Since #45 in December we have been discussing resolutions to improve the quality of your proofs. In order to gain the full benefit of this installment one should have read and implemented the suggestions in #46 & #47. Proceeding forward it does not matter if you are utilizing a methodology like … [Read more...]
#44: Why process control works
Earlier this month I was visiting a customer who utilizes multiple ColorMetrix licenses to monitor and control; plate making; proofing; and pressroom. Several years ago this customer used ColorMetrix in his plate making operation to uncover a processor replenishment problem that not even the plate … [Read more...]
#32: Tales from the Press Trial (Part 2)
This week I will be providing more information about the MacDermid Printing Solutions Stabil-X press trial April 17th and 18th . This week I will review the variation data from two of the trial conditions: STX opt – Stabil-X blanket run at optimum packing level Press std – The set-up … [Read more...]
#31 Tales from the Press Trial
On April 17th and 18th I had the pleasure of participating in a press trial with MacDermid Printing Solutions to evaluate the effectiveness of their new Stabil-X offset printing blanket. I am writing today about the TVI curve of the various trial conditions. We ran five different conditions … [Read more...]
I still love the smell of ink in the morning
Over the coming weeks I will be writing a great deal about my last two days in Chicago. Kevin Kocher of MacDermid Printing Solutions (offset blanket manufacturer) invited me to a press trial of their new Stabil-X blanket. So, right about now if I was one of my readers I would be thinking how … [Read more...]
#27: Measuring TVI on Inkjet proofs is Meaningless
Part 5: I should start by saying I have covered the topic of using graphic arts densitometry to evaluate inkjet proofs once before. Back in July ’05 GN#5 addressed this same issue so you may wish to refer back to it. I considered changing this topic, because the title is a bit inflammatory. … [Read more...]
#26: Density is king
Part 4: TVI is not measured it is calculated from density which is king. All the other values our modern densitometers display are simply calculated values from the densities the instrument measures. In short, all a densitometer does is transmit a predetermined amount of light and then measure how … [Read more...]
#25 TVI Notebook (part 3 of 5) TVI is not a bad thing
Part 3: TVI in and of itself is not a bad thing: Back when TVI was called Dot Gain, I remember going into print shops and having pressman tell me “No, we don’t have any dot gain.” This was not ignorance (they knew they did), but instead a misconceived notion that TVI was a bad thing. I always … [Read more...]
TVI Notebook (part 2 of 5) GRACoL & TVI
Part 2: GRACoL 7 appears to be taking our pressrooms in a direction where TVI will be significantly less importance in monitoring production run stability. Instead GRACoL 7 is based on maintaining gray balance utilizing density and L*a*b* values. Over all, I feel this is the right direction to go … [Read more...]
#23: TVI is a better term than Dot Gain
This is Part 1 of a 5 part series from Jim Raffel’s TVI notebook. Part 1: Tone Value Increase (TVI) really is a better term than Dot Gain: My short answer for this is that a densitometer (or spectrophotometer acting as a densitometer) does not actually measure dots, so how can we really call it … [Read more...]