Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  G7 Master Facility Qualification-"These 'Guys' Are Good"

    Posted 01-24-2017 02:44 PM

    “What gets measured, gets managed”

     

    Every week, we receive calls, inquiries, and emails related to G7 Master Facility Qualification. These inquiries come from existing G7 Master Qualified Facilities that are hurrying to renew their qualification before their expiry and countless new companies with new inquiries and I often wonder as I research these facilities and communicate with them why they only put (1) or (2) printing presses through the qualification process rather than all the types of print mediums they have in their facility? For example, you might have an offset press, a digital (electrophotography) press, and an inkjet press, why not get all three technologies submitted in order to show your customers you have a measurable, predictable, and uniform color management process in place for all of your print mediums? Furthermore, having a color management process in place for all your technology is paramount.-“What gets measured, gets managed.”

    G7 covers every single print medium: offset, flexo, gravure, electrophotography, high speed inkjet, wide format inkjet, industrial inkjet, dye sublimation, and screen printing. Our G7 Experts worldwide can help your organization get color management, quality control, and process controls in place no matter the print medium. The G7 Master Facility Qualification often and typically leads to organizations sending their own staff to G7 Expert/Professional training in order to further their development, maintain standards, and be in a position to submit their own G7 Master re-certifications in the future. Remember the PGA commercial that was on television years ago? It showed players making great shots and then across the screen the words, “These Guys Are Good” popped up. Those words are what made that commercial so powerful. When I speak with printing companies and consultants across the world that have G7 Master Facility Qualification in place and G7 Experts/Professionals on staff and/or work with our staggering number of G7 Experts around the world, I walk away thinking the exact same thing.

     

    G7 Master Qualified Facility: G7 Master Qualification is granted to a physical facility, equipment, or systems. Example: ABC Printing Company’s proofing and printing presses have been G7 Master Printer qualified. The Qualification is valid for one calendar year and must be renewed annually.

    There are three levels of compliance for G7 Master Qualification: G7 Grayscale, G7 Targeted and G7 Color space. These levels demonstrate G7 Master capabilities by specified print condition and offer new levels of distinction for G7 Master Printers.



    ------------------------------
    Tim Baechle
    Director of Global Print Media Markets & Technologies
    Idealliance
    Alexandria, VA
    (512) 785-0490
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: G7 Master Facility Qualification-"These 'Guys' Are Good"

    Posted 01-25-2017 09:41 AM
    Edited by James Raffel 01-26-2017 07:39 AM
    Tim,

    Great thoughts. I believe a few things are going on here. 

    1. Money - an initial G7 Master Printer qualification is not (or at least should not) be an inexpensive proposition. I know what my clients end up paying and I'm not at the top of the scale. There is nothing wrong with that, as one of our own says, "Cheap G7 isn't good, and good G7 isn't cheap." So, some of my clients opt to only submit on one device at the gray scale level. I advise against this, but while also fully explaining the costs and benefits. 

    2. The benefits - If we (Idealliance and the G7 community) want to place a higher value on submitting multiple or all devices in a shop, then we have to place a higher value on that level or compliance. To a large extent this is a matter of marketing and messaging. When a G7 consultant does their job correctly and as intended, the shop is a different place when they leave after a week's work then when the got there, and typically all or most of the devices comply with some level of G7.

    3. Time - Wait, did you say a week Jim? Yes, I said a week (or more). My clients who are benefiting most from G7, invested a week of their time to have me in and do it right. We weren't rushed. We didn't take shortcuts. We implemented G7 as intended. As designed in the G7 Expert training classes.

    So, that creates a situation of requiring that a G7 Expert, sell on the front end the benefits of doing it right. Of not selling their skills and the value of their skills short. It requires on the part of Idealliance the task of creating value for doing G7 right, not half-assed. We can all kid ourselves and say no one does G7 half-assed but we all know they do. That's a topic for another thread. 

    Thanks for starting this conversation Tim, I for one place a high value on G7 and what it can mean for a printer, conventional or otherwise. I've seen the impact, I've seen the light bulbs go on in people's heads. I've seen adversarial folks who had me forced on them, come around and start working with not against me when they saw what G7 could deliver. 

    Let's spread the word!

    Jim

    ------------------------------
    James Raffel
    Color Management Consultant & CEO
    Colormetrix Technologies
    Sussex WI
    262-820-1131
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: G7 Master Facility Qualification-"These 'Guys' Are Good"

    Posted 01-26-2017 09:08 AM
    There should not be good or bad G7 MASTER PRINTERS . They should all be providing the service the way it is intended to be used.

    We need to make sure that were clear on this! Customer need to understand the value it brings in reproducing color consistently.

    Printers that are not controlling or managing color are the bad ones that customers should not be using. If they do they should not complain about color reproduction.
     

    ------------------------------
    Bob Stokes
    General Manager
    Abbott Communications Group
    Maitland FL
    407.831.2999 x124
    ------------------------------