Color management cannot be avoided. Every design application and print production (DFE/RIP) software is built around ICC color management, and though you may be able to run from it… you can't hide. Your options come down to two: fully understand how it works — ultimately saving you time and money — or get burned by not knowing how to correct color effectively, which ends up costing you time and money instead.

Every print manufacturing company, especially in digital print, benefits from having its people properly trained in color. The technologies used to control color get complicated fast, and while many claim to understand the process, very few actually do. So let's talk about the best options for getting your business more knowledgeable about color.

1. The Idealliance Color Management Professional (CMP) Program

The printing industry has had many associations, and several have offered training or certification to teach color management. One of the longest-running — and by far the most popular, with more than 25,000 people certified — is the Idealliance Color Management Professional (CMP) program.

This curriculum has always been delivered online. You work through learning content, then pass an online exam to demonstrate the basics. There are several levels, starting with CMP Fundamentals. Beyond that, Idealliance offers courses for specific market segments — Digital Print, Offset Print, Creative, PreMedia, and a Sales Professional track — plus a Master Program, a four-course bundle of Fundamentals, PreMedia, Digital, and Offset. In more recent years the series has expanded further with dedicated Flexo and Wide-Format courses. Full details are on the Idealliance CMP page.

2. The SGIA Digital Color Professional (DCP) Program

The (now former) Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) also ran a color management certification program called Digital Color Professional (DCP). It hadn't been around as long, but it had a great curriculum with excellent content — and I'll admit some bias here, having helped develop that content and curriculum, and having served as a Certified Instructor for six years.

Originally delivered in person, the program was offered nationwide by Certified Instructors, myself included. It stayed current, with constant revision to reflect the most up-to-date color management practices.

Attendees got hands-on experience calibrating and profiling devices, learning both ICC color management and process control best practices. In total, more than 700 people attended these color management "boot camps."

The DCP program had two levels. After completing a boot camp, attendees could pass an online exam to become Qualified as a Digital Color Professional. They were then given a color evaluation form and invited to print and submit it; the submissions were measured and evaluated against specific criteria, and a passing print earned Certified status. These boot camps moved to live virtual delivery during the pandemic, and had only recently begun returning to in-person format.

How the Programs Merged

Here's where the history matters. You may already know that the top printing-industry organizations have all merged. First, SGIA merged with the Printing Industries of America (PIA) — which had previously merged with the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) — to form the PRINTING United Alliance (PUA). Then, in 2021, Idealliance merged with PRINTING United Alliance.

With that merger, the CMP and DCP programs were consolidated. Rather than choosing between them, there's now a single path: the Color Management Professional program, with content and curriculum drawn from both, delivered online through Idealliance's iLEARNING+ platform. DCP-qualified professionals were grandfathered into CMP status. We're proud to remain authorized to deliver the curriculum.

3. The G7 Expert / Professional Advanced Program

For advanced color management, Idealliance offers a G7 Expert and G7 Professional program. I'd recommend that anyone interested already have the fundamentals under their belt as a prerequisite. The G7 Expert/Professional training specifically addresses how to implement the G7 methodology and achieve conformance to the GRACoL specification.

The distinction between the two:

• G7 Expert is authorized to make submissions into Idealliance's Master Printer Program for any printing company.
• G7 Professional completes the same training and passes the same exam, but can only make submissions for the company they work for.

4. Custom Color Management Training

The very best color management training you can get is customized to your business and your production hardware and software. Learning the theory is important, but implementing what you've learned on your own equipment — and understanding how it actually behaves — is ultimately the goal.

At Alder Color Solutions, we offer training and services both remotely (in one-hour blocks) and on-site. Our two DCP Certified Instructors and G7 Experts — from the very first class of G7 Experts in 2006 — have, combined, over 50 years of experience across every aspect of color management, from capture through design to any kind of print production.

Schedule Training

As you can tell, there are many great options to choose from. If you have questions, reach out.
info@aldertech.com — 503-226-7598