Successful Drupa for Fogra

First PSO Certification Agreements Signed with Indian Printers
Aschheim—drupa 2024 proved to be a significant success for the Fogra Research Institute for Media Technologies, marked by the signing of the first four contracts for ProcessStandard Offset (PSO) certification with Indian printing companies. Among these, Pragati, the most awarded printer in South Asia, stood out as a notable participant.

In response to the strong international demand for PSO (ISO 12647) certification, Fogra has been operating a partner program in non-German-speaking countries for several years. Future Schoolz, an India-based company, joined this program at the beginning of 2024. Leveraging its extensive network within the Indian printing industry, Future Schoolz has been instrumental in promoting Fogra’s PSO certification.

During drupa 2024, four agreements were finalized. The first was signed with Imprint Technopack Private Limited in Karnataka for full PSO certification, followed by a reduced PSObasic certification with Orange Printers Private Limited from Thiruvananthapuram. Shekar Balarishna, Managing Director of ImPrint TechnoPack, expressed pride in being the first Indian company associated with Fogra PSO certification, highlighting the importance of market standardization for the future.

The historic signing was followed by agreements with Pragati Offset, based in Hyderabad, and DC Books from Kerala. Pragati Offset, renowned for its numerous accolades including the SAPPI “International Printer of the Year” award, entered the agreement with Fogra’s managing director, Dr. Eduard Neufeld. Narenda Paruchuri of Pragati Offset emphasized their commitment to quality and print research, making Fogra PSO certification a natural choice. Additionally, negotiations are underway for ten more PSO contracts with a leading Indian newspaper printer.

The eleven days of drupa were also marked by several positive developments for Fogra. Steve Upton of Colorthink introduced the new Colorthink 4.0 program alongside Dr. Andreas Kraushaar, Fogra’s head of Prepress Technology. At the Touchpoint Sustainability, Fogra presented its sustainability initiatives in three presentations, covering topics from energy consumption in offset and digital printing, CO2 reduction through UV LED in heatset printing, to mineral oil-free newspaper printing inks.

Fogra also successfully increased its recognition and attracted new members during the event. Attendees were informed about various certification services such as PSO, PSD (ProcessStandard Digital), and printing programs for offset and digital. Visitors explored Fogra’s diverse testing services, including 54 paper tests, various analytical and technical printing tests, and the hue test available on-site. Participants had the opportunity to test the current ISO standard on graininess and engage in daily quizzes, with winners receiving a 10% discount on Fogra services or participation in the Fogra Web Academy.