Visual indicator for pressman

[Macmann]

We were looking for a way to verify that all passes through the press have been completed. Often times we print with dozens of colors and not always possible to do it in the sequence of the ink palette. We've tried a small visual mark but this does not always catch a missed color and then the project keeps printing and you don't see the error until it is completed. Is there a way for the press operator to see at a glance that all colors have been used for the job? What do others do?

 

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Couldn't you build something like this? Clear beginning and ending with all seps required in between. A missing separation or pass would be obvious. -dan

 

[Macmann]

Thanks dpierce-I'll have to let that soak in. We do something similar already. Where the wheels fall off is the various clear and adhesive passes. Not to mention gang runs with different color palettes. We would really like for the pressman to be able to easily recognize a missing pass before wasting the time and ink completing the job when it is wrong.

 

[Chasfinch]

could you not have "blue lines" with the stages of runs. So run 1 would have X colors then run 2 would have X more showing on each blue line - All the pressman has to look at is the "blue line" and the printed sheet to see where he was at. We do have multiple passes and then it can be multiple in letterpress. We found the only clear way is to make target "blue lines"

 

[graphicsource]

Couldn't you build something like this? Clear beginning and ending with all seps required in between. A missing separation or pass would be obvious. -dan

This is a good idea... Maybe for the "clear" inks or coatings you could create a striped texture, which would be a little more obvious that there is ink in that square.