Controlling Offset Printing
by Kenneth Rizzo, Director of Consulting, and Dan Remaley, Senior Consultant, PIA/GATF
In the new millennium of lean
manufacturing and process optimiza-
tion, process control and stabilizing
processes are the essential first steps.
Process control is a system utilizing
operational (visual and recorded)
information and technical (measure-
ment) data to monitor, analyze, and
manage equipment and processes.
Adjustments made to the equipment
and processes enable compliance to
specified standards and control limits.
The inherent variables in the
printing process make process control
paramount to producing a consistent
quality product for customers.
Effective printing process control aids
with shortening press makeready time,
eliminating waste and spoilage,
minimizing customer complaints, as
well as reducing non-value-added
quality inspection and sorting activities.
The following are fundamental areas
of the printing process in which
process control must consistently be
taken into account.
Platemaking
Plate exposure is made with high
intensity ultraviolet (UV) content bulbs.
These bulbs basically have a short
lifespan, generally 1,000 on-time hours,
or hours the platemaking equipment is
on—not the total “exposure time.”
Change your bulb every 1,000 hours.
In a two-shift environment, that’s every
three months.
Each plate exposed should be mea-
sured with a PIA/GATF Plate Control
Target or a UGRA scale. These targets
have a continuous-tone gray wedge,
micro lines, and dot percent scales in
10% increments. Place a scale in the
plate bend area (non-printing area) of
the plate and expose with the film
negatives or as a separate exposure. You
need to measure the percent values of
these patches visually (microlines) and
26 GATFWorld
with a plate reader. The correct
exposure for most plates is 6–8 microns.
When the plates are over-exposed, the
value of dot size changes—not much in A
the 10% or 90% area—but a great deal
in the 50% area. On a correctly exposed
plate, with a 6–8 micron exposure, a
50% original dot will move to a 54% on
negative plates and will provide
acceptable dot reproduction for printing. B
For computer-to-plate (CTP), the
process changes slightly. With CTP,
there is no film produced—the file goes
directly to the platemaking device.
Most platesetters are installed with
linear output. This means a 50% value C
in the original file will remain 50% at
plate. However, adjusting plates can
become addictive. Color correcting or
outputting each plate based on “guess” A The Light Indicator (simulated), as
curves is just masking inaccurate proofs shown under a 5,000 K Standard light
source. Stripes do not appear.
or unacceptable press conditions. Each
plate should have a PIA/GATF Digital B Stripes do appear when the Light
Plate Control Target in the plate bend Indicator (simulated) is viewed under
area. The target has two complete tonal nonstandard light sources, such as
scales to show if any changes or curves incandescent.
are being applied to the plate. There
are plate reading devices for measuring C Stripes also will appear when the
the actual dot area of the plate. Reflec- Light Indicator (simulated) is viewed
tion densitometers and plate readers under other nonstandard light sources,
should be used. The key is monitoring such as cool and warm white fluorescent.
consistent quality plate output. It is
best to establish quality assurance
procedures and checklist to follow for is 200 foot-candle power ± 25 (2,000 lux
checking all plates. It’s essential that ± 250). The color viewing area should
poor quality or incorrect plates do not be enclosed and painted with a medium
reach the press. gray flat color paint and void of color
posters and pictures.
Color Viewing Conditions
Printing Pressures: Offset Presses
The light fixtures for color viewing
should be evaluated at least once per Printing pressures should be
month using a color temperature meter checked with a packing gauge every
or a PIA/GATF RHEM light indicator. time a new blanket is mounted on the
The industry standard (ISO 3664:2000) press. Blanket and packing thickness
is 5,000 Kelvin (D50). The amount of should be checked with a Cady gauge
light illuminated, or foot-candle power, or a proper micrometer before they are
should be checked with a light meter. mounted on the press. Important: do
The industry standard for illumination not rely on the specifications stamped
on the back of blankets and packing
April 2007
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GATF/Systems of Merritt 2 1
Digital Plate Control Target
DIGITAL; GATF
ApogeeX 3.0 Normalizer
PS Version: 3016.102; level 3
Hres: 2400 Vres: 2400 Dir: ↑
Halftone Type: 2
3 4
Copyright © 1995−2000 Version 1.1.4 9.5µ 18.9µ 28.4µ 37.8µ 2−pixels 4−pixels circle solid 50/200 99.5 99 98 97 96 95 uncorrected scale (top)/corrected scale (bottom)

