Plate Testing - Looking for recommendations

[jeffs@printnw.net]

What plate testers are people using? X-rite? Techron? Betascreen?

How often do you test the plates? Is there a patch template that has helped you workflow?

Our old plate tester (video dottie) crashed and I am looking to improve the process and with the improved scanning speeds how often scans occur.

Thanks,
Jeff

[gordo]

What plate testers are people using? X-rite? Techron? Betascreen?
How often do you test the plates? Is there a patch template that has helped you workflow?
Our old plate tester (video dottie) crashed and I am looking to improve the process and with the improved scanning speeds how often scans occur.
Thanks, Jeff

Since you've already had the experience, what CtP/plates do you have? How often did you test plates? What variation did you see?

best, gordon p

[rich apollo]

The Techkon SpectroPlate is nice. FM capable, decent repeatability, good image quality. You can upload images to a PC. Wish they'd expand that software to support Macs. Be nice with my laptop.

[jeffs@printnw.net]

The Techkon SpectroPlate is nice. FM capable, decent repeatability, good image quality. You can upload images to a PC. Wish they'd expand that software to support Macs. Be nice with my laptop.

Thanks for the recommendation. How often do you test your plates? Once a day? Everyone?

Thanks,
JEff

[rich apollo]

We're kinda' spot checking - a couple times per shift.

[Bret Hesler]

I'll second the recommendation for the SpectroPlate.

As for readings, we are reading less often than I would like, but we have also had very good stability, likely because of the climate control in prepress.

I started reading once a day, and saw almost no variation, and then read weekly, and the stability continued. We have not had to adjust exposure for at least 6 months. We tend to pay a little more attention when changing lots of plates, but also little change there. Our main check now is a visual check of the digital exposure wedge. 1x1 and 2x2 pixels blends.

Bret