What is ISO 20616‑2— Print Quality eXchange (PQX) about?
ISO 20616‑2 is the second part of an international multi-series standard that covers attributes of graphic technology.
ISO 20616‑2 specifies an extensible file format in conformity with W3C Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0, for the exchange of print quality data and metadata between quality control applications including colour measurement, process control and quality management systems.
ISO 20616‑2 specifies the technicalities for Print Quality eXchange (PQX) such as terms, definitions related to PQX, symbols, abbreviated terms, as well as general requirements like extensibility, employing CxF, PQX quality reporting, etc. It also explains PQX principles and concepts along with giving samples.
Note: The PQX file intentionally excludes tolerance and evaluative information, allowing the receiver to determine acceptability by applying their own scale and tolerance values.
Who is ISO 20616‑2 — Print Quality eXchange (PQX) for?
ISO 20616‑2 on Print Quality eXchange (PQX) is useful for:
- Cartography
- Console manufacturing companies
- Drafting and computer design companies
- Books publications companies
- Filmography
- Computer games developer companies
Why should you use ISO 20616‑2— Print Quality eXchange (PQX)?
ISO 20616 series defines standard XML schemas designed to enable the digital exchange of print quality data and metadata between trading partners within the graphic arts supply chain. Each part of ISO 20616 is intended to stand alone, but may be used in conjunction with each other, should that option be chosen.
The goal of ISO 20616 is to maintain the degree of flexibility required by print buyers for all kinds of print generated for all purposes from any print device while minimizing the uncertainty of the data exchanged.
ISO 20616‑2 is intended to facilitate the users with the one-way transmission of performance data for one or more printed samples, for one or more brands or products from a single press run from print service providers to relevant stakeholders and print buyers. This allows them to assess and track relevant business, production, colour, and quality data of printed materials of all forms. PQX is only intended to transmit raw quality data. PQX incorporates colour using the same data containers.
ISO 20616‑2 presents to the users that PQX and CxF are different formats with different parsing requirements, and developers can use the same strategies for reading and writing colour data in a PQX file that they use for reading and writing colour data in a CxF file. PQX is compatible with both spectral and non-spectral colour data.
