HP today announced that GLS Companies, an offset and digital print service provider (PSP), has strengthened and solidified its end-to-end production capabilities by becoming the first PSP to implement a new HP Indigo General Requirements for Applications in Commercial Offset Lithography (GRACoL)-certified solution.

GRACoL, a proven standard for quality color printing that is managed by the printing industry organization IDEAlliance, is widely recognized as a benchmark for proofing in North American sheetfed printing. The HP Indigo 5000, 5500 and 7000 digital presses are the only digital presses in the world certified to meet IDEAlliance's exacting GRACoL testing criteria.

Developed in conjunction with graphic arts color software provider CGS, the HP Indigo GRACoL-certified solution uses CGS ORIS pearlDIGITAL 170 proofing paper, CGS ORIS Press Matcher Pro color management software, and the X-Rite iSis XL spectrophotometer.

"When HP and CGS pursued this important certification earlier this year, we knew it would offer a tremendous advantage to our customers," said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager, Americas Graphics Solutions Business, HP. "Together, we created a solution that leverages HP Indigo presses' unrivaled quality, one that will help leading-edge customers like GLS maximize profit potential in digital and hybrid offset and digital production."

The GRACoL solution gives PSPs the added convenience and confidence of using an HP Indigo digital press as a certified proofing device, and then using the same press for the actual production run. The press's ability to meet GRACoL standards also means a proof created on the press can be accurately and reliably used for digital production jobs, offset production jobs, or jobs that require production split between both printing methods.