Specifications Web Offset Publications

Over the last twenty-five years SWOP has become a major factor in the success of the Publication Printing Industry in the United States. This has been a result of a combination of attainable goals, dedicated people driving the process and an industry willing to improve itself. The resulting recommended specifications are for the use of all those involved in the production of publications - including the advertiser, publisher, printer, advertising agency and prepress service supplier.

The mission of SWOP is to continually raise the level of quality of publication printing by setting forth specifications and tolerances.

This is accomplished by providing specifications to everyone in the graphic arts production process for all forms of magazine advertising and editorial input, whether analog or digital. When these specifications are followed, all input received by the printer can be reproduced as intended and desired by the advertiser/publisher with minimal difficulty. Quality should be measurable and verifiable at each step in the reproduction process, which will allow everyone in the imaging chain to monitor and improve performance by statistical methods. For more information, visit www.swop.org.