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PrinterArchive

Printing & Document Standards

A standards-first reference cluster explaining the durable specifications that govern printing, imaging, color, and document exchange — the printing protocols (IPP, PWG Raster), page-description languages (PostScript, PCL), paper-size and color standards (ISO 216, ICC, sRGB, CMYK), and archival/exchange document formats (PDF/A, PDF/X, PDF/UA, TIFF, XPS). Each page describes what a published standard defines and how it fits into printing workflows, citing the responsible standards body, without inventing figures, dates, or performance claims.

26 live pages · long-term capacity 24–40

Entities

protocol

Internet Printing Protocol (IPP)

organization

Printer Working Group (PWG) · International Color Consortium (ICC) · IETF · ITU-T · Mopria Alliance

standard

ISO 216 · ISO 32000 · sRGB · IPP Everywhere

format

PDF/A · PDF/X · PDF/UA · XML Paper Specification (XPS) · TIFF · PWG Raster

technology

PostScript · Printer Command Language (PCL)

brand

Adobe

concept

CMYK

Connected clusters

In the archive

Pages in this cluster

Planned coverage

  • What Is the Printer Working Group (PWG)? — Describes the IEEE-ISTO PWG as the body that standardizes IPP, PWG Raster, and driverless printing.
  • ISO 216 and the International Paper Size System — Explains the A/B series, the aspect-ratio principle behind A4/A3, and how the standard defines dimensions.
  • ANSI and North American Paper Sizes — Explains Letter, Legal, Tabloid and the ANSI size series alongside ISO 216 for context.
  • ICC Color Profiles Explained — Describes what the International Color Consortium profile format defines for consistent color reproduction.
  • What Is PDF/A (the Archival PDF Standard)? — Explains the ISO 19005 archival subset of PDF and why it embeds fonts and forbids external dependencies.
  • What Is PDF/X for Print Production? — Explains the ISO 15930 print-production PDF subset and its color and font requirements.
  • What Is PDF/UA (Accessible PDF)? — Explains the ISO 14289 accessibility standard for tagged, screen-reader-navigable PDFs.
  • ISO 32000: The PDF File Format Standard — Explains how PDF became an open ISO standard and what ISO 32000 governs.
  • The PostScript Language Specification — Describes PostScript as a page-description language and its device-independent imaging model.
  • IPP Everywhere and Driverless Printing — Explains the PWG certification that lets devices print without vendor-specific drivers.
  • What Is PWG Raster Format? — Explains the standardized raster stream used by IPP Everywhere and AirPrint-class printing.
  • CMYK vs RGB Color Models — Explains additive vs subtractive color and why print uses CMYK while screens use RGB.
  • What Is the sRGB Color Space? — Explains the IEC 61966-2-1 standard color space and its role as a default for documents.
  • The TIFF File Format Explained — Explains the Tagged Image File Format, its use in scanning and archiving, and its container design.
  • What Is XPS (XML Paper Specification)? — Explains the fixed-layout document format and its role as an alternative print path on Windows.
  • What Is the Mopria Print Standard? — Explains the Mopria Alliance specification for mobile printing interoperability.
  • SNMP and Standardized Printer Management — Explains how the SNMP Printer MIB provides standardized status and supply monitoring.
  • What Is JDF (Job Definition Format)? — Explains the XML-based job-ticket standard used to describe print production workflows.
  • ISO 12647 and Print Process Control — Explains the standard governing color separation, proofing, and print production consistency.
  • Page Description Languages Explained — Defines the category (PDL) and contrasts PostScript, PCL, and PDF as members of it.
  • Color Management Terms: A Standards Glossary — Defines gamut, rendering intent, profile, and color space with reference to ICC terminology.