A Description Of Measurable Print Characteristics

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Measurable Print Characteristics
GRA 424 Section 1 – Quality Control in Printing
Amy Nhan – 50%
Victoria Proctor – 50%

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Submitted to Derek Etsey
January 27th, 2014

Test #1: Measurable Print Characteristics

Theoretical Concepts

What Are We Testing?

Determining dot gain, print contrast and ink trap allows us to analyze press sheets and colour bars to find the most favourable running conditions to reproduce a proof for a job. In order to retrieve these print characteristics, multiple density readings are taken with a densitometer from the print control strip to interpret values and use them to asses quality. Dot gain (or tonal value increase) is the increase in the size of a printed dot from plate to press sheet (also in prepress from file/film to print). Dot gain occurs in every printing process and are “most visible in the midtones and deep shadows” (Lawler, 1995), by testing gain and using the dot area equation – a set of adjustment values can be decided upon for how to print the rest of the job. Proofs with high contrast have greater shadow detail - d...

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