What is ISO 19301 about ?  
ISO 19301 provides a framework that organizations can follow, and that can be used as the structure for market or sector-specific schemes. It is intended to be a process certification. The goal of ISO 19301 is to have comparable attestations or certifications worldwide.
ISO 19301 specifies requirements for certification schemes for certifying the production of printed products. Quality and repeatability are ensured by applying total quality control according to ISO 9001 as the overarching method, coupled with print-specific ISO standards.
Who is ISO 19301 for ? 
ISO 19301 on guidelines for schema writers is useful for: 
- Scheme writers
- Colour quality assessors
- Graphic technology organizations
Why should you use ISO 19301 ?  
In ISO 19301 certification can be centered around any ISO standard related to print production. It will therefore use the term the referenced standard as a pointer to the actual standard that is referenced in the certification scheme. Digital presses that can match an output condition of the referenced standard are also intended to be included for certification in ISO 19301.
Where appropriate, ISO 19301 ensures adequate control over outsourced printing processes through identification and use of suppliers with valid certification through this scheme when printing products intended to be compliant with the requirements of this scheme and the referenced standard. While this scheme assumes familiarity and adoption of quality management systems based on the requirements of ISO 9001, it doesn’t intend to assess or audit an organization’s conformity to complete implementation of ISO 9001. The use of ISO 19301 should make it easier to compare certifications worldwide. A scheme developed according to ISO 19301 can be validated by accreditation organizations to produce verifiable results.
