Variables Print Quality Factors that influence Print Quality Print quality Standards for digital What they are How your facilty and workflow can affect your quality Print Quality Variables Factors that influence Print Quality David Carmichael – SUN Automation

Digital Print Standards Within the printing industry, quality is an important concept. Quality checks have become a standard for todays brand owners. Quality assurance programs are widely used by box makers to insure customer satisfaction.

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Digital Print Standards A device that is able to consistently reproduce the entire visible color space is an unrealized goal within the engineering of color displays and printing processes. Expectation

Setup Processes Digital printing, when compared to legacy printing, is a hands-off process A legacy press operator who has tested the inks and substrates can make modifications for any problems that might occur on the press add surfactants adjust press speed add defoamers adjust ink coverage add primers adjust plate pressure prior to a pressrun or on the fly

Setup Processes Digital printing, when compared to legacy printing, is a hands-off process Most legacy equipment is loaded and started before any adjustments are made to production quality!! Start it, then tweak it.

Setup Processes Digital printing, when compared to offset printing, is a hands-off process To perform to their best capacity most production digital printing processes depend on certified papers color software pre or post coatings printhead performance ink formulations rasterization software Most adjustments that need to be made to the digital printing process require the intervention of technical support personnel other than the press operator.

Setup Processes To maximize the productivity of your digital printing process, make every effort to insure proper controls are in place before the job goes to print.

Print Quality What do you do when?

Print Quality What do you do when? You’re going for this You get this

Print Quality Your Operator

Print Quality You

Print Quality Your Customer

Print Quality What does this tell you?

Support Develop relationships with Subject Matter Experts (the people who know your systems) Conventional – operators with stubborn issues often has a peer group of operators up to and including supervisors and management where he/she can go for advice. Use Ross as example. With conventional printing, there is a lot of ‘tribal knowledge’ in most facilities. For digital, this ‘Tribal Knowledge’ is in your network of SME’s. The Technical Support most often needed: Machine Operation Color & Color Consistency Image Placement Ink/Substrate Compatibility

The Print Quality Pyramid Image compliments of SGIA

Consistency is Key!! Print Quality Ambient/Environment Consult your machine manual for proper: Most box plants have: a lot of airborne dust Wide temperature and humidity fluctuations Temp fluctuations can affect printhead alignment Maintenance procedures Printhead Alignment procedures Media handling procedures Media feed adjustments Floor vibration Ambient Temperature* Ambient Humidity* Jetting Temperature* Substrate Temperature* Printhead height* * Also consult your ink supplier Consistency is Key!!

Print Quality Environment Banding Nozzle issues Ink Bleed Back to SMEs. When your legacy equipment operators run into issues, they have knowledgeable people available as resources. With Digital, not so much Banding Nozzle issues Ink Bleed Bad Dot Patterns Ink Voids Liner Cockling

Consistency is Key!! Print Quality Employees/processes/material flow Consider your ability to maintain: Most box plants have: a lot of airborne dust Wide temperature and humidity fluctuations Temp fluctuations can affect printhead alignment Ambient Temperature Ambient Humidity Media Quality Media handling procedures Substrate Temperature Consistent steady power Clean dry air Maintenance procedures Printhead Alignment procedures Consistency is Key!!

Consistency is Key!! Print Quality Employees/processes/material flow Are you able to provide: Most box plants have: a lot of airborne dust Wide temperature and humidity fluctuations Temp fluctuations can affect printhead alignment Trainable resources with the ability to understand and operate complicated software. Proper network infrastructure to handle the large files needed for Digital with due speed Efficient processes for insuring timely logistics for files, sheets, consumables, customer checks, etc Trainable operators that can transition from legacy equipment to Digital Clean conditioned space for substrate storage and staging Proper logistics for staging from printer to coater/die cutter/shipping Consistency is Key!!

Operation – Operator Access Print Quality Operation – Operator Access

Operation – Service Access Print Quality Operation – Service Access

Thank You David Carmichael