How often do you calibrate your CIP3 data?

[Ozkan Hangisi]

Many printighouses have CIP3 software for printing presses but very few of them ask for CIP3 calibration regularly. All others load CIP3 data then increase/decrease default profiles manually, afterthat they start production.

What is your CIP3 data policy in your printinghouse?

 

[Deleted member 16349]

Many printighouses have CIP3 software for printing presses but very few of them ask for CIP3 calibration regularly. All others load CIP3 data then increase/decrease default profiles manually, afterthat they start production.

What is your CIP3 data policy in your printinghouse?

Ozkan, what is your expectation for performance of the existing CIP3 system you have?

I am assuming that a discussion of calibration is to try to improve performance.

Do you expect the system to perform so that:

it does not require the operator to make any extra changes?

only minor changes are required by the operator to get the density into the tolerance range?

to avoid large changes required by the operator to get the density into the tolerance range?


Any effort to calibrate a system should be viewed with regards to what kind of performance you want and whether the system is capable of meeting the performance level you want.

 

[RGPW17100]

We purchased an optimization program through Heidelberg. If we make a lot of manual changes to the pre inking software it allows us to optimize changing the curves. We typically will do this a couple of times then we are right on the money colorwise after that.

 

[Ozkan Hangisi]

Hello Erik,
Thanks for your post to clarify subject. Answers are below under options you mentioned.

*it does not require the operator to make any extra changes?

This would be too sharp as a target. Right after calibration several jobs might not need operator corrections but next day minor deviations starts anyway

*only minor changes are required by the operator to get the density into the tolerance range?

This is the aim which I mentioned but it should work for all different ink coverage areas. I mean, high coverage areas are in tolerance but low coverage areas are far from target densities; this is still a problem. I assume ± 0.10 as minor deviation for target density and with such a deviation, CIP3 calibration is still fine

*to avoid large changes required by the operator to get the density into the tolerance range?

I assume more then ± 0.20 as large deviation. Such a deviation might be still ok for some printinghouses. It seems "Which deviations is still ok for you" is a different pool subject


*Any effort to calibrate a system should be viewed with regards to what kind of performance you want and whether the system is capable of meeting the performance level you want.

I am agree with you.


I visited hundereds of printinghouses. All had paid considerable money for PPF to CIP3 softwares but most of them were never calibrated CIP3 and some of them did not even know CIP3 data could be calibrated. This is the situation in my country. Therefore wanted to ask this question.

 

[EGWebguy]

On our press, we just open up the pre-configured forme and manually increase or decrease. When I run, i'm usually pretty close to density everytime.

 

[Green Printer]

We have been using Cip3 or ink preset for over 15 years. You should be able to get within 95%.We have ours calibrated to gloss text. When changing between different types of stock it usually just requires a change of the ink ball stroke.
When calibrating start out with every setting at 100% no compensation. There are multiple places to compensate, in the press, in the ppf generator in the cip3 file generator, in the profile settings, in the curve settings. When you do decide on where to do the compensations only do it in one place and let all other settings at 100% no compensation or you will chasing your tail. Only do your calibration to 1 type of stock or you will be chasing your tail. Make sure your water settings are correct or you will be chasing your tail. If you change fountain solutions manufacturers or clean out your circulators and start with a new batch in the middle of calibrating you will be chasing your tail. If you change to new blankets or types of blanket in the calibration procedure you will be chasing your tail. The point is if you change any of the variables you will have altered any chance of getting it calibrated. Once you decide on an ink, fountain solution,blanket ,plate combination you are know ready to start.
This is all based on the assumption that your ink wells are calibrated to a standard ink film thickness.
We have found that the only time you have to alter the ink profiles is when you change ink manufacturers or they give you a batch of ink that does not match the standard that you calibrated to.
You will find that the biggest hurdle is getting consistent ink batch to batch. Without consistent ink that transfers the same every time you are just wasting your time trying to calibrate CIP3. You will have better luck playing the piano man on your ink keys.
With ink the same from batch to batch you will be able to use your cip3 calibration for years or until you readjust the ink well film settings.