This and other parts of ISO 12647 specify parameters that define printing conditions for the various processes used in the graphic arts industry. Practitioners wishing to work to common goals may use the values of the parameters specified in the exchange of data to characterize the intended printing condition and/or for the process control of printing.

This part of ISO 12647

—defines vocabulary and establishes a minimum set of process parameters that uniquely determine a printed four-colour half-tone image (which are also referenced from other parts of ISO 12647). The parameters were selected based on the following process stages "colour separation", "making of the printing forme", "proofing", "production printing" and "surface finishing". These are directly applicable to proofing and printing processes that use colour separation films as input;

—is directly applicable to proofing and printing from printing surfaces produced by filmless methods as long as direct analogies to film production systems are maintained;

—is applicable to proofing and printing with more than four process colours as long as direct analogies to four-colour printing are maintained, such as for data and screening, for print substrates and printing parameters;

—is applicable to line screens and, where relevant, to those that do not have regular screen angles or regular screen rulings.