Overview - ISO 19302:2018 (Graphic technology - Colour conformity of printing workflows)
ISO 19302:2018 defines requirements and evaluation methods for tone and colour reproduction across printing workflows. It applies to any printing process and colourant mix - CMYK, CMYK + spot, spot-only, non‑CMYK and multicolour - and provides a reference framework to define, evaluate and audit whole or partial printing workflows. The standard organizes a printing job into three main stages: colour definition, colour reproduction, and colour conformity.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Printing workflow requirements: Specifies job colour definition, digital file creation, graphic content handling, and spot/device colour builds.
- Process colour reproduction: Addresses colour management, prepress tasks, and process control needed to achieve consistent tone and colour reproduction.
- Product colour conformity: Defines print control and colour control activities for verifying that printed output meets the specified aims.
- Measurement and evaluation: Includes measurement conditions, viewing and illumination requirements, sampling strategies, scoring schemas and reporting formats for conformity assessment.
- Proofing and validation: Covers conditions and test methods for soft proofing, hard proofing and validation print production.
- Interoperability and data exchange: Refers to established file exchange and spot colour characterisation formats to support reliable data transfer between stakeholders.
- Practical scope: Points to applicable international and national standards and clarifies where additional specifications are required for auditing and certification.
Applications - who uses ISO 19302 and why
- Print service providers use ISO 19302 to standardize production processes, set up calibration and process control, and demonstrate conformity to customers or auditors.
- Print buyers and brand owners rely on the standard to define job colour aims, approve proofs, and ensure consistent brand colour reproduction across vendors.
- Prepress and colour management specialists apply the requirements for file creation, colour separation and device profile management.
- Proofing and display manufacturers use the guidance for soft/hard proof validation and viewing condition compliance.
- Certification bodies and auditors use the standard as a framework to evaluate and score workflow conformity for quality assurance and supplier assessment.
Related standards (normative references)
Key referenced documents include:
- ISO 12647 (all parts) - Process control for halftone separations, proofs and production prints
- ISO 13655 - Spectral measurement and colorimetric computation
- ISO 3664 - Viewing conditions
- ISO 12646 - Displays for colour proofing
- ISO 14861 - Colour soft proofing requirements
- ISO 15930 - PDF/X prepress data exchange
- ISO 17972-4 - CxF/X-4 spot colour characterisation
- CIE 15 - Colourimetry
ISO 19302:2018 is a practical, cross‑process standard for achieving reliable colour conformity in modern printing workflows.