Ragy Isaac Dennis Cheeseman The Metro Users 2014 Ragy Isaac Dennis Cheeseman

Is This Your Make-ready? Audit your process!

Quality Steps Calibrate: Prepress: line-screen, profile, TVI, preset, etc. plate-room Press Consumable Human factor

Agenda Same digital dot Variability on plate “To rub it or not to rub it” that is the question!

Introduction SNAP Profile should be your standard RGB to CMYK Depends on consistent dot value SNAP changed the SNAP certification program this year to alert printers to issues with dot gain/loss

Facts No ISO standard for Litho plates CTP plates loose dot values relatively quickly on press Variation is high in mid tones Gray bars are a gauge for controlling solid ink densities

Solutions SNAP is attempting to create a standard thus to ISO Current rub back procedure: Is a rough but quick methods Need to be more scientific Need your help, we will provide the know how

Evaluate the Plate-room Less variability for the same input Highly Variable Precise Accurate and Precise Needs Linearization

Image-setter Less variability for the same input To evaluate a machine, eliminate human

Magnified Cyan TVI Form I am going to ask you to measure every spot inside the square with a CCD plate reader for the plates and densitometer/spectrophotometer for the paper. The CCD dot data for the 40% example will not all be the same: light sensitive coating, laser wave length, type of image-setter capstan or drum, …etc 10

Image-setter Test Form Each dot % will have 32 values 40% dot example data: 8 for each of the CMYK

Image-setter Test Form Each dot % will have 32 values 40% dot example data: 38.4, 39.9, 39.8, 40.6, 39.5, 40.8, 39.7, 39.8, 39.7, 39.9, 40.1, 40.9, 41.2, 40, 40.4, 40, 39.5, 39.1, 41.5, 39.4, 40.4, 40.9, 41.1, 41.1, 40.1, 42.3, 40.1, 40.7, 40.9, 41, 40.7, 41.1 Which value is the right value? Values range between 38.4 & 42.3 Max – min = 3.9

RIP, Image-setter & Processor

Dot Loss! “To rub it or not to rub it” that is the question! What do you currently do?

Recommendation Run the previous test: With or Without rubbing Print on press Collect printed samples the plates Measure the plates

SNAP’s Free Offer You provide the data and instructions SNAP will tell you how to setup your image-setter and dot gain