ISO/TC42 – Vocabulary Standards

Vocabulary standards are important when utilizing the valuable resources contained in ISO standards. This is because some of the terms used in these documents have very specific meanings in the context of photography standards. As a result, ISO/TC42 has developed three standards that define terms used in chemical-based photography, digital photography, and image permanence.

These standards can be purchased using the following links:

ISO 5989:1995 Photography -- Pre-packaged chemicals for the processing of silver halide based photographic materials – Vocabulary

gives terms and definitions for pre-packaged chemicals used in the processing of silver halide based photographic materials. This standard was developed by ISO/TC42 WG6, which includes US experts from the IS&T IT 2 Committee.

ISO 12231:2012 Photography -- Electronic still picture imaging – Vocabulary

gives terms and definitions related to digital cameras and digital photography. This standard has just been updated by ISO/TC42 WG18, which includes US experts from the IS&T IT 10 Committee.

ISO 18913:2003 Imaging materials -- Permanence – Vocabulary

gives terms and definitions related to the permanence of imaging materials, including prints, films, and storage media. A revision of this standard is in the final stages and will be published soon. The revision was prepared by ISO/TC42 WG5, which includes US experts from the IS&T IT 9 Committee.

The definitions of individual terms in these standards, as well as other ISO standards, can be obtained from the ISO online browsing platform.