Some people come to G7+™ through a brochure. Others find it through a colleague. Dicky Choy found it through a problem he couldn’t ignore — and the solution changed not just his company, but the direction of G7+™ certification across an entire region.
Dicky is the founder of Green Production (Overseas) Group, a Hong Kong-based commercial printing company with 45 years in business and a deep commitment to eco-friendly production. He is also an Honorary Chairman of the Graphic Arts Association of Hong Kong (GAAHK), where he has served for more than 15 years — including two terms as Chairman. Together, those two roles have given him a rare combination of on-the-floor operational experience and industry-wide influence.
A Problem That Kept Him Up at Night
When Green Production first invested in Computer-to-Plate (CTP) and Digital Proofing systems, Dicky was excited. It felt like a genuine leap forward. But after running production for a while, something was clearly off — the final prints didn’t match the proofs, and explaining that gap to clients was an uncomfortable conversation he found himself having too often.
Then the G7 methodology arrived. “Once I understood its principles, I immediately brought in a trainer,” Dicky recalls. “My entire team and I participated in the comprehensive training process.” The results were decisive: Green Production became the first SME printing company in Hong Kong to achieve G7 Master status — a certification they have held continuously for 18 years.
From Ten Hours to Half a Day
The operational impact was measurable almost immediately. When Green Production pursued G7 Master certification in 2008, the process took nearly a full day — close to ten hours — to complete. By the following year, their recertification took half the time and used two-thirds as much paper. Those aren’t just efficiency numbers; they represent real savings in materials and labor that compound across every production run.
Perhaps more telling: since achieving certification, Green Production has not received a single customer complaint about color. Dicky puts it simply — and memorably. At an industry seminar, he stood on stage and told the audience, “Ever since we achieved the G7 Master Printer certification, I finally get a good night’s sleep every night.” The line was picked up by major printing media outlets across the region and, by his account, inspired a wave of other printing companies to pursue certification. Sometimes the most effective advocacy is just telling the truth.
A Unique Gateway to China
Hong Kong occupies a distinctive position in the G7+™ ecosystem. As a former British colony where most residents speak both English and Mandarin, it serves as a natural bridge for promoting G7 training and certification across mainland China. That advantage became even more significant when Wilson Chung became the first Chinese-speaking G7 Expert Trainer — eliminating the need for interpretation during training courses and improving both the speed and accuracy of instruction.
The typical G7+™ participant in the China, Hong Kong, and Macau market is a printing facility, with a smaller segment of prepress consultants, print brokers, and materials suppliers rounding out the mix. Brand owners have been slower to pursue G7 Master certification — an area Dicky sees as an opportunity still waiting to be developed.
Eyes on Shanghai — and Northern China
The broader context for G7+™ in the region is shifting. US-China trade tensions have prompted many Chinese printing companies to relocate operations to other parts of Asia, and digital advancements have softened overall print demand. But Dicky isn’t reading those trends as reasons to pull back. Northern China, he believes, remains a largely untapped market for G7+™ standards — and he’s already moving to address it.
Over a year ago, Dicky and his partners established a G7 Expert Training Center in Shanghai. The goal is straightforward: bring the same methodology that transformed Green Production’s operations to a new generation of printers across China. He’s confident that the number of G7 Experts and Masters in the region will continue to grow — and given his track record, that confidence seems well-placed.
The Graphic Arts Association of Hong Kong has been a proud part of the G7+™ Authorized Partner network, and Dicky’s combination of firsthand certification experience and industry leadership makes him one of the program’s most compelling ambassadors in the Asia-Pacific region.
To explore upcoming G7+™ Expert training events, visit printing.org/events/workshops.