ISO 12647 is one of those topics that, while awash in industry conversations, is clouded by a lack of understanding, not to mention the typical confusion that can beset any international standard or certification. Jon Stack, scheme manager at certification body Print and Media Certification, explained: “ISO 12647 is a relatively new standard and there are quite a few myths to dispel about it.”

Stack said interest in the colour management certificate and standards in general had shot up the industry agenda in the past two years, and was quick to stress the vital distinction between accredited and unaccredited certification.

“Certification bodies have a choice as to how they go about their business. They can either become accredited, or they can do it in an unaccredited way, without any scrutiny of their operations. Those people are present in the print sector and are actively performing certification,” he said. As a representative of an accredited body, it’s obviously in Stack’s interest to promote that route, but he has a point.

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has been appointed by a memorandum of understanding from the DTI to accredit certification bodies, and this backing proves, for one, that any assessors are competent. Stack added that accredited certifiers are also impartial and independent, and they are not allowed to act as consultants because this would constitute a conflict of interest.

The advent of ISO 12647 has been driven both by the global community of printers, and by print buyers looking for a more systematic approach to quality of output and stronger brand protection. Stack cleared up one common misconception: “As yet, there is no accredited certification scheme for this standard. There are some unaccredited schemes and some consultants who will offer you certification of your colour management system but none of these are accredited. They may not have the support in the market or credibility that people want to see when they look at a certified company.”

However, Stack is part of a group looking to address this lack of an official ISO 12647 badge. While he stressed nothing can yet be taken as read, he wanted to give delegates at the expo “a little flavour of how it would work”. The first focus of an accredited scheme would encompass ISO 12647-7 for proofing and 12647-2 for offset litho, and Stack was hopeful the proposal would go before UKAS towards the end of this year, and potentially be up and running by mid-2009.

The official scheme would apply to a printshop, not just a job. “We’re trying to guard against an MOT certificate that relates to a single item of print,” said Stack. “We don’t want a situation where a company can get one piece of print through ISO 12647, achieve certification, then can’t meet that standard consistently from then on.”

Printers that achieved the certification would be privy to marketing benefits akin to FSC, such as branding work with an ISO 12647 stamp and appearing on the certification body’s website.

Importantly, the stamp would be subject to ongoing (most likely annual) surveillance by the accredited certification body. The consequences of failing to comply with the requirements, or making erroneous claims, could be suspension of the certification, or even complete withdrawal.

“Our aim is to keep certification cost-effective. We want to keep costs for printers down and be available to smaller printers as well.” Training assessors to conduct multiple audits across ISO 12647 and 9001 for quality management systems could cut costs considerably, Stack concluded.