Total ink coverage
- Thread starter rain
- Start date
It depends on the paper stock. For some ballpark figures, go with 300-330% for coated stock and 280-300% for uncoated stock. At least that is what most standard profiles use (ISOcoatedv2 and the like).
For special cases you can of course set TAC lower or higher, but it all depends on what you want to achieve with that profile. I made a profile with 240% max TAC for coated stock because the job had to print fast, dry fast etc. and the other day the same with 360% max TAC for a heavyweight coated stock.
Ask Heidelberg for assistance for creating profiles, they can (and should) explain a great deal of things, including how to measure and profile your presses and proofers.
For special cases you can of course set TAC lower or higher, but it all depends on what you want to achieve with that profile. I made a profile with 240% max TAC for coated stock because the job had to print fast, dry fast etc. and the other day the same with 360% max TAC for a heavyweight coated stock.
Ask Heidelberg for assistance for creating profiles, they can (and should) explain a great deal of things, including how to measure and profile your presses and proofers.
Lukas Engqvist
Well-known member
We created profiles with 280, 300, 320, 340, 360 and compared visually results
for uncoated the same.
I have seen some test chart that basically goes from 100K to near registration colour, sticking to neutral combination of CMY. The idea is to measure the colour but where the black is not getting any blacker, just stickier it is too far.
One would think that the lowest total ink with maximum gamut is the best (note that higher TAC will mean you often end up compromising by printing solid colours at lower densities)
But I have heard the argument that the fact that ink (ofsett) is only abouy 18% pigment means that there is an advantage of printing some black (first colour) as a primer of the paper surface so that the other pigments will print better. (too low TAC giving dusting problembs). Thus the argument is that the optimal TAC should not be about 320%. I find that 300% works very well on coated with negligible loss of gamut.
for uncoated the same.
I have seen some test chart that basically goes from 100K to near registration colour, sticking to neutral combination of CMY. The idea is to measure the colour but where the black is not getting any blacker, just stickier it is too far.
One would think that the lowest total ink with maximum gamut is the best (note that higher TAC will mean you often end up compromising by printing solid colours at lower densities)
But I have heard the argument that the fact that ink (ofsett) is only abouy 18% pigment means that there is an advantage of printing some black (first colour) as a primer of the paper surface so that the other pigments will print better. (too low TAC giving dusting problembs). Thus the argument is that the optimal TAC should not be about 320%. I find that 300% works very well on coated with negligible loss of gamut.
meddington
Well-known member
Lukas Engqvist
Well-known member
Some nice test charts, the colour geek in me is getting an itch ;P
meddington
Well-known member
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