Welcome to GRACoL 2007

Since 2002 when GRACoL 6 was published, the GRACoL Committee has undergone a complete overhaul in both its leadership and its direction.  While GRACoL still strives to provide a valuable resource to the commercial printing community, we needed to take a hard look at both the “status quo” of the guidelines and specifications in light of the requirements from print buyers and creatives.

In 2004, after the publication and dismissal of our effort known as DTR 004, the GRACoL Committee regrouped.  Today’s chairs together represent color management expertise, expertise in scanning and digital photography, the point of view of a printer, and representation from an agency.  Input from the online grassroots printing community known as Printing Across Borders provided us with a critical new international perspectives as well.

Our primary mission in producing GRACoL 2007 (GRACoL 7) was two fold.  First we needed to develop new aims for commercial printing to replace DTR 004.  But as critical to us was a re-examination of the process controls for printing and, if possible, the development of new process controls that would assure a closer visual match between the vision of the creative and the finished product on press.  This process, known now as G7, stands on its own.  We are proud to say that G7 has been adopted by the publication printing community as well and serves as the basis for the new SWOP Specifications as well.

GRACoL will always be symbolized by the grackle, or black bird.  But with the publication of GRACoL 2007 and the G7 Proof-to-Print Process we hope you will also think of GRACoL as a Phoenix , rising to a new importance for all the printing community.

  Don Hutcheson, President Hutchcolor, LLC and Chair GRACoL Committee

  Anthony Bellacicco, VP Director of Premedia Services, GRACoL Co-Chair

  Gerry Gerlach, Color Specialist, Integrity Graphics, Inc.,  GRACoL Co-Chair

Download the GRACoL 2007 Specification with Errata

Download the GRACoL 2007 Print Characterization Chart with Errata

Download  G7 2007, Edition #1

Purchase the complete GRACoL 2007 Specification and Guidelines, along with SWOP 2007 and DISC 2007 at www.printtools.org!

IDEAlliance Members can download the PDF of IDEAlliance 2007 Specifications and Guidelines.  Just click on Members Only and log in to download. Members also have exclusive access to the new IDEAlliance 2007 Industry Reference that includes overviews of JDF, XMP, Color Management and much more including a new Glossary that contains all G7 terms and definitions.