New Ghent PDF Workgroup Packaging specifications

The new packaging specifications are now available

The Ghent PDF Workgroup (GWG), the fast-growing international association making it easy to produce and exchange reliable digital documents for use throughout the publishing workflow, announces the release of the new specifications for the packaging industry.

The specifications for the packaging industry are different from other GWG specifications because of the specific additional checks required for this printing segment.

Typically, packaging printing requires controls above and beyond normal print specifications (for magazines, newspapers, etc.), such as the checking of overprints.

"The GWG Packaging Subcommittee has worked extremely hard over the past two years to develop packaging specifications in order to meet the very specific needs of this segment, which involves numerous players," explains Christian Blaise, Enfocus International Sales Account Manager and co-chair of the GWG Packaging Specification Subcommittee.

"It was felt that there was a need for the process standardization and we have worked for almost two years, using real production files".

"The new specifications that we have just released optimize the working process and maximize control".

"The reduction in time to market reflects positively on the packaging industry," he adds.

The GWG specifications are PDF-X/Plus based (built on top of PDF/X standards).

However, the Packaging Specifications don't always conform to PDF/X because these ISO standards don't necessarily apply to packaging environments.

However, the ISO plans to release PDF/X-4 in mid 2007 where transparency and layers will be allowed.

The GWG will use this new ISO standard in the next version of their packaging specifications.

The Packaging Subcommittee of the Ghent PDF Workgroup is studying and evaluating the implementation of Full PDF Workflows in the packaging industry worldwide.

The committee works on the definition of best practices, including rules, guidelines, settings, workflows and structure, to define PDF as the ultimate exchangeable file format for the packaging industry, based on industry standards and market demands and needs.

All of the definition criteria are generic for the packaging industry so that they can be applied indiscriminately to the entire process, from design to print.

They also cover all printing processes (flexo, offset, gravure, etc.).

The Packaging Subcommittee has members-representing more than 30 companies all over Europe and the USA, from Prepress//Converting/Repro organizations; to associations, brand owners, vendors, consultants and educational institutions - worked together and evaluated the best practice implementation of and-to-end PDF workflows in the packaging industry around the world..

Square: committed to standards Founded in 1979, Lyon-based graphic production company Square specializes in publishing, packaging, brand design, digital asset management and CrossMedia.

It uses a wide variety of substrates for its clients from communications agencies or the communications and marketing departments of large groups in business sectors such as food, industry, publishing and services.

Roland Donzelle, CEO of Square, explains why he believed it was important to work with the GWG in order to develop and test the specifications for packaging".

""We were interested in PDF at a very early stage, well before the format became a standard for file exchange in the graphic arts industry".

"We rapidly implemented it, sometimes ahead of others, which meant that we spread the word about the format," he says".

""First, we used the Sicogif certification profiles for publishing projects, then the PDF/X Plus profiles, developed by GWG.

Since there were no packaging standards, we developed our own control profiles".

"We therefore naturally moved towards GWG as soon as we heard about the projects related to packaging," continues Roland Donzelle.

Square uses PDF files only in its production workflow when exchanging files with its clients and printers.

For regulatory archiving, Square has started to use PDF/A format.

When the company decided to get involved in the standardization process, all of its personnel were mobilised.

Square used a staged approach, gradually bringing its own profiles into line with those proposed by the GWG, until they matched each other completely.

During the two years of the test phase (2005-2006), all of the profiles were tested live on files delivered to printers".

"For us, the main advantage of the GWG Packaging Specifications is that we can rely on a safe standard".

"As for our clients, they can count on improved exchange of graphic files".

"In addition, they benefit from a very high level of security through traceability, as well as improved time to market," says Roland Donzelle.

Now that the GWG Packaging Sub Committee has released its specifications, the entire industry should benefit from them.

Roland Donzelle comments: "The production side of the packaging industry was lacking in workflow standards, in contrast to it's business (administrative and operational) side in which economic and regulatory issues are very important and have been addressed".

"Any solution that leads to faster file exchanges while making them more reliable is a significant breakthrough." In conclusion, he hopes that all manufacturers and brand owners will get more involved in the standardization process in order to reap all the anticipated benefits of the new packaging specifications.

Members of the Subcommittee include: Kraft, L'Oreal, Brachs Candies, Sara Lee, Nestle, Square, Winners, AGI, Curwood North America, Fort Dearborn Company, Graphic Packaging, Bemis Graphics, Southern Graphics Systems, Schawk, Vertis, Phototype, FTA, IPA, CalPolyTech, R.I.T., Adobe Systems, Agfa, Artwork Systems, Enfocus, Kodak, Esko and Global Graphics Software.

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