The Road to G7+ Certification

In early March, I had the opportunity to attend the in-person training for G7/G7+ certification at the Mimaki facility in Dallas, Texas. Usually, this would be a sneak peek at the behind the scenes of a live training event, and why anyone considering getting certified should consider finding a live event that works with their schedule. But then I decided to not just be there as an observer — I decided I was going to get certified along with the rest of the class.

Spoiler alert: I am now a G7+ Expert. And the test to earn it is every bit as difficult as you might imagine. So I decided to walk you through my journey as I went down this path.

I had the pleasure of attending a class taught by Jim Raffel, but all of the trainers in the G7+ program are fantastic. They all bring a level of expertise and help to make the information accessible — whether you attend an in-person event like I did, or you attend one of the live virtual events offered throughout the year. There is also the option to go completely on your own via a self-paced viewing of the course materials, but while that is a great option for those who need to work around busy schedules, if you can clear three days, having a trainer walk you through it is going to be a much better experience overall.

Because G7 and G7+ aren’t just using a program to color correct, or pushing a file through a RIP — although those do come into play — there are equations, math, and you need to have a deep understanding of color spaces and how color is defined and measured. You have to be able to at least understand the concept and intent behind some very complex equations (even if we aren’t required to sit and do the math ourselves, thank goodness!) because this is a technical standard that holds both the experts getting certified and the work they help produce to a higher expectation.

The in-person training is three full days, and begins with the basic introduction and getting everyone on the same page as far as terminology and basic knowledge. The certification comes with another online-only course, Color Management Professional Fundamentals, which everyone should absolutely try and complete before G7+ training if possible. That sets the foundation for some of what is being taught, and the trainers come in expecting everyone to at least have that level of knowledge.

Color and how we perceive it is a big focus, ensuring everyone understands exactly what G7 and G7+ were created for, and how they came to be.

Tools of the Trade

The next block of information is around the tools needed to achieve G7 and G7+ Master Facility certification. A spectrophotometer is a must-have, since you can’t correct what you can’t measure, and when it is color-critical work, the tolerances for what is “acceptable” differences and what isn’t can be so fine that only a well-trained eye can even see it.

Most RIP software from most manufacturers have settings that can be adjusted and tweaked — things like ink levels, although some even have the ability to produce G7 curves baked right in. Check your manufacturer.

And if you’re wondering what G7 curves are? That is one of the tools as well, the ability to go in and adjust each different ink channel and color to a very fine degree. What is perfect color on a white vinyl might look muddy on an off-white postcard. And that might look different than a coated brochure. Which will look different from a promotional piece. When brands demand every print be the right color, G7 and G7+ curves are one of the tools used to help balance the gray levels and tonality regardless of substrate so the color will be a better match even before things like an ICC profile are applied.

Speaking of ICC profiles, G7 and G7+ are very possible to achieve with color management alone as well. Depending on the application, printers, person doing the calibrations, substrates, etc., how the standard is achieved can vary. That is one of the reasons having a certified expert in house is such a valuable addition to any print shop, regardless of size.

Putting it All Together

And then the nitty gritty of actually profiling and going through the process is gone over, with live demonstrations helping drive home how all this comes together to create better prints.

Everyone learns different and absorbs information in different ways. Those who learn well by listening alone might be fine just absorbing through the online courses. It’s about eight hours of presentations, so plan to break it up over the course of a few days if you go that route.

But for those who fall into the two other archetypes of learning, in-person or live virtual might help make it “stick” better. If you learn better by seeing something, having it there in front of you where you can see it with your own eyes, and not just watch on a screen, can make a big difference. And if you’re the type of person who learns best when you can actually touch and get into doing it yourself, being there in-person has no equal.

Beyond just how you learn, there is also the ability to learn from others sharing the class with you that doing it on a screen just doesn’t replicate. Having others ask questions or ask for clarifications or to see something again helped me to learn it better in the end, and exposed things I might not have thought to ask on my own.

And all of that matters when you sit down to take the test. You have 90 minutes to answer 30 randomly-generated questions, and you can only get a maximum of three wrong or you fail the test. You have two tries to pass, and after that can pay for additional attempts if you want another shot. So this isn’t for the casual person who thinks they can sit down and get certified in an afternoon without any true understanding of the material.

In the end, earning the certification feels like an accomplishment, something to be proud of, something to brag about (yes, I did all of the above to everyone who would stand still long enough to listen). It isn’t just a piece of paper, or a badge on a social media profile. It is proof you understand color and how to get better color on a deeper level. It is a sign to brands and customers that your shop takes their identity as seriously as they do. It is an international way to talk about color that ensures pieces will look great no matter where they are printed, on what technology, or on any substrate. That Coca-Cola red, or Pepsi blue, or UPS brown is going to match customer expectations every time when produced at a G7/G7+ shop, by someone who understands what they are doing.

And if all of this has intrigued you, and you want to join me in being able to say you, too, are a G7+ Expert, check out the full class schedule for the rest of the year at printing.org, or if you want to explore the online option, check it out at ilearningplus.org. No matter which path works best, having someone on staff with this certification shows the world you are serious about color and print quality. And that is something that sets good shops apart from the great ones.