Well, not really new, the revised standard, ISO 3664-2009 has been in place for around 18 month
s. This has replaced the older ISO 3664 -2000 standard on which your current D50 tubes may be based?
So what is this standard for?
It covers colour-viewing conditions for the graphic arts and photography areas, including viewing proofs, both on screen and in proof viewing booths and viewing printed sheets on press consoles. It is needed to ensure common viewing conditions when critically comparing and judging contract proofs and printed sheets. Differing lighting condition will cause the many differing pigments and dies used by offset presses, digital presses and digital proofing systems to view differently.
It is similar to the 2000 version in that is stipulates the use of CIE illuminate D50 lighting, 5000° Kevin colour temperature and a colour rendering index (CRI) of 90 or greater.
It also covers the intensity and evenness of the lighting, glare, so between 1200 and 2000 lux for viewing proofs and printed sheets.
The main area that has changed is that the light source must be more accurate to the D50 specification in the UV area of the spectrum. However this may result in a differing result when comparing proofs to printed sheets.
This is because many proofing papers have no OBA’s, optical brightening agents, while most papers for printing do. The new specification tubes will show this ‘colour difference ‘in a way the older tubes will not! GTI and Just will supply UV filters with the new tubes is asked. This can still be compliant with the new 2009 standard, but only if all in the viewing/approval process, including clients are using these UV filters with the new lighting!
This has resulted in the D50 tube manufacturers having to make available new specification tubes to this revised standard.
So this you have not changed your tubes for a while, or have replaced then with the older versions, you will not meet this revised 2009 standard!
This applies to all viewing areas, proof viewing booths, on press, etc.
See below for links to the some companies that can supply these tubes:
http://www.gtilite.com/products/color-viewing-lamps/
https://www.just-normlicht.de/en/color-proofing-d50-graphic-arts.html
Also Osram have the ‘COLOR proof’ tubes which have been ‘spun off’ to Ledvance:
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
