The first working group meetings this year for the International Organization for Standardization/Technical Committee 130 on Graphic Technology (ISO/TC 130) took place from May 19 to 23, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, adopting a hybrid format that combined both in-person and online participation.
Over 90 experts from 13 countries, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Brazil, Sweden, India, Indonesia, and Romania, registered for the meeting, with nearly 50 attending in person. During the event, 11 working groups and task groups held meetings in sequence to advance the development and revision of international standards in the field of graphic technology. The meeting was hosted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and took place at the headquarter of X-Rite.
On-site photo of the meeting with WG3.
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Working Group 1’s meeting （Terminology）
PWI 19309 Design and Layout. The meeting discussed how to select content for the draft. It was agreed that the priority is to develop a framework for review by experts in the group and to foster broader participation in the project’s collaborative efforts. To date, China, the UK, and India have confirmed their intention to nominate experts. However, the project still requires two additional countries to submit nominations to meet the project’s expertise requirements.
PWI 19316 Terminology for digital printing. Based on a presentation that proposed a structural approach to tackle terminology challenges in digital printing and emphasized the necessity of standardized terms to improve clarity and facilitate collaboration, a wide-ranging discussion took place. This discussion ultimately led to a general overview of key scope areas, including:
- Types of digital printing
- Digital workflow
- Materials and consumables
- Equipment and technology
- Print quality and digital finishing
The project proposer will prepare a draft for discussion at the next meeting.
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Working Group 2’s meeting (Prepress data exchange). At the meeting, the convenor announced that, based on the results of the previous voting, the work on the development and revision of the PDF/X series standards would be transferred to ISO/TC171. Previously, the XMP-related standards had already been removed from ISO/TC130/WG2.
Then the meeting discussed certain parts of standard drafts such as ISO 19593-1, Graphic technology -- Use of PDF to associate processing steps and content data -- Part 1: Processing steps for packaging and labels and ISO 12642-4, Graphic technology - Process data for four-colour process printing - Part 4: Extended data set including seven colours.
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Working Group 3’s meeting (Process control and related metrology)
The meeting resolved to initiate the revision of ISO 12647-2, Graphic technology — Process control for the production of half-tone colour separations, proof and production prints — Part 2: Offset lithographic processes. A key objective outlined was the development of a unified database tailored for PC1 coated paper. Additionally, American experts expressed their desire to expedite the integration of the gray balance method from the G7 international printing certification into the standard. Meanwhile, experts from FOGRA in Germany proposed the creation of an independent standard for evaluating printed image quality, which would encompass reference values for inkjet printing and would not be appended to ISO 12647-2.
Furthermore, the meeting engaged in in-depth discussions on several standard drafts, including:
- ISO/CD 15339-2, Graphic technology — Digital data printing across multiple technologies — Part 2: Characterized reference printing conditions for CRPC1 - CRPC7
- ISO/CD 19307, Graphic technology — Measurement and single-parameter representation of translucency
- ISO/PWI TS 19310, Graphic technology — Test method for high-speed inkjet printers to identify a set of paper parameters for predicting their printed image quality
- ISO/PWI 12647-10, Graphic technology — Process control for the production of half-tone colour separations, proof and production prints — Part 10: Packaging gravure printing.
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Working Group 4’s meeting (Media and materials)
During the meeting, the project leader of ISO/WD 19314, Graphic technology — Test method for print-through presented solutions to address the comments received on the draft, which has undergone substantial revisions, particularly to clarify the test and evaluation method. The subsequent development of this draft will continue on the OSD platform.
Regarding the ISO/AWI 12636, Graphic technology — Blankets for offset printing German experts provided an overview of the testing results for samples submitted by enterprises.
Additionally, the meeting conducted an in-depth analysis of the comments received from committee voting, concerning ISO/CD TR 19312, Influence of paper on high-speed inkjet printed image quality. Discussions were also held on the draft of ISO/AWI 19313, Colour and transparency of seven-colour offset printing inks.
Group photo of experts on-site from WG4
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Working Group 5’s meeting (Ergonomics – Safety)
The meeting focused on planning a comprehensive review of the ISO 12643 series in line with the latest EU regulations and relevant legislation. A revision proposal would be developed, featuring refined categorisations and giving full consideration to applicability, maintainability, and verifiability, in order to establish future - oriented standards.
The participating experts discussed the matter and then compiled a list of experts from various countries. These experts would be involved in the development and revision of the standard to facilitate subsequent revision work.
