What is G7+™?
Since its introduction in 2005, G7® has revolutionized the ease, quality, and efficiency of most 4-color printing methods, including offset, flexo, xerography, and gravure.
The new PRINTING United Alliance’s G7+™ specification augments classic G7 with all-new calibration and verification algorithms that solve the limitations of calibrating emergent technology, add some exciting new capabilities, yet maintain the same basic features, benefits, and overall appearance as legacy G7.
Existing G7 users will continue to be able to utilize and benefit across their print production to an even greater level. G7+ is built on the many international standards and specifications currently leveraging G7, like GRACoL®, SWOP®, PrintWide®, and other common print conditions specified by leading print manufacturers and print buyers, but with even further print optimization.
The Difference Between G7 and G7+
A completely new tonality algorithm maintains legacy G7 tonality at typical commercial print (such as GRACoL® 2013) ink levels but improves pictorial appearance on low-contrast media such as textiles, thin papers, and absorbent board, (with slightly lighter and more natural contrast), especially in flesh tones.
Testing has shown there is virtually no visible difference between G7 and G7+ on typical commercial print production and proofing systems. On a colorimetric level, G7+ gray balance uses the same CMY triplets as G7, but a more technically sound gray balance algorithm that delivers an improved “shared neutral appearance” and a more visually neutral appearance on intensely colored substrates. This means corrugated board, various textile applications, and other “non-white” substrate printing will be able to maximize G7+ for a consistent neutral appearance as substrate corrected color aims (SCCA) processing is completely unaffected now with G7+.
Improvement with G7+
While G7+ adheres to the mantra of medical professionals for existing printers in “Primum non nocere - First, do no harm,” printing for more recently developed print technologies will see extensive benefits as well now with G7+.
Users of very high-density ink-jet printers with 6 six or more inks should see smoother tonality in highly saturated colors, where other calibrations can lead to undesirable contrast or banding. This improvement will result in more accurate ICC profiles and more photo-realistic images, even without color management.
Similar benefits should be seen by printers who use thin or absorbent substrates, such as web offset and textiles, where gray balance and tonality in dark shadows are typically unstable or muddy. Low-density printing applications should also notice slightly lighter and more pleasing tonality, especially in flesh tones.
With the extensive global adoption and certified professionals, facilities, and systems, PRINTING United Alliance has made a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available as well.
Frequently Asked Quested – Basics of G7+
Frequently Asked Quested for Experts
Frequently Asked Questions for Master Printers
Frequently Asked Questions for Systems
Be the First to Earn Your G7+ Certification!
To serve the tens of thousands of certified individual print professionals, print manufacturers, and technology providers, G7+ certification will become available starting in March 2024.
The inaugural G7+ Expert Course and Certification Upgrade (for current G7 Certified individuals) is being offered as a pre-conference session at the COLOR Conference, part of the PRINTING United Technical Event Series. Presented by Don Hutcheson, this intensive course introduces G7+ — the next evolution in color calibration — exclusively to existing G7 Experts. Come and learn everything you need to know about G7+ and how to implement it in your work.
REGISTER FOR G7+ UPGRADE TRAINING
READ THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
QUESTIONS
Contact Jordan Gorski, Executive Director, Idealliance at jgorski@idealliance.org or +1 703-837-1096