PressRoom: The Sweet Spot Presented by Jim Raffel ColorMetrix 4th Annual User Group Meeting August 8-10, 2004 Las Vegas,

1. PressRoom:The Sweet SpotPresented by Jim RaffelColorMetrix 4th Annual User Group MeetingAugust 8-10, 2004Las Vegas, Nevada

2. Definition • When a printing press is printing at its sweet spot, the printing variables have reached a state of equilibrium, where we hope they stay without changing. All the press’s settings should be fine-tuned and the materials consistent, so that the print quality will not vary. Ideally, every copy will be identical.cont…

3. Definition cont… • An example of a sweet spot when flying a plane is when a pilot trims all the flaps and settings of an airplane, so that when he lets go of the controls, the plane flies itself, continuing along the same course.…cont…

4. Definition cont… • If we hope to make life easy for a press operator to produce consistent product for a customer, we should maximize each press to the printing conditions expected for success. The GRACoL recommendations are examples of guidelines that are typical of good printing on many substrates and presses.cont…

5. Definition cont… • A printer should attempt to optimize a printing press to produce those printed parameters automatically. This would insure that prepress and color management techniques allow the press to produce the most consistent and acceptable product.

6. Clarifying the Conundrums • Do we agree on the definition of sweet spot? • How does one determine a press’s sweet spot?

7. GRACoL

8. Clarifying the Cunundrums • Can a press be trimmed and trained to always run at its sweet spot? • Will print variability increase if a press is run outside of its sweet spot? • Can we maximize a press to improve a press’s sweet spot to produce a better product?

9. Clarifying the Conundrums cont… • What effect does each variable have on print quality? • Are some of the variables more important to control than others? • Which print attributes must be controlled for the least variability? • Have GRACoL recommendations proven to be correct?

10. Clarifying the Conundrums cont… • When will GRACoL recommendations become ISO specifications? • How can we increase the speed and accuracy of measurements? • How well do the closed-loop press control systems keep the press at the control point?