Setting Ink Fountains...

[kdw75]

Is there anyone else out there that still has to set the fountain keys on your 4-color press? We are a small family business, with an old 4-color, and I wondered if pretty much everyone has gone to auto ink setting presses.

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

Probably cost you more to convert your press to Auto inking than the press may be worth. Stick with manual settings and make sure your keys and blades are in good condition.

 

[kdw75]

Yeah, with the prices of presses, I am sure it would be cheaper to just replace it.

 

[dabob]

Yes . .. we have 2 1978 speedmasters and we still set the ink keys . .. the hardest part is keeping consistent color throughout the run . . .

Here it is very apparent that printing is still a craft requiring skilled craftsmen . . .

 

[kdw75]

I can't find it now, but a few years ago I came accross a video of students at a college showing how they could run a 4 color calendar on offset. They were running a speedmaster with all the bells and whistles. No fiddling with ink keys or straightening plates. I am only 39, but it made me feel old.

 

[dabob]

A long long time ago I went to a class at Heidelberg to "learn" how to run a cpc speedmaster . . . their prepress department intentionally left a couple of blocks out of the measurement bar and the system "saw" that there was no yellow or magenta in that area . . . they did that to show that machines can't do it all . . . but now they try to prove that you don't need a skilled operator - you still need to know the processes no matter how much automation you buy . . . .

just my 2 cents worth