Azura TS Plates Small Dots in the Non Image Area's

[smeyer1984]

We use the Azura TS plates and we are getting dots in the non image area's. But this only happens when we use plates manufactured in France. The US plates look fine.
The dots are small and look like a 1% dot that are scattered throughout the non image areas. They pick up ink and vary from plate to plate. Has anyone experienced this issue? If so what have you done to correct it?

Thank you
Shawn Meyer
Sexton Printing

 

[TcWA]

Hi Shawn,

Have you had a look at these dots under a eyeglass, are they the same colour as the emulsion of the plate if they are looking black in appearance it may be the plate oxidizing. Are they there from startup or do they appear after a couple of thousand run.I would be checking fountain solution on the press.

Regards
TC

 

[Green Printer]

Hi Shawn,

Have you had a look at these dots under a eyeglass, are they the same colour as the emulsion of the plate if they are looking black in appearance it may be the plate oxidizing. Are they there from startup or do they appear after a couple of thousand run.I would be checking fountain solution on the press.

Regards
TC

What is the logic of checking the fountain solution?

 

[smeyer1984]

The dots in the background appear on plates in non-image areas, they appear to dissipate if we scrub the plates. Almost like the bits of the emulsion are floating around in the non image areas and get compressed into the plate when running on press. We do not see this issue with plates manufactured in the US. So we are thinking it has something to do with the process in France or if the plates sit to long the emulsion does not come off as easy in the clean out unit, or oxidization.

 

[KevinC@EFI]

The dots in the background appear on plates in non-image areas, they appear to dissipate if we scrub the plates. Almost like the bits of the emulsion are floating around in the non image areas and get compressed into the plate when running on press. We do not see this issue with plates manufactured in the US. So we are thinking it has something to do with the process in France or if the plates sit to long the emulsion does not come off as easy in the clean out unit, or oxidization.

Can I suggest the obvious... clean your processor and rollers REALLY well and change the "gum" (clean-out solution, one-bath developer, yada yada). This would happen if you're not changing the fluid often enough or not cleaning the processor thoroughly enough.

This type of issue can happen on processed plates too if the developer has too much coating in it, and it gets re-deposited to the plate before being washed/gummed. Normally the water wash of a normal processor would eliminate most of that, but in one-bath processing it just gets pressed into the plate by the rollers and dried onto the plate - where it can take ink.

Kevin.

 

[Apphoard]

We use the Azura TS plates and we are getting dots in the non image area's. But this only happens when we use plates manufactured in France. The US plates look fine.
The dots are small and look like a 1% dot that are scattered throughout the non image areas. They pick up ink and vary from plate to plate. Has anyone experienced this issue? If so what have you done to correct it?

Thank you
Shawn Meyer
Sexton Printing

The problem with our Presstek Freedom pro plates besides them being garbage is when they sit longer than two hours without being gummed after imaged they get these dots. You have to gum the plates if they arent ran really within a hour. So is that chemistry free?

 

[ChristopheF1]

Might sound dumb...what type of cpt are you using ? Particels of oil in the compressed could be a reason for "small " dots...
Where the oil spots are on the plate-> no laser -> no image...
Ofcourse...it just a suggestion...

 

[Raymond Ramirez]

Kevin..Great answer. The customer is not seeing it with manufactered plates in the US. I am intrigued, a minor drift in plates from the US and France maybe. but there is something else that has cause the france plate to drift out of tolerance. I am thinking the problem does exist on the US plate but it might be so faint you dont see it. As Kevin Suggest Proper cleaning should open the operating window so both plates fall back into place. Drifting is ok as long as you have it drifting within the operating window of your shops tollerances.