GRACoL

GRACoL, short for General Requirements for Applications in Commercial Offset Lithography, is a set of printing industry guidelines and color targets used to ensure consistent color reproduction in offset lithography. It provides recommended values for CMYK process colors, neutral gray balance, and dot gain, along with total area coverage, paper types, and proofing requirements. The standard is used in color management workflows to calibrate presses, prepress devices, and proofs, often in conjunction with ICC profiles and device-link profiles. GRACoL emphasizes measurable tolerances and quality-control procedures to facilitate reliable communication between printers, publishers, and customers.

Historically developed by industry organizations in North America, GRACoL has evolved through revisions to reflect advances in ink chemistry, substrates, and press technology. It is commonly aligned with ISO 12647-2 for offset printing, and it exists in parallel with other regional standards such as SWOP; printers may choose GRACoL targets depending on the market and client requirements. GRACoL targets are typically used on coated and uncoated papers and are supported by dedicated test targets and reference data published by the governing bodies.

In practice, GRACoL provides a common framework for color specification across workflows, enabling more predictable results across presses and facilities. It is widely used by commercial printers, prepress houses, and proofing vendors to achieve reproducible color and to communicate proofing requirements to customers. See also SWOP and ISO 12647-2.