Version 1.2. User's Guide

Transcription

1 Version 1.2 User's Guide

2

3 Note SpotOn! process control software has been developed for printing professionals. It is very flexible and easy to use. However, we recommend the user be familiar with the Macintosh OS X or Windows operating system before using this guide. SpotOn! s user interface is almost identical on all platforms. However, some functions may differ slightly depending on the environment. In this User s Guide, each occurrence is preceded with the operating system logo. This User s Guide is included on the SpotOn! application CD and on our web site All updates are posted on our web site. Copyright SpotOn! Press, LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States. SpotOn! is a trademark of SpotOn! Press, LLC. Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

4

5 Technical Support If you are a registered user and require any assistance concerning SpotOn!, you can contact: United States & Canada Tel.: Fax: support@spotonpress.com Other Countries Contact your dealer. For additional information concerning customer support and Annual Support Agreements, see the Support section on our web site at

6

7 Table of Contents 1st Chapter Disk Contents What's in the package? SpotOn! Libs folder Resources folder SpotOn.db SpotOn_Demo.db SpotOn.prf i1 folder Images folder SpotOn! Control Strip v1 (i1) folder Target Sets folder Menu Bar SpotOn! menu File menu New Job File menu Open Job Database File menu Close Window Edit menu About SpotOn! Edit menu Update Dongle Edit menu Preferences Main Function Window Window Components New Job Job Information Tab Job Details Standards & Tolerances Printing Details Comment 8

8 viii User s Guide Measurements Tab i1 Connection and Calibration Scanning Targets Current Measurement Averaging Scans Saved Measurements Job Charts Edit Jobs Job Database Tab Recall Job Edit Job Analyze Data Trend Chart Query Window Trend Charts Preferences General Tab General Tolerances i Print Window Page Setup Preset Compact Database Field Presets Tab Target Data Tab 23 2nd Chapter Job Charts Primaries Chart Tab NPDC Chart Tab Trend Charts Primaries Averages Tab NPDC Averages Tab Density/DeltaE Tab TVI Tab Trends Tab 37

9 1st Chapter Disk contents, Menu Bar, Main Function Window, New Job, Edit Jobs, Analyze Data, Preferences 1.1 Disk Contents What s in the package? SpotOn! Resources folder SpotOn!.exe SpotOn!.exe.manifest Resources folder SpotOn! Libs folder Software License Agreement v2.pdf SpotOn! Getting Started v4.pdf SpotOn! User's Guide v4.pdf SpotOn! Libs folder This folder contains resource files for SpotOn! in the Windows environment. Please do not tamper with these files! Resources folder i1 folder Images folder SpotOn! Control Strip v1 (i1) folder SpotOn_Demo.db Target Sets folder

10 2 User s Guide This folder is common to both operating systems and contains folders and files essential to SpotOn! SpotOn.db The first time SpotOn! is launched a SpotOn.db database file is created in the Resources folder. This file contains all job information and measurement data entered into SpotOn! SpotOn.prf The first time SpotOn! is launched a SpotOn.prf file is created in the Resources folder. This file contains the preferences settings for SpotOn! IMPORTANT The database and preferences files are extremely important! Make sure backup copies are created on a regular basis and stored in a safe place. This point cannot be stressed enough. You are responsible for your data! SpotOn_Demo.db This database file is only used when no dongle is present. It provides a sample database for SpotOn! to use when in demo mode. Please do not delete this file! i1 folder This folder contains the i1 driver for Windows. If an i1 has never been connected to the Windows computer this driver must be installed so SpotOn! will recognize the i1. Plug the i1 into an available USB port. If the New Hardware wizard pops up, follow the on-screen instruction to install the driver. If asked to find the driver, browse to this folder and select the driver Images folder This folder is a temporary storage folder for cached chart images. Please do not delete this folder! SpotOn Control Strip v1 (i1) folder This folder contains the actual SpotOn! control strip target in PDF, EPS and TIFF format. Use any of these targets on your press sheets. Please don t tamper with these targets!

11 1st Chapter Menu Bar Target Sets folder This is the target data set for the SpotOn Control Strip v1 (i1) target. Our earlier PressCheck v1 target is also included for those of you who were using the PressCheck spreadsheet and don t want to remake your press forms. There is no data difference between the two targets. The new SpotOn! target was re-branded with the SpotOn! name and the order of the patches was revised to help reduce misreading by the i1. Please don t tamper with this data! A new target data set has been added, the P2P target. The P2P25 target cannot be scanned with the i1, but the CGATS data from ColorPort or MeaseureTool can be dragged into the Saved Measurements window. 1.2 Menu Bar SpotOn! menu This menu is available only on Macintosh and contains About SpotOn!, Update Dongle, Preferences and Quit SpotOn! In Windows these menu items are located under the Edit menu except Quit SpotOn!, which is under the File menu and called Exit (see the Edit menu section for complete descriptions of these item). The other items are standard Macintosh menu items and are part of most Macintosh applications. Note that Preferences and Quit SpotOn! have keyboard shortcuts.

