The open specification of print
Periodic Table of Print & Graphic Elements
the problem
A problem of meaning.the same thing has many names — and the same name means different things ,described once and read the same way by everyone,interpreted by a human.
1 print buyerclarify 2 CSRre-key 3 MIS / ERPre-quote 4 supplierinterpret 5 production
— every step, a human translating between private vocabularies
meaning · 1 of 3
One word, one meaning .
silk ≠ matte C-fold ≠ Z-fold
Silk Paper ptpge.org/v1/…/paper-surfaces/silk-paper
Matte Paper …/paper-surfaces/matte-paper
Tri-Fold Setup · C-fold …/folded-sheet/tri-fold
Z-Fold Setup …/folded-sheet/z-fold
700+ terms · 12 languages · 1 definition each
You cannot automate what you cannot unambiguously name.
meaning · 2 of 3
The grammar , not the list.
product Brochures
format A7 · A6 · A5 · A4 · Letter · custom …
setup-model tri-fold · z-fold · gate-fold · accordion …
substrate-weight 110 – 309 gsm
color-mode @outside / @inside CMYK · Black · CMYKOGV · Spot
surface-finish matte · gloss · silk lamination
configurations described by 56 templates — without listing one
meaning · 3 of 3
Any wording in, one vocabulary out.
the same product · four wordings
“500 A5 leaflets, folded in three, 170 g silky paper, matt laminated”customer
500 A5 roll-fold 170 silk MLCSR shorthand
fmt=A5; fold=C; stock=SILK170; lam=MATTMIS fields
“Leaflet Classic 6pp, 170 gsm coated silk, matt”supplier catalogue
🤖
AI agent
reads any wordingsemantic terms
what production reads
brochures · a5 · tri-fold
Mapped once, onto one vocabulary . Production reads the same terms — so nothing grows.
identity · 1 of 3
Allocation vs. derivation.
Every other industry issues a product ID or SKU first — and refers to the product afterwards.
A configured print product exists exactly once . No registry can number it in advance.
So we don't issue. We derive .
identity · 2 of 3
The configuration is the key.
ptpge-cfs/1:spec ;product=ordering/products/brochures ;variables/configuration/format=printing/configurations/formats/a-series/a5 ;variables/configuration/page-count=8 ;variables/configuration/setup-model=printing/configurations/setup-models/folded-sheet/accordion-fold ;variables/features/color-mode@inside=printing/features/colors/black ;variables/features/color-mode@outside=printing/features/colors/cmyk ;variables/features/surface-finish@outside=printing/features/surface-finish/lamination/matte>printing/features/embellishments/spot-uv-varnish ;variables/substrate/substrate-type=printing/substrates/sheet-materials/paper ;variables/substrate/substrate-weight=170
f2e377cbb004c4e628180d877f8b1e00 8a7055e5d699140ecb8f3bf0a73f5df1 SHA-256 of the canonical string · 64 hex characters · ptpge-cfs/1three species, one method: spec · offer · job — this one is a spec
identity · 3 of 3
One identity, four forms .
the register · same product, provably
Same product, provably .
ptpge.org/f/f2e377cbb004c4e6
✓ resolves — configuration listed, verifiable by recomputation · no prices here
three quotes against one fingerprint
printer A€ 412
printer B€ 389
printer C€ 455
One fingerprint travels the whole chain — request, quote, order, job ticket, invoice.
operational today
Ready for agentic commerce .
org.ptpge.print.identity
the fingerprint on every order line — published, declared in a live manifest
browse · search · validate
the specification as tools an AI agent can call
api.ptpge.org · ptpge.org/f
every term, every template, every fingerprint — resolvable
ptpge
The open specification of print
meaning+ identity
ptpge · public beta
Join the Public Beta .
ptpge.org · CC BY 4.0