24 January 2014

Pinstripe becomes the UK's first sheet fed B2 printer to be certified to BPIF ISO 12647-2

Birmingham-based Pinstripe Print Group has set another landmark first, for both the West Midlands and the UK, by becoming the first wholly sheet fed B2 printer in the UK to be certified to the BPIF ISO 12647-2 Colour Quality Management Scheme.

Pinstripe attained the ISO 12647-2 colour management scheme certification this month after completing the BPIF ISO 12647-2 certification assessment under Print & Media Certification (PMC), a UKAS accredited body.

The BPIF ISO 12647-2 scheme is the only Colour Quality Management Scheme which can be certified by a UKAS accredited certification body. The scheme was initially developed for sheet fed and web offset companies, but has now been expanded to cover all printing methods including Digital, flexo and gravure. With independent verification auditing and certification being undertaken by UKAS accredited bodies the scheme is independent of any supplier, so a company is able to gain certification as long as they adhere to the scheme requirements.

Philip Thompson, Head of Consultancy at the BPIF added, ‘'Congratulations to Pinstripe, the implementation of this scheme has taken significant commitment, resource and effort, but the rewards are there to see. By gaining this exacting standard, Pinstripe will be able to provide their customers with the high quality product that they demand and prove that every job they quote as ISO12647 will hit those levels. This will provide their customers additional service and confidence which no other supplier scheme can offer and as a result increased sales and profits!''

The BPIF ISO 12647 scheme is gaining global recognition as it clearly defines how a company will need to operate to strict process and defined quality levels. The company will be required to pass an independent and third party audit of both the management system and a test product on an annual basis, this coupled with on-going compliance assessments every 3 months that will ensure the standard is continually maintained and adhered to.

The BPIF ISO 12647 colour quality management certification scheme is becoming the standard for brand owners and print buyers.

The scheme now covers a range of printing conditions, including sheet fed and web offset litho printing and various paper types, and defines the requirements for predictable and reproducible print quality. By attaining certification, companies can run print campaigns at different locations using a variety of technologies to the same exacting standards. The scheme enables production to be standardised, providing consistent colour reproduction regardless of the production process or substrate, thereby reducing wastage and allowing faster make-ready times to be established.

Commenting on the successful attainment, Pinstripe Print Group Managing Director, Nigel Lyon, stated, "This is a really challenging quality management standard to attain, with very few companies being able to achieve it. By attaining the BPIF ISO 12647-2 certification, Pinstripe are now amongst the elite in the print industry." He continued, "Others might say they can print to ISO 12647-2, but many do not have the strict management systems in place to ensure compliance every day and on every quoted job, which I am proud to say we at Pinstripe do, and have the capability and verification to prove it!"

Explaining as to why Pinstripe chose the BPIF ISO 12647-2 certification scheme, Paul Stone, Pinstripe's Colour Champion, added, "We very specifically decided that it was not just sufficient to be working to the standard, but we felt that it was vital to be certified independently by an accredited certification body (PMC). This enables us to prove that we are not just paying lip service to the standard, a factor that many print buyers will agree with."

Jon Stack, director at Print & Media Certification, the only UK certification body accredited to provide certification for the BPIF scheme commented, "We are delighted that Pinstripe has become the first wholly sheet fed B2 printer to achieve certification in the UK. This achievement underlines the expertise of their systems and operations, which were audited by our specialist audit team."

Pinstripe is a Platinum member of The BPIF (British Printing Industry Federation).