12 4 User s Guide File menu New Job Selecting this menu idem under the File menu performs the same function as clicking the New Job button in the Main Function Window. Ctrl + N (Win) or + N (Mac) are the keyboard shortcut for this function File menu Open Job Database Selecting this menu item under the File menu performs the same function as clicking the Edit Jobs button in the Main Function Window. Ctrl + O (Win) or + O (Mac) are the keyboard shortcut for this function File menu Close Window Selecting this menu item under the File menu closes the foreground window. It does not close the Main Function Window. Ctrl + W (Win) or + W (Mac) are the keyboard shortcut for this function Edit menu About SpotOn! Selecting this menu item under the Edit menu will open the splash screen with scrolling credits. The version number of SpotOn! is located on the splash screen. Clicking the splash screen will close it. On Macintosh About SpotOn! is located under the SpotOn! menu Edit menu Update Dongle Selecting this menu item under the Edit menu will open the Dongle Updater window. The dongle must be activated in order to use SpotOn! and this window is used for that purpose. The Getting Started document contains details for activating the dongle. Please read this document to learn how to activate the dongle. On Macintosh Update Dongle is located under the SpotOn! menu Edit menu Preferences Selecting this menu item under the Edit menu will open the Preferences window. These preferences control application-wide settings. See the Preferences section for complete details about setting SpotOn! preferences. On Macintosh the Preferences menu item is under the SpotOn! menu.

13 1st Chapter Main Function Window Main Function Window Window Components This is the first window displayed when SpotOn! is launched, and stays open until the application is closed. It contains the Menu Bar, Quit button and three buttons that open windows to perform tasks Menu Bar This row of pop-up menus provide access to various functions within SpotOn! New Job Click this button to create a new job, measure press sheet targets and view charts for that job. Edit Jobs Click this button to edit or display existing jobs and their charts stored in the database. Analyze Data Click this button to filter the database and display average and trend charts based on the filtered data. Quit Click this button to quit SpotOn! All open windows and charts will be closed when this button is clicked.

14 6 User s Guide 1.4 New Job Job Information Tab When New Job is selected from the Main Function Window the New Job window opens with the Job Information tab selected. This tab is where job details, standards and printing details are entered. All blank pop-up entry fields are controlled by the Field Preset Values preference. See the Field Presets section for details. A Job Number or Job Name must be entered before moving to another tab. When finished with a job click the Close Job button in the lower right corner of this window. The red X in the top right corner (Win) or the red button in the top left corner (Mac) can also be used. Note It is important to enter as much detail in the Job Information tab as practical. This data will be used to filter the database for trending analysis. If data isn't entered in this section the benefit of filtering the data will be lost, as there will be no values to filter by.

15 1st Chapter New Job Job Details Enter job related information in this area. Presets can be created that allow an operator to quickly recall standard settings for all settings in the Job Information tab. The current date and time are displayed, but if data is being gathered off-line the date and time can be set to reflect the actual date and time the job ran. Remember, a Job Number or Job Name must be entered to move to another tab. Any job that is closed prior to entering either a job name or number will be automatically deleted from the database as it is assumed to be a dud job Standards & Tolerances Select the Target Data, Meas. Backing, and Control Strip from the popup fields. The other fields must be entered in the Field Preset Values preferences before choosing an item from a pop-up field. See the Field Presets section for details.

16 8 User s Guide Printing Details These fields must be entered in the Field Preset Values preferences before choosing an item from a pop-up field. See the Field Presets section for details Comment Comments pertaining to this specific job may be added in the this area for future reference and filtering Measurements Tab This is where measurement data from press sheets or proofs is captured and charts of the saved measurement data are viewed. The i1 is also controlled from this tab (see image on next page). A single measurement from a single sheet, multiple measurements from a single sheet, or multiple measurements from multiple sheets can be added to the Saved Measurements list. Multiple readings can be averaged into a single saved measurement. Note Once saved, individual measurements that made up an averaged measurement cannot be accessed again. Make sure these individual measurements won't be needed before saving them as an average. When finished with a job click the Close Job button in the lower right corner of this window. Alternately the red X in the top right corner (Win) or the red button in the top left corner (Mac) will serve the same function i1 Connection and Calibration Calibration of an i1 is also performed from this tab. The image on the next page shows the i1 is not connected. Plug the i1 into an available USB port, and SpotOn! will immediately recognize the i1.

