TEST TARGET

Process Calibration

Photopolymer Flexographic Printing Plates

Traditional Digital Plates (round top dots)

• TEST TARGET BUILD

• BUMP CURVE CREATION

• BACK EXPOSURE TEST

Overview

Test targets are visual tools that allow both qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluating a prepress and print system. Test targets typically relate to the way an image will print and for this reason are important to us. Numbers can be applied to the system by using targets. You will build a test target to help quantify platemaking characteristics and press performance characteristics.  

Assignment

You will design your own individual target, soft proof it, and make a flexographic plate of this target then perform some measurements on this plate.

Materials

Adobe Illustrator

Platemaking equipment

Beta Flex

ESKO DeskPack
Digital Thermal Plate Material

ESKO Automation Engine

Safety plate cutter

Design Method Checklist
 

1. Design your file to fit  5.5” wide x 12” tall artboard

2. Name your file… GC4060-[Semester]-[your name]-raw

3. You can layout your image elements however you prefer

4. Build your target with the following test target elements:

   1. Tone Scales @ 4 different LPI’s with the following screen tints

      • 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%,80%, 90, 100%

   2. Line resolution target, go to failure for both positive and reverse lines (less than .01 pt thickness)

   3. Type printability target; go failure both positive and reverse (less than 1 point type).  Serif & San Serif fonts

   4. Large Even Tone Screen Tint and Large Solid Targets

   5. Slur Targets; 2 different styles of line thickness and spacing

   6. 30% tint patch on each side of the layout

   7. UPC-A barcode oriented both “picket fence” & “ladder”

5. Include these layout elements also

   1. Center marks ( 0.5 point line thickness ) top and bottom of layout

   2. Registration marks on either side of layout centered top to bottom ( 0.5 point line thickness )

   3. Bearer bars … use dynamic marks for this… trim and media. See demo video (if not able create your own)

   4. Your Name and Lab day (MW or T/TH)

   5. Create a dynamic panel containing the following information:

      1. File name & Date

      2. Ink colors

      3. Dot shape

      4. Dot angle

      5. LPI’s

   6. You can use esko.com  and navigate to > products > Deskpack to learn more about the plug-ins

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This link can will explain basic print targets

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1M7xtCXnBIoMV9kbVlaM0MxMUk&authuser=0

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Prepress

• Use ESKO plug-ins to set LPI’s, dot shapes and screen angles

• Use ESKO plug-ins to create dynamic panel

• You can get to these by going to Window > Esko > …..

Digital Hard Proof

Print proof on Epson 7900 through CGS ORIS software. See instructor or lab TA for help until documents developed.

Get approval signature on layout

_______________ Approved for RIPPING

RIP – Raster Image Process

• • File > Launch workflow

  • Choose the Workflow name 4060 Godfrey CDI workflow

  • Set the correct distortion factor in the RIP (12” repeat)

    1. To experience distortion calculations goto www.flexoexchange.com  >>>  calculators

• • Set your dot shape to “job”... this will allow your dot shape settings set in the file to transfer to the RIP

  • Choose your inks to output (you should have 4 unique ink names such as black, black/1, black2, black/3)

  • There should be no curves selected as we want to determine and build our bump curves

  • Hit Launch

SOFT PROOFING of RASTER FILE

• • Check your 1-bit TIFFs using Automation Engine Pilot

  • Find your task in the task window

  • Right click on FlexRip/CDI on HarrisASmith CDI task
    Select …..    Go To  >>  Output File

• • Soft proof your file

    1. Distorted file should be 11.61 inches

    2. LPI’s correct?

    3. Dot percentages correct (1% = 1%,  2%=2%, etc.)

    4. All inks present?

    5. Separations look good? Turn different ones on/off

Get approval signature

_______________ Approved for platemaking