ISO 12647-5:2015

Overview

ISO 12647-5:2015 - Graphic technology - Process control for the manufacture of half-tone colour separations, proof and production prints - Part 5: Screen printing - defines process-control requirements for four‑colour screen printing used in display, signage and graphics. It covers the full workflow: data preparation and delivery, proof production, printing forme (stencil) preparation, and production printing, and requires that printed output match a specified characterization data set.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Data formats & colour characterization

  • Accepts PDF/X (ISO 15930-1) or TIFF/IT (ISO 12639) for data delivery.
  • Printing must match a published Characterized Reference Printing Condition (CRPC) from the ICC registry or a mutually agreed custom characterization dataset.
  • If substrate (paper/board) colour differs, tristimulus correction (Annex B) is used to adjust characterization data.

• Resolution & screening

  • Input data spacing: generally provided at twice the screen ruling used.
  • Reference image quality: based on a 70 cm screen ruling viewed at 42 cm (equivalent ~175 lpi at 16.5 in). Scale resolution by viewing distance using the “rule of 30” (divide desired viewing distance in meters or resolution in dots/cm into 30 to compute the other).
  • Target resolution selection factors: tonal range reproduction (1–98%), minimum printed dot size (≥1.5× mesh thread diameter), and maximum ruling per viewing condition.

• Printing forme and stencil

  • Film/CTS/DTS must deliver adequate UV density/transparency and resolution to produce required dots.
  • Mesh/frame orientation: mesh at 0° and 90° ±1° relative to frame; image angles also 0°/90° ±1°.
  • Screen angle separation: typically 30° between C/M/K (or 60° for dots with principal axis); yellow placed 15° from another colour; no colour within 7.5° of mesh to avoid moiré.

• Print production tolerances

  • Substrate colour recommendations: L* 90–100, a* −3–3, b* −5–5 (measured per ISO 13655 M1).
  • Inks should match solid colour objectives of the selected characterization dataset; gloss can be specified and measured if required.
  • Image positioning tolerance tied to screen pitch (maximum deviation ≈ pitch; recommended ≤ 0.5× pitch).
  • Colour reproduction must meet target coordinates from the chosen characterization dataset; variability rules require most sheets (≈68%) to be within specified tolerances.

• Control & testing

  • Includes a control strip and test methods (Annex A) and guidance for solids and gamut options (Annex C).

Applications and users

• Intended for screen printers, prepress professionals, proofing houses, sign and display manufacturers, color-management specialists, and quality managers.
• Practical benefits: consistent colour matching between proof and production, repeatable quality for large-format and specialty graphics, clear specifications for data exchange and stencil preparation, and reduced rework and disputes between suppliers and customers.

Related standards

• ISO 12647-1 (parameters & measurement methods)
• ISO 12647-2 (offset litho goals)
• ISO 12647-7 and ISO 12647-8 (proofing/validation from digital data)
• ISO 13655 (spectral measurement)
• ISO 12639 (TIFF/IT) and ISO 15930-1 (PDF/X)