17 1st Chapter New Job 9 Note If SpotOn! doesn't recognize the i1 or it doesn't calibrate, unplug the i1 while in the Measurements tab and plug it back in. Then perform a calibration. In Windows, if the i1 isn't recognized the first time it is plugged in and Windows tries to install new hardware, follow the new hardware installation wizard. If the wizard doesn't find the i1 driver automatically it can be located in the SpotOn!\Resources\i1\i1 Windows Driver folder. Once the driver is installed and Windows recognizes the i1, proceed with the calibration. i1 connected and needing calibration.

18 10 User s Guide Click the Calibrate button. A window will pop open prompting you to place the i1 on its base and press the button on the i1. There is no need to hold the button while it is calibrating. The window will disappear when the calibration is finished. i1 successfully calibrated and ready to scan targets Scanning Targets There are two ways to initiate a scan. 1. Use the i1 to initiate the scan by placing it on the scanning guide at the beginning of the target, ready to scan. Depressing the i1 button will initiate the scan so be ready to scan the target before depressing the button. Depress the i1 button and hold it. Do not move the i1 until a beeps sounds (insure speakers are not muted). While still holding the button, slowly and with consistent motion slide the i1 along the scanning guide until the end is reached. Release the button and SpotOn! will record the data in the Current Measurement window with an audible bell. Click the 2. New Measurement button and then position the i1 for scanning the target. Proceed as in number 1 on the previous page to perform the scan.

19 1st Chapter New Job 11 The scan measurement must be saved before going on to the next scan. This is accomplished by clicking the Save button. Saved measurements will be displayed in the Saved Measurements window. A measurement must be saved before a chart of that measurement can be viewed. If you do not save a measurement before starting a new scan the subsequent scan will be averaged with the previous scan (see the next section, Averaging Scans). If it is necessary to cancel a scan once the process has started, just click the Cancel button. If a buzzer sounds during a scan and a dialog box pops up indicating a scan failed, close the dialog box and perform the scan again Current Measurement This list displays the measurement data from a scan after the scan has successfully completed. It becomes active when the i1 button is clicked during the process of scanning or when the New Measurement button is clicked. A Sheet Count and Comment can be added to the scan if desired. The Meas. Backing and Control Strip settings are displayed as a reminder of the conditions set in the Job Information tab.

20 12 User s Guide Averaging Scans If multiple scans are performed without saving between scans SpotOn! assumes the scans will be averaged. Each scan is added to the Reading pop-up as Meas. #1, Meas. #2, etc. Average will be selected as the default. This feature can be useful if multiple targets on the same sheet were scanned and average data for the sheet was desired. If measurements need to be removed from a set of averaged readings prior to saving the measurements, select the measurement requiring removal in the Reading pop-up and click the button to remove it. Note This cannot be undone and when the measurement is saved you be unable to access the individual readings used to create the average reading Saved Measurements Measurements are saved to this list and can be deleted or charted by selecting a measurement. Selecting a measurement activates the Delete

21 1st Chapter New Job 13 Measurement button and Chart Measurement button. Click the Delete Measurement button to delete a measurement from the list. Click the Chart Measurement button to open a chart window. Doubleclicking a measurement will also open a chart window. Note Any delete function cannot be undone. For this reason every delete function has a warning dialog box providing an opportunity to cancel the delete function. Target data from other control strips like the IDEAlliance and P2P25 targets can be saved from ColorPort or MeasureTool in CGATS format and dragged into the Saved Measurements window. It is not necessary to pick a control strip from the Control Strip pop-up menu for this to work. SpotOn! will automatically determine the type of control strip being used. See the documentation that comes with these other control strips for information regarding saving measured data Job Charts Chart windows are accessed from the Job Measurements tab via the Chart Measurement button or by double-clicking a saved measurement. See the 2.1 Job Charts section for complete details about these charts. Once a chart window is open navigating to other measurements in the job is accomplished by clicking the pop-up at the bottom of the chart window and selecting the appropriate Pull. Use the up and down arrow keys to move up or down from measurement to measurement (Pull to Pull). The right and left arrow keys will tab from the Primaries chart tab to the NPDC chart tab. Table references can be changed from Lab to LCh via the second pop-up at the bottom of the chart window. Click the Print button to print both the Primaries and NPDC charts for the current selected Pull.

22 14 User s Guide 1.5 Edit Jobs Job Database Tab When Edit Jobs is selected from the Main Function Window the Job Data window opens with the Job Database tab selected. This tab displays jobs that are stored in the database. Use this tab to recall jobs for viewing, edit job content or delete jobs from the database. There is a filter function at the bottom of the screen to filter the list by Date, Job Number, Job Name or Client. Selecting a column header will sort the list data by the selected column. Click the column header to toggle between ascending or descending order. Double-clicking a job serves the same function as selecting a job and clicking the Recall Job button. Alt-double-clicking (Win) or Optiondouble-clicking (