Extended Color Gamut (ECG), most commonly CMYK+OGV, has been discussed for years as a way to reduce spot inks, expand printable gamut, and simplify changeovers. But “printing ECG” and running a stable ECG print condition day after day are two different things. What’s changing right now is that ECG is moving from a collection of proprietary implementations toward shared datasets, common targets, and more consistent measurement and scoring expectations, exactly the kind of maturity shift that made CMYK standards practical at scale.
That’s why the Alliance ECG profile and dataset matter: the intent of this work, developed by PRITNING United Alliance’s Print Properties Committee (PPC), is to provide a standard 7-color space that printers can print to, and designers and prepress teams can build against, so “what you see” in design can be reproduced across platforms, substrates, and devices within a standardized framework.
ECG maturity
ECG has progressed from proprietary approaches to standardized industry aims, and with that, the focus of ECG has shifted. ECG now has less to do with maximum gamut and more to do with these fundamentals:
- A defined reference print condition (so everyone is aiming at the same thing).
- A consistent measurement method (so results can be compared apples-to-apples).
- Tolerances that reflect reality (so pass/fail doesn’t collapse into endless debates).
- A repeatable workflow from characterization → profiling → separation → verification → ongoing control.
PRINTING United Alliance’s work through Idealliance and the Print Properties Committee is advancing the ECG dataset using the same proven framework behind GRACoL®, SWOP®, and PRINTwide® - transforming ECG from “possible” to “predictable.”
Measurement and tolerances: the heart of ECG process control
ECG is not simply CMYK with extra channels. ECG adds degrees of freedom, expanding gamut, but it also increases complexity and potential variability. You’re no longer evaluating four separations; you’re managing seven interacting colorants, overprint behavior, screening interactions, and substrate effects.
This is where clear measurement expectations matter. Using LAB or spectral measurement (not just density) for defining solids, overprints, and verifying critical colors sets more detailed aims.
Optimizing ink channels also means measuring and tone behavior (e.g., ramps) for the OGV channels, not just CMYK.
Idealliance’s updated ECG Characterization Target and Kit explicitly supports this by including SCTV ramps for calibrating the orange, green, and violet channels—because “extra inks” need extra discipline.
Tolerances are as important as targets
In standards work broadly, guidance is clear that predictability depends on controlling variability “within tolerances” and communicating expectations across the supply chain.
In ECG terms, that means you need tolerance thinking in at least three layers:
- Process control tolerances: Are your solids, tone curves, and grays stable enough that the system behaves predictably?
- Print-condition tolerances: Are you conforming to a reference ECG dataset/profile?
- Job/brand tolerances: Are specific brand colors (including spot-to-ECG simulations) within agreed acceptance limits under defined viewing conditions?
The key takeaway: set tolerances intentionally (by segment, substrate, and brand sensitivity) and align them with how you’ll measure and approve work. “Tight everywhere” usually fails as it is often unrealistic; “right where it matters” scales for the real world and live production.
Profiling strategy: characterization first, profiles second
Stable ECG output starts with proper characterization, because profiling can’t save unstable print.
Step 1: Characterize with the right tools
PRINTING United Alliance describes an ECG characterization chart that supports multicolor process calibration and is intended to mirror the predictability of established CMYK specs for ECG. On top of that, the 7-color test chart includes scalable patch options over four pages, so operations can right-size measurement effort without skipping the essentials.
Step 2: Build profiles from repeatable, verified behavior
The Alliance ECG profile/dataset is positioned as a standard framework that enables reliable visualization-to-print reproduction across systems, reducing guesswork in extended-gamut workflows.
In practice, that means:
- Validate press stability and calibration before you profile.
- Re-profile when you change impactful variables: ink set, screening strategy, anilox/volume (for flexo), substrate class, or significant press condition shifts.
Step 3: Keep separations honest
An appropriate ECG workflow aligns separation settings with the print condition you’ve characterized. If your separations assume an ECG condition, you aren’t holding on press, you’ll see it immediately in brand colors and neutrals.
Spot-to-ECG expectations: what’s realistic (and what’s not)
ECG can reduce spot inks substantially, and much of the focus of seven colors over four highlights the reduced need for spot colors as a major benefit of ECG printing. But optimal production manages expectations in two important ways:
- Not every spot can (or should) be simulated. Highly fluorescent, metallic, very dark, or extremely clean single-pigment brand colors may still require dedicated inks or special handling.
- Metamerism and viewing conditions don’t go away. A spot ink and a multi-ink simulation can match instrumentally under one illuminant and diverge under another. Mature ECG programs address this with defined viewing standards, and in some cases, spectral-based evaluation rather than purely colorimetric comparisons.
The goal isn’t “replace all spot color.” It’s to replace the right spot color reliably, with a verification method everyone trusts.
The standardization push: why it’s accelerating now
Two forces are converging:
- Industry-wide need for comparable ECG outcomes. As supply chains globalize, the “same file, same expectation” requirement increases. ISO guidance emphasizes the role of standards and tolerances in predictable output across stakeholders.
- Shared tools are finally getting published and adopted. The Alliance ECG dataset/profile and the ecosystem of test charts and characterization tools are meant to shift ECG from isolated implementations into common reference conditions and shared verification practices.
As more organizations align to the same datasets and charts, you can start talking about ECG performance with the same confidence the industry already has for CMYK print conditions.
Resources for ECG printing
Resources for ECG include:
- PRINTING United Alliance ECG Profile & Dataset, a recognized print condition for consistent 7-color workflows.
- ECG Characterization Chart, built to support multicolor calibration and complement broader ECG project tools.
- Additional “how to get started” guidance and resource pointers are available via iLEARNING+.
ECG maturity is happening when the conversation changes from “look how big our gamut is” to “here’s our print condition, here’s how we measure it, here are our tolerances, and here’s how we keep it stable.” Standardized ECG datasets, test charts, and resources from PRINTING United Alliance and its work to support industry innovation and optimization are building blocks for that shift, making ECG less of a proprietary art project and more of a scalable, verifiable production method.
GRACoL®, SWOP®, and PRINTwide® are trademarks of PRINTING United Alliance.