Set Color Profile to Isocoated V52

I am in agreement more so than not!

I know ISO Coated v2 (ECI) is built on the older FOGRA39 specification, but it's not the same profile. Just like ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI) is not the same as ISO Coated v2 (ECI) which is 320%.

Agreed, just like the very good BasICColor profiles and the VIGC profile variants and the Kodak F39L and others are not the same profile. Different software, different algorithms etc. What is the same is that they all use the same underlying measurement characterisation data (either F39 or F39L). One should be able to convert using any of these profiles and then assign one of the other profiles and have no/very little colour rendering difference. The CMYK numbers are obviously going to differ when converting, but the Lab numbers should ideally be zero but in practice may be +/- 1 or 2 points different when assigning different profiles based on the same measurement data.

If they want ISO Coated, I'm not going to give them FOGRA39 and say "it's basically the same, so it doesn't matter". Especially when ISO Coated is easily available.

ISO Coated (Fogra 27) and the newer ISO Coated v2 (Fogra 39) are different characterisation data with different profiles. They are not interchangable.

However for “interchangable” profiles (all the Fogra 39/39L variants) – it is of course your choice to use or not use any given profile made from the same characterisation data. Others may wish to vary the black generation or total ink limits and will freely use whatever meets the desired result, which is different CMYK values for the same condition and not a single profile that only creates a fixed CMYK value.

The 300% profile is still the most widely used, but there are newer specs out since then.

Yes, the 300% total ink limit version of ISO Coated v2 (Fogra 39) is indeed popular for press work, however most proofing is to the higher ink limit ISO Coated v2 profile (not that this is an issue). It was a good move that the “standard ECI” PSO Coated v3 profile was limited to just under 300%.

The Fogra 51 specification also known as PSO Coated v3 replaces the older ISO Coated v2/Fogra 39 spec, however I would not assume that it is going to be used by every printer as adoption has been slow since the 2013 ratification and delayed 2015 release/go live date.

Back to the OP which was about F52 and not F51 which was a side discussion between us… Fogra 52 is also known as PSO Uncoated v3.