Matching proofs and setting standards

[KCMY]

First off hello all!!!
long time lurker first time poster hoping you guys can help me out.

The company i am working for runs and excuse me if the term i am using is incorrect "linear" plates. By this i me we "chase" are proofs the black maybe be 145 this job then 100 the next just all over the map on all colors. So after speaking up about how ridiculous i felt this was i was given the task of setting standard densities and having are proofs match at those densities. Here is where you guys come in Help!!! where do i start?
p.s. due to the nature of are business we cannot use common standard densities we will have to set are own.

[Lukas Engqvist]

The nature of the job, meaning your substrate? What kind of printing are we talking about? Digital, screen, offsett, flexo or something completely different?

Do you want to print consistently? If so managing to output consistently in your printing and on your proof is the first step. If you need to change the density per job, that will make it more difficult… can you limit it to High, medium and Low so that you have 3 targets that are consistent, and then you choose wich you go by depending on the job (like some of us use coated, uncoated and semicoated targets)?

Once you produce consistent results you can print a test chart and then either target a standard dot gain (it will probably be different dot gain curve for each of the densities).
But let's get the overview clear first

[rich apollo]

Yeah. What Lukas said. With some more information I'm sure folks on here can steer you in the right direction.

[KCMY]

Sorry for leaving out the info i thought of that later on.....doh!

Yes i mean due to the substrate we print on you cannot achieve/run what i would consider "normal" standard densities so we would have to have are own "house" densities.

We are a plastics printer with offset presses. The shop i last worked at ran to graco standards for offset, matte, and gloss stocks and if you matched densities you would usually match the proof!

This is what i would like to achieve, have in house standard densities and be able to match are proofs with !

If i left anything out please let me know!!
thanks guys!