NCR Printing using offset printing machines

[Sev]

Offset is traditionally how NCR is printed. Digital, would have to be qualified (what type of "digital", laser, inkjet) and the make and model of machine. I would wish to see digital NCR print samples with numbering and test them before I would go with digital.

Stephen Marsh

We print on NCR quite often on our Xerox 4110, both single sided and double sided, with no issues at all. The 4110 prints on NCR at high speeds, and then gets padded. About the only drawback is that we generaly need to keep the doors open, since NCR can have a rather strong odor while getting printed. Our digital presses are in the prepress department, and we usually keep the doors closed.

-Sev

[Stephen Marsh]

Thanks Sev, back when I worked for that shop we used to print NCR pads offset, although we had a Xerox Docucolor 3535 and a Xerox Docucolor 500 and two high speed mono Océ production copiers. I can't recall 100% why we did not use digital for short run work (I am thinking it was due to constant jams or debris in the machine). I don't think that we tried a special digital NCR from Xerox or other vendors, which may have been part of the issue with using the offset paper with digital.

Thank you one and all for your input, as I said before, I am hoping to be better educated from this topic thread, I don't have any axe to grind on this topic.


Stephen Marsh

[Stephen Marsh]

With the numbering Software available there is no need for Crash Numbering.
JW

JW, can you go into more detail on the numbering software and workflow?

Stephen Marsh

[Mike Micelotti]

Hi Stephen, you may want to check out my software at http://auto-number.com

Best regards,
Mike

[pmkprog]

You can do the auto numbering by using the variable data option in InDesign. It's not that hard and we have been able to use that effectively for the numbering. The only issue that we have found with the NCR paper is that sometimes running it through the copier/digital press you get some darkening around the edges of the colored paper. Other than that it has been good.

[ondemandbindery]

Axe to grind Lol. Glad you are getting some information that is useful. You have many options to Print on NCR. As for the numbering solution, that begins to get out of my scope but I will find out tomorrow for you. It is very simplistic and I do know that. It shows you that crash numbering is not your only option. The Printing of it also depends on your situation in production. Ideally to have the ability to print Digital or Offset gives you plenty of horsepower to process your work.

HTH,
JW

[Dottiek]

We are an educational agency with a small inplant. After decades of using an ABDick 980 for our NCR, we eliminated offset entirely when we found a source for digital NCR that was cheaper than what we were paying for regular NCR. The numbers just didn't justify keeping it even though we owned it.
Now we use Gladfelters Excel guaranteed for all machines in our Canon 1135. Flawless? No, we have intermittent feed problems with occassional lot numbers but it is definitely a paper issue. We seem to have a lot of heat rollers peeling that the dealer claims is due to NCR, but we don't run THAT much ( 2 skids/year, intermittently run). We have had the 1135 2 years after 20 years as a Xerox shop.
The hardest part was prepress and figuring out how to duplex with numbering sets electronically through the Micropress. I use a mail merge for the numbers. I now have a cheat sheet/reference book that is referred to religiously when setting up NCR jobs. Every setting everywhere has to be correct and the jobs sent through a stacker for good results.
Initial learning curve was steep.

[jokar]

We have been running NCR on our Ricoh C900 and 1107ex for about 3 years now. We are using Xero/Form or Superior NCR stock running single sided or duplexing. I recently purchased a small and inexpensive software program called Number Press which has saved us countless hours of off-line numbering. I have been in this business a long time and have never seen an easier way to run NCR forms.

[ondemandbindery]

They use Indesign. I have no doubt there are some really good Software programs. Like I said it depends on the setup of your shop. I could see scenarios where all options apply.

JW

[Fredpan123]

Can I use offset printing machines for printing on NCR papers? OR I should use digital printers?

we print NCR on our offset press or on our copiers: no problem. you can do the same.