The manufacturer's Print Colour Management (PCM) service enables printers to calibrate and control colour across a number of presses, saving time and enhancing quality. With the ISO 12647-2, the certification is per press and not across a whole pressroom.

Product manager Paul Chamberlain, who heads up the Heidelberg colour team, said: “We want customers to have access to the best information, advice and implementation but to tailor the service we provide to a range of companies with different needs and budgets. We have introduced a system defined as Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.”

The top Platinum contract will allow Heidelberg to offer full Print Colour Management for proofing devices and printing presses and includes Heidelberg ISO 12647-2 certification. This is a two-year contract and will include a mandatory annual re-verification.

The Gold contract offers full Print Colour Management for proof and press without certification for two to three presses while the Silver contract offers the same for one press. The Bronze contract is a colour health analysis to ensure the press can run to agreed colour targets and to check ink pre-setting curves and dot gain.

“We have 22 Heidelberg ISO 12647-2 certified printers in the UK and anticipate adding another 50% over the coming year but we also believe that some of those with certification, and others without, will want to have the broader PCM service. Colour remains a critical issue with the recent legislative changes,” said Chamberlain.

The changes include revisions to the main ISO 12647-2 colour standard as well as the ISO 13655 (2009) illuminant and ISO 13655 lighting standards. The changes extend the range of papers and better reflect the widespread use of optical brightening agents and the use of UV.

“The colour team will be talking at the open house about what is on the new standard and how we can help our customers to implement those,” said Chamberlain.

“We will also be working in conjunction with X-Rite at the event. The changes in the standard are legislative and not Heidelberg changes so that’s why it’s important that another organisation that knows colour very well will also be talking about them.”

The open house event will take place at Heidelberg's national showroom in Brentford. Printers can pre-register for the event at the heievents.co.uk website.

Other partner companies at the open house event will include Tharstern, Sappi, Polar, Winter & Co, Gallus, IST Metz, Anilox Laser Technology (ALT) and Print Finance.