Color Management
Savvy print buyers understand the power of the right color, and PRINTING United Alliance Digital Color Professional certification shows them you know how to get color right.
Two Degrees of Certification
- PRINTING United Alliance Qualified Digital Color Professionals have passed a written exam demonstrating their knowledge of color management theory and process.
- PRINTING United Alliance Certified Digital Color Professionals have achieved Qualified status and proven their abilities through a test image they successfully print at their own facilities. (The Sonoco Institute at Clemson University verifies the print matches color specifications and produces a "report card.")
Certification is valid for two years. PRINTING United Alliance Digital Color Professionals will receive a digital badge for their use. Digital badges contain data about the individual who holds the badge, the requirements for attaining certification, the system that was used with their print and the expiration date.
Get a Head Start on Certification
A PRINTING United Alliance Color Management Boot Camp is your starting point for color instruction. While participating in this workshop is not required for either level of certification, it covers all the information in the written exam for Qualified status:
- Color theory and terminology
- Additive vs. subtractive color space
- CIE L*a*b*
- Rendering intents
- Viewing and measurement conditions
- Delta E tolerancing methods
- Industry color specifications and targets
- Color Management Pyramid
- Spot color management
- Verification methods
- Spectrophotometer capabilities
- Monitor calibration
- Basic printer nomenclature and upkeep
- Print head technology
After achieving Qualified status, the Qualified PRINTING United Alliance Digital Color Professional will take a PRINTING United Alliance test image back to their facility and use the hands-on knowledge they’ve gained in the boot camp to color manage their print system and print the test image. They’ll submit the print to the Sonoco Institute, PRINTING United Alliance's third-party validator for measurement to a standard that includes industry recognized targets and spot colors for an objective analysis of the print.
Step-by-Step
- Contact Ray Weiss, Director of Digital Print Programs, PRINTING United Alliance
- Check our upcoming workshop events and register for the PRINTING United Alliance Color Management Boot Camp (recommended)
- Take the written test ($75, 25 percent discount for PRINTING United Alliance members)
- Print the test image and submit it to PRINTING United Alliance -- ($75, 25 percent discount for PRINTING United Alliance members)