Why get PSF certified?
With PSF certification, print shops demonstrate to their clients that they deliver high-quality results. It also gives them confidence in their daily production processes, helping to reduce errors and save costs.
How does the certification process work?
You send us samples from two separate test prints. One or two weeks after delivery of the last prints, you can expect the results — and ideally, your certificate.
The PSF is the solution for colour accuracy in flexo printing
Standardisation in the printing process is essential. It not only ensures high print quality but also guarantees efficient production workflows and colour reproduction that meets expectations as closely as possible.
Flexo printing companies can become certified by Fogra to demonstrate their compliance with standardisation requirements. The basis for this certification is the ProcessStandard Flexo (PSF). The PSF guidelines are scientifically sound and reflect the current state of the art. Most importantly, they are aligned with real-world conditions in printing companies. To ensure the concept works in practice, it was developed with the support of Fogra’s network of printers, manufacturers and agencies.
With the exception of spot colours, Fogra does not specify fixed target values in the PSF, but rather defined tolerances. The fingerprint serves as the reference. In production printing, this fingerprint must be reproduced within the given tolerances and remain consistent throughout the print run. The PSF also includes an evaluation scheme for assessing the colour characteristics of the fingerprint.
Your contact person
Jürgen Gemeinhardt
Head of Printing techniques
gemeinhardt@fogra.org
+49 89 431 82 - 256
Your benefit
Compliance with the PSF ensures high-quality print results, provides clearly defined rules, and simplifies coordination between the print shop and its clients. The process standard guarantees that the colours expected by the client are reliably achieved in print. It also enables printers to work directly towards the desired outcome, rather than relying on trial and error. In the best case, accurate colour communication even eliminates the need for the client to be present at the press for approval. The clear standardisation requirements help reduce time and waste - saving costs and lowering the carbon footprint.
PSF-certified print shops
have a competitive advantage, as they can prove the high quality of their print production to (potential) clients.
are listed in Fogra’s PSF database, where they are specifically found by quality-conscious clients.
receive a certificate that is valid for two years.
can use a digital quality seal for marketing purposes.
What you need to do
The certification procedure is based on the typical workflows involved in producing printed products using flexo printing and is carried out using dedicated test forms. The task is to reproduce the fingerprint as accurately as possible in production printing and to maintain consistency throughout the print run. In addition to the basic certificate, the certification scope can be extended to include the “spot colours” and “repro” options.
Additional options
+ Repro (in-house or external)
Using tone value corrections in the RIP, it must be ensured that the printed tone values follow a smooth progression. Additionally, a contract proof including the Fogra MediaWedge must be produced to simulate the fingerprint. Particular attention must be paid to correctly reproducing the smallest printing tone value. To achieve this, a suitable ICC profile is required.
Our procedure
Fogra provides the necessary test forms in accordance with the underlying print format. These can be printed independently by the print shop. Only the sampling from the printed roll is monitored by a Fogra employee via webcam.
The Fogra laboratories assess whether the tolerances defined in the PSF for solid tone colours and tone value increases were met during the production print run. The fingerprint serves as the reference for this evaluation. In addition, an informative characterisation of the print results achieved in the fingerprint is carried out — focusing primarily on the reproducible colour gamut and the smallest printing tone value. If the "repro" option was selected, the evaluation also includes an assessment of the gradation and the colour accuracy of the proof.
Our Offer
Basic certificate
€ 1,498 (Fogra member) | € 2,140 (regular)
Spot colour option
€ 203 (Fogra member) | € 290 (regular)Repro option
€ 602 (Fogra member) | € 860 (regular)
Prices apply to one printing condition (printing press, substrate, ink, etc.). A discount of € 203 (Fogra member) or € 290 (regular) is granted for each additional printing condition.