paper. They can be incorrect. Break- (the width of the roller’s contact point) settings and shore hardness specifica-
away testing of impression cylinder will cause the rubber to flex more at the tions established by the press and roller
pressures should be conducted contact nip points, resulting in manufacturer should be followed.
periodically to determine if there is increased energy and heat. One of the
excessive pressure. Excessive print leading reasons for shorter roller life is Fountain Solution: Offset Presses
pressures can lead to excessive dot gain, the rubber breaking down from exces- Fountain solution effectiveness
which tends to be greater in the sive heat. Other problems caused by depends on consistent water and prop-
midtone areas. Excessive pressure can heavy roller stripe settings include erly mixed and maintained fountain
also lead to dampening problems, excessive dot slurring, tinting, and solution chemistry. A good water
shorten plate life, and put abnormal difficulties keeping plates clean. If treatment and fountain solution
stress on cylinder bushings and bear- roller stripe settings must be reset every chemistry auto-mixing system must be
ings. Important: printing pressures time they are checked, due to being checked daily and maintained. The
specifications established by the press significantly out of specification, it is an fountain solution in the press tanks
and blanket manufacturers should indication of possible roller bracket must be checked a minimum of once
be followed. mechanical problems or that the rollers per shift with a temperature probe and
could be shrinking abnormally. a calibrated pH and conductivity meter.
Printing Pressures: The measured data should be recorded
Another factor is the shore hard-
Flexographic Presses ness of the rubber segment of the on a chart located at the press. The
For flexo presses, the pressure roller, which places rubber softness-to- pH, conductivity, and temperature
between the anilox roller, print plates, hardness on a numerical scale. The measurements should be compared to
and the substrate is extremely impor- hardness is measured with a type-A the established upper and lower control
tant. Manufacturer-specified practices durometer. As roller shore hardness limits designated on the chart to
should be followed when setting plate increases, more pressure is required to determine if and when corrective
cylinders’ and anilox rollers’ pressures. maintain required stripe settings. actions are required. Typically, pH and
Visual evaluation of printed sheets Again, more flexing energy and heat conductivity increases indicate that
using a 20× magnifier is another will be generated. the fountain solution potency is weak-
recognized method of checking Roller maintenance includes two ening and more water feed is usually
pressures. Elongated dots frequently primary activities—weekly cleaning and needed to keep plates clean. Important:
indicate excessive plate substrate roller maintenance. Weekly cleaning the fountain solution temperature,
pressure. Fat dots usually indicate should include applying proper roller strength, and control limits should be
excessive anilox cylinder pressure. cleaner/deglaze chemicals to the established by the fountain solution
Excessive pressure leads to dot gain, rollers. Cleaners of this type are manufacturer.
dot bridging, and overall dirty halftone designed to remove the non-soluble Preventive Maintenance
printing. Dot gain on flexo presses contamination from ink and paper that
tends to be greater in the highlight and A key part of effective equipment
gets into the roller fibers and causes the
quartertone areas of the process half maintenance is the recording and track-
rubber surface condition we know as
tones. On either type of press, excessive ing maintenance activities on opera-
roller glaze. Roller glaze is a primary
print pressure will squash out halftone tion/maintenance logs. Following each
cause of increased roller shore
dots, making it more difficult for the shift, equipment operators should use
hardness. Twice a year, the rollers
pressman to match to proofs and main- these maintenance logs to enter and
should be removed from the press and
tain print quality throughout press runs. initial data on how the machine
examined for overall conditions and
operated as well as any type of down-
shore hardness. Any rollers that have
Rollers: Offset Presses time that occurred. The amount of lost
deteriorated, delaminated from the
The stripe settings of the plate time should be recorded in the log as
core, or have shore hardness more than
should be checked several times a week well. Managers and maintenance staff
ten points above new should be
at a minimum. The data should be must check and initial the logs every
replaced. Important: roller stripe
recorded in the operation/maintenance morning and review them weekly to
logs. Heavier than normal roller stripes develop preventive action plans.

April 2007 GATFWorld 27

Controlling Offset Printing
Press Analysis
A press test analysis (fingerprint)
should be conducted semi-annually.
This should be done using a verified
accurate test form designed to analyze
mechanical attributes, exhibit print
characteristics, and provide color
management characterization data to
calibrate the press to the prepress
CTP and proofing processes. New or
different materials should also be
tested at this time to minimize the
amount of time the press would be
out of production. (See Acceptable
Print Attributes chart)
Pressroom Color Management
Ink density and dot gain measure-
ments are extremely important to
process control and print quality.
Densitometers, tools (hand-held and
scanning) that can quickly provide
subjective information and feedback,
measure such variables as solid ink
density (SID) and dot gain or tone
value increase (TVI). The data tells the
operator if print quality is on target and
under control. The frequency that
sheets should be checked and
measured depends on the following:
job run length, quality required by the
customer, the state of the densitometer
or spectrophotometer measurement
technology, and color control bars that
exist on the sheets/cartons for the press
persons to utilize.
Color Bars: Color bars are strips of
solid patches and test targets used to
measure print attributes such as
solid ink density (SID) and dot gain
(50% tint). However, there is a growing
need to measure and evaluate image
gray balance, slur/doubling, print
contrast (PC) and RGB overprint
trapping (trap). Color bars are also
called color control bars and color
guides and encompass a wide range of
available targets for the measurement
and control of platemaking and
print production.
28 GATFWorld
Acceptable Print Attributes
(based on PIA/GATF ShOPS* 150 lpi)
Tolerances: SID ± .05 TVI ± 3% PC ± 3% Trap ± 5%
• Cyan 1.35 20% 35% Red 75%
• Magenta 1.40 20% 35% Green 90%
• Yellow 1.00 18% 28% Blue 72%
• Black 1.70 22% 40%
* Sheetfed Offset Printing Specifications
Color Control Procedures: Pulling a
sheet a minimum of once every
600–800 sheets for visual analysis and
measuring a sheet with a densitometer
once every 1,000–1,500 sheets
(depending on run lengths) will give
reasonable data throughout a pressrun.
Web press frequency may be a mini-
mum of items pulled every 1,000–1,500
signatures or sheets for visual analysis
and measured with a densitometer
once every 2,000–2,500 signatures or
sheets. Visual analysis and color mea-
surement take minimal time to per-
form, but they will help ensure
consistent color and quality for cus-
tomers.
In Conclusion
No one can manage and control
anything unless they measure it! When
job color and quality goes out of con-
trol, it will just be rejected by the cus-
tomer and enter the “Printer’s Hidden
Inventory of Waste.”
For more information about PIA/GATF
Technical Consulting, visit www.gain.net
and click on “Research and Consulting,”
or call 412-259-1796 or email
consultingservices@piagatf.org.
April 2007