Understanding G7 Certification: Why It Matters for High-Quality Packaging

Did you know that even slight color inconsistencies in your packaging can weaken your brand’s presence on the shelf? Crisp, true colors are essential for making an impact.

For companies managing multiple SKUs or seasonal product lines, achieving consistent color across every box, display and label is critical. That’s where G7 certification comes in. As a recognized global standard for print quality, G7 ensures your packaging reflects your brand every time.

Great Northern Packaging’s Oshkosh and Twin Cities locations are G7 Master Facilities and have a G7 Targeted designation for their offset and digital presses. This standard helps ensure consumer packaged goods companies deliver packaging that looks the same no matter where or how it’s printed. By combining G7 standards with in-house design, manufacturing, testing and supply chain expertise, we ensure your products stand out in competitive retail environments.

What Is G7 Certification?

G7 certification is an international specification that defines how color should appear across all printing processes. Whether your packaging is printed using digital, flexographic, lithographic or gravure technology, G7 alignment ensures your brand colors look identical from run to run and plant to plant.

A G7 Master Facility has demonstrated the ability to calibrate printing systems to meet rigorous color and grayscale requirements. In practical terms, this means your packaging always looks like it’s supposed to, no matter the substrate or ink system used. For brands, that consistency builds recognition, strengthens customer trust and avoids costly reprints due to color mismatches.

How G7 Printing Standards Improve Packaging Printing

G7 is an advanced method for managing color in packaging printing. Traditional printing methods rely heavily on operator judgment and adjustments. G7 removes the guesswork by establishing measurable targets for tonality and balance, reducing variation during production.

When applied to packaging printing, G7 certification delivers:

• Color accuracy across all print platforms: This is essential when producing corrugated cartons, chipboard boxes and retail displays in different facilities.
• Improved efficiency and reduced waste: Precise calibration means fewer make-ready sheets and less material scrap.
• Predictable results for complex designs: Detailed artwork and photographic images print with sharp edges and vibrant color, looking the same every time.

These advantages mean lower overall costs and faster turnaround times, while packaging quality meets brand expectations.

G7 Master Facility vs. Standard Print Shop

Not every printer meets G7 certification standards. A G7 Master Facility goes through independent evaluation and testing to verify compliance with established benchmarks. Even then, facilities must re-qualify by showing they continue to meet the benchmarks.

When compared with a standard print shop, a G7 Master Facility may be better able to:

• Maintain consistent brand colors across multiple SKUs and packaging types.
• Launch seasonal packaging campaigns without off-brand color shifts.
• Ensure faster approvals, since proofs align more closely with final output.

With more than 60 years in packaging design and production, Great Northern Packaging integrates G7 calibration with a wide range of printing and converting capabilities. You can produce light-grade retail cartons, heavy-duty corrugated packaging and custom club store displays with the same precise color control.

Why Choose Great Northern Packaging as Your G7 Master Facility?

When you work with Great Northern Packaging, we combine G7 certification with a full spectrum of services to streamline your packaging program:

• In-house design and prepress: Our creative and technical teams develop packaging that meets retailer specifications while staying true to your brand vision.
• Manufacturing strength and flexibility: From chipboard cartons to the heaviest corrugated grades, we produce packaging to fit your exact performance needs. With our own facilities in the U.S., we have more control over the final product.
• Supply chain expertise: Our team can customize logistics programs to ensure your packaging arrives where and when you need it. You can even track your shipment in our System 3000 app.

In addition to G7, Great Northern Packaging holds multiple certifications, including SQF, SFI Sourcing Label and ISO, further demonstrating our commitment to quality, sustainability and safety. As an ISTA® certified facility, we also offer packaging design and testing services to help you reduce damage in transit and minimize your environmental impact.

The Impact on Your Brand

For consumer packaged goods companies, packaging is the first impression you make. Consistent color is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen shelf impact and customer loyalty. By choosing a G7 Master Facility like Great Northern Packaging, you:

• Eliminate color surprises between different product lines and production runs.
• Accelerate product launches by minimizing proof cycles and delays.
• Protect your investment in brand identity with reliable, repeatable quality.

Our mission is simple: We help our customers win by doing what others can’t or won’t. Whether you need packaging for high-volume SKUs, specialty retail displays or new product introductions, our G7-certified facilities ensure your packaging communicates quality at every glance.

Let Your Packaging Say It With Color

Don’t leave your brand image to chance. Trust Great Northern Packaging to consistently deliver packaging that looks exactly the way you envision it, right down to the exact shades of your brand colors. Contact our team to learn how G7 certification and our full-service capabilities can enhance your packaging.