Imposed Images Stretching??

[PrintArtPrePress]

I have an issue with imposed jobs that I have sent to plate. Not noticing it until it gets out to the cutter, but it seems as though the image actually stretches ever so slightly (less than 1/32) across the sheet.
We are running Rampage 11.2 (just recently upgraded), and are imaging plates through a Javelin. I output a plate directly from the Javelin (just a grid) and there is no stretching. Which leads me to believe the problem lies in Rampage itself... the vertical and horizontal scales are both 100% in the plot que. I spoke with Rampage tech support, and they have never heard of this and besides the horizontal and vertical scales in the plot couldn't help much.
Perhaps I am crazy! But I am hoping that maybe someone out there had a similiar problem or had a suggestion as to where I can begin to even try to solve the problem.
Thanks...

 

[ajr]

How do you produce your impositions? Preps, Dynastrip or something else. It could be the imposition software converting measurements wrongly. From what I remember Preps works in points which are converted backwards and forwards to either metric or imperial.

A

 

[PrintArtPrePress]

We do use preps occasionally, unfortunately the jobs that are "stretching" have been imposed in Metrix (a new imposition software that we just started using)... and I also tried imposing in Quark and outputting the job to see if it was Metrix issue. And the Quark imposed job gave me the same results. Thanks for the quick response... any other ideas?

 

[kansasquaker]

That seems like a very unusual behavior for Rampage . . . I'm not sure from your original post, but have you actually measured an imposed plate from Rampage and found the image to be stretched?

Depending on the stock and coverage, 1/32" paper stretch on press wouldn't be at all unreasonable . . .

 

[PrintArtPrePress]

yes... actually measured the imposed plate and the image was stretched. and then output a plate directly from the javelin (just a grid) and measurements were right on. which is why I am stuck on the ..."it's gotta be rampage" thing. but I am willing to try anything...
luckily we only notice a real issue when a job has tight borders etc... because it really is such a minimal stretch. thanks for the response! let me know if you have any other ideas.

 

[TerryWyse]

Try imposing a full grid (single page grid the size of the press sheet) and then try imposing a series of individual pages (page FPOs). Plate these and check them. If the full grid imposed in Preps is fine but the imposed pages are stretched, I would guess that it's Preps. This would be very unusual behavior for Rampage and something that I'm guessing would've been discovered by now if it were their issue.

Regards,
Terry Wyse

 

[PrintArtPrePress]

Thank you for the suggestion... this is something I haven't tried yet. And I completely agree... the fact that rampage hasn't heard of anything like this... proves to me that I am crazy!! Whether I am crazy or not... I still have the issue though!! haha. Thanks again... I will let you know how it goes.

 

[kansasquaker]

Well for what's it worth, I think you're crazy too! Ok, so we know the impo is getting stretched, regardless of where you do the impo (quark v metrix). What would happen if you build a grid in InDesign, rip it with the single page rip profile and plate it?

If that plate comes out correctly, then you'd have it narrowed down to the rip impo profile in Rampage. Which I still can't believe . . . but at least you'd have a really good case for the folks at Rampage.

 

[PrintArtPrePress]

Well, we have created our grid... and will be plating it soon... I will keep you all updated. Thanks again. (and thanks for the confirmation about my craziness... as long as it's not just me!! haha)