label on certified products, offering consumers the certainty of the origin of the raw material used to manufacture the purchased products. Achieving certification is also an excellent way to demonstrate compliance with public and private sector procurement policies – such as the EU Ecolabel – that specify environmentally responsible materials.

The FSC certification verifies that the FSC certified material has been identified and separated from the non-certified, respectively uncontrolled material. Research has shown that products that have become FSC certified benefit from better access to international markets, have higher incomes and see a positive change in their public image.

Benefits:

• FSC certification will increase the credibility of the company's brand, because customers can trust the responsible origins of the products. It also improves corporate reputation and creates new marketing opportunities.
• FSC prohibits illegal logging, forest degradation and deforestation in certified areas. By obtaining the certification, one contributes to the protection of forest ecosystems and the reduction of the impact of climate change.
• An increasing number of countries and regions, including the European Union, have legislation that prohibits the use and sale of illegally harvested wood and the products obtained from it. Compliance with these laws is the foundation of FSC certification, so that the risk of exposure to products made from illegally harvested wood will be significantly reduced. For additional details, we invite you to visit the official website of the Forest Stewardship Council: https://fsc.org/en

ISO CERTIFICATIONS

In addition, we can state that since 2014 the ISO 9001/2008 Quality Management System has been successfully implemented, SRAC certification at the national level and IQnet at the international level have been obtained, these being among the most recognized certification authorities. Also, since 2016, the environmental standard, ISO 14001/2004, has been successfully implemented.
In 2020, the migration to the new standard was successful, namely ISO 9001/2015 and ISO 14001/2015. Also in 2020, ISO 18001/2007 recertification was obtained.
In 2023 we obtained ISO 9001/2015 and ISO 14001/2015 recertification. This certification demonstrates that internal quality management systems and procedures meet the rigorous requirements stipulated by ISO and underlines Global Print's commitment to continuously improve its printing processes, procedures and services offered to all customers.