How Many Variables Are There in Offset Lithography Printing?

[D Ink Man]

Now is your chance to answer this very perplexing and complicated question. There is no wrong answer by the way.

Might anyone have access to that fishbone chart from the days of yore that depicts and describes the many variables? It was usually something that was framed and hung on the wall for reference.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and contributions.

Gordo, Erik, please lead it off if you wish.

D Ink Man

 

[Deleted member 16349]

Now is your chance to answer this very perplexing and complicated question. There is no wrong answer by the way.

Might anyone have access to that fishbone chart from the days of yore that depicts and describes the many variables? It was usually something that was framed and hung on the wall for reference.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and contributions.

Gordo, Erik, please lead it off if you wish.

D Ink Man

D the question is too broad. There are lots of variables in offset lithography but there are lots of variables in many other processes. One should be more specific about specific issues.

What I can say is that the average amount of ink printed in a press is exactly the amount of ink on average that is fed into the roller train. It is not related to anything else. Not roller settings. Not temperature. Not water settings.

You know there are a lot of issues with inks and fountain solutions related to lithographic performance etc. but that is also another issue.

The implication of that old flow chart was that the process was really complicated and difficult but the lithographic process is in use all over the world, every day so it can't be so difficult. Complicated is not always the same as difficult. All processes are very complicated at some level but if they are repeatable and stable, they are not necessarily difficult.

But with any process, there is room for improvement. That is what you and I have tried to do in our own ways.

 

[gordo]

You mean this one?

 

[dabob]

My 2 cents on this . . . there are an Infinite number of variables . . .

Love the chart Gordo . .

 

[D Ink Man]

You mean this one?

Exactly the one!!!!!

Thank you Gordo!

D

 

[aqazi81]

If a pressman had a fight with her wife in the morning, this can also lead to color variation.

 

[chevalier]

You don't have to have a vector PDF of this do you? I'd love to blow this up and put it in the wall in our prepress department next to the DEER posters.

 

[Deleted member 16349]

If a pressman had a fight with her wife in the morning, this can also lead to color variation.

Yes, especially if he got a black (gray balanced) eye.

 

[dabob]

If a pressman had a fight with her wife in the morning, this can also lead to color variation.

I had a customer a long time ago when I didn't know as much but he asked me why his hand mixed color as I recall it was a pms 207 +1/2 part more of black was different on a job we had just delivered was different than a Bus card he pulled out of his desk that was about 6-8 months old why the color was different. My answer, to the best of my recollection was:

Well it depends on which side of the bed the pressman got up on, how many beers he had the night before, how many cups of coffee he had before he ran the job and what kind of mood his wife was in that day . .. he didn't see the humor in that . . . but thats the truth

 

[gordo]

You don't have to have a vector PDF of this do you? I'd love to blow this up and put it in the wall in our prepress department next to the DEER posters.

I have a higher res jpg (but not vector) I can email you. Just PM me at pritchardgordon (@) gmail (dot) com

 

[mojoprime]

hang tight, guys. i'm trying to get a vector version done today in between all of the other madness. i'm just making it like the one gordo sent out, but it'll be an indesign file. if that's ok. if enough of you would rather, i can redo it in illustrator.

i thought this was such a great thing that i wanted to make sure it was still used.

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

I understand the variables but what about the Interactions that number must be pretty big also

 

[D Ink Man]

I understand the variables but what about the Interactions that number must be pretty big also

Seems to me to be much more complex than say brain surgery or rocket science. Really it is, once you think.

D

 

[gordo]

Mojoprime was kind enough to create a vector version of the chart. Thanks!

 

[kjp17]

thanks for the file

 

[Alois Senefelder]

Variables - a little more enlightenment

Variables - a little more enlightenment

Hello fellow Lithographers,

Inputs, Outputs and Variables in Lithographic Printing,

1) Inputs 71 >> Intermediate Outputs 1 = 41 >> I/O# 2 = 24 >> I/O# 3 = 19


A PDF - LTF, Printing Press Process Analysis, Flow Diagram for Single Color, Sheet Fed Offset Press


Regards, Alois

 

[D Ink Man]

Alois, I am going to yell BINGO! Good one sir.

D