Registration on a Web press

[Gregg]

I am about to send a job off to the printer that is printing on a Web press. All of our works typically prints on sheet-fed. Is registration, due to the speed, a bigger concern?

Also, on a similar topic, what do you - the printer - offer or suggest as far as guidelines for preventing registration issues. Do you have guidelines in regards to color usage for small type or thin rules?

 

[disbellj]

Re: Registration on a Web press

I would say going under 6 pts. is getting too small (that's against a white or light background and if black type, overprinting the background). If white type on a dark background, I wouldn't go less than 8 pts.

For line width, I wouldn't go below .25pt.

Don

 

[Jay Toler]

Re: Registration on a Web press

Your best bet for good quality is to talk directly to the printer that`s doing your job, because only they know what quality they can acheive with their press.
You as a customer will have a better feeling when the job is complete.
Because the printer will want a returning customer.

 

[kabel]

Re: Registration on a Web press

My limited experience has seen registration on web presses greatly improved in the last several years. As long as the press operators are vigilant the end product can be just as good as a sheet-fed job.
If you can you should go see your job on press. And I can only echo what Don and Jay have said above. Talk to the printer, make sure you understand their capabilities and ensure they are aware of your expectations +before+ the job goes to press, this way there should be few if any surprises.

 

[DavidMa]

Re: Registration on a Web press

Our web presses print as well as our sheetfed presses.
We use the same traps and guidelines for both.


My advice would be to speak to your printer as to what their capabilities and capacities are and what they can do for you.

 

[Gregg]

Re: Registration on a Web press

Thanks for the feedback.

I certainly agree with your suggestions to talk to the printer. I find nothing makes a job go smoother that picking up the phone and calling the vendor. This specific job is printing in Asia, with repro being done at a separate vendor is Hong Kong. So, while communication is still an option, it is often more complicated that I would like.

 

[DavidMa]

Re: Registration on a Web press

is this for Flexo or just regular commercial web print?

 

[Gregg]

Re: Registration on a Web press

Commercial offset. It's a large extent 4/c heavily illustrated book.

 

[cjwworld]

Re: Registration on a Web press

Yes, talk to the printer. I work in a web press shop that has an older machine and it is difficult to be close in register. We try to stay away from multi-color text

We also try to avoid white type on 4-color background for web printing. I would recommend the use of only one process color for background if they wish to use reverse type. Otherwise, use black type when printing on 4-color background.

Sometimes we receive an ad that has very small text within multi-color background and if we run it through the web press. It seems always off registered.

 

[Franknater]

Re: Registration on a Web press

Check with your printer. A lot will have to do with the location of your page and where it will fall on their press sheet. The fine reverse type always seems to land at the last page of a signature AND on the tail edge...the farthest point from center. The larger and thinner or cheaper grade of paper, the more the problem of register.

If it is not possible, choose a bolder type to reverse out. Stay away from serif or fine script fonts. Solid color the type so that it is not white and may be a little pleasing to the eye.

Fine rules are much the same. Don't use them for trapping 4/C images. 4/C image with a .5 red border...No, no.

There's just a couple of ideas.

Frank