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Jong Working Group 7’s meeting (Colour management)
At the meeting, the discussions primarily focused on ISO 15076-1, Image technology colour management — Architecture, profile format and data structure — Part 1: Based on ICC.1:2022.
This standard underwent substantial modifications based on version 4.4 developed by the International Color Consortium (ICC) under the ICC.1 specification. A notable addition was made to support color management of High Dynamic Range (HDR) images.
The meeting also explored in-depth spectrum-based color management. In this approach, multi-spectral/hyperspectral images record spectral intensities for each frequency band through narrowband sampling, resulting in a significantly higher number of data channels compared to traditional RGB or CMYK images. This technology finds extensive applications in the restoration of ancient architectures and the reproduction of spot colors in the printing industry, and it may potentially become a core element in future versions of ICC standards.
For ISO/IEC TS 18621-31, Graphic technology — Image quality evaluation methods for printed matter — Part 31: Evaluation of the perceived resolution of printing systems with the Contrast–Resolution chart, the experts conducted a detailed analysis of the perceived resolution assessment method based on contrast resolution targets, covering aspects such as mapping methods and benchmark detection accuracy.
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Working Group 11’s meeting (Sustainability of graphic technology)
The meeting discussed ISO/PWI 22067-3, Graphic technology - Communication requirements for environmental aspects of printed products - Part 3: Textile printing, a proposal proposed by Japanese experts.
Since significant differences exist in VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) limit regulations for textile printing across different countries, the meeting decided to form a special task group to address this issue.
Additionally, British experts provided feedback on the comments received regarding the draft of ISO/WD TR 19311, Graphic technology — Environmental sustainability assessment reporting principles. Moreover, they suggested elevating the document from a Technical Report (TR) to an International Standard (IS).
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Working Group 12’s meeting (Post-press)
During the meeting, in-depth discussions took place regarding the comments received from the voting process on ISO/WD 19315, Graphic technology—Flatbed die cutting, creasing and scoring on paper and paper board. A consensus was achieved on the subsequent work plan for this standard.
Additionally, the meeting addressed the draft of ISO/PWI 25663, Graphic technology—Post-press—General requirements for children’s paperboard books. Responses were provided to expert comments on the draft, and the subsequent work plan was outlined.
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Working Group 13’s meeting (Printing conformity assessment requirements)
During the meeting, participating experts engaged in discussions on ISO/CD 19303-1, Graphic technology — Guidelines for schema writers — Part 1: Packaging printing. Additionally, the working group outlined plans to revise ISO 19302:2018, Graphic technology — Colour conformity of printing workflows, and to develop a comprehensive technical report on seven-colour printing technology.
Photo of WG13 on-site meeting
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Joint Working Group 14’s meeting (Print quality measurement methods)
The meeting focused on an in - depth discussion of ISO/IEC TS 18621-31, Graphic technology — Image quality evaluation methods for printed matter — Part 31: Evaluation of the perceived resolution of printing systems with the Contrast–Resolution chart. The experts conducted a thorough analysis of the perceived resolution assessment method based on contrast resolution targets, covering aspects like mapping methods and benchmark detection accuracy.
Highlights of ISO/TC 130 Task Force 3’s meeting (Communications)
During the meeting, participants engaged in discussions on key topics, including the website update for ISO/TC 130, promotional strategies, and the feasibility of conducting straw polls.
The implementation of straw polls via the website platform is intended to comprehensively and extensively collect feedback from diverse stakeholders regarding the requirements for standard content and its practical application scenarios. This initiative aims to provide robust data support for subsequent tasks.
Additionally, the meeting decided to expand the series of articles introducing international printing standards by adding a new piece focused on guidance for artwork preparation, preflight checks, and proofreading.
Summary of the 39th Spring Working Group Meetings of ISO/TC 130 & Future Venues/Dates
The 39th Spring Working Group Meetings of ISO/TC 130 took place at the Corporate Headquarters of X-Rite Inc. The meetings were hosted in a highly professional and well-organized manner, benefiting from significant backing from the host organization, which provided state-of-the-art facilities and seamless logistical support.
The meetings provided a platform for networking and knowledge exchange among industry professionals. Representatives from different companies and research institutions had the opportunity to build new partnerships, share best practices, and learn from each other's experiences.
Photo at the entrance of the Corporate Headquarters of X-Rite Inc.
The 39th ISO/TC 130 Autumn Working Group Meetings and Plenary Session are scheduled to be held in Hong Kong, China, from November 4 to 8, 2025. The 40th ISO/TC 130 Spring Working Group Meetings are planned to take place in Paris, France, in April 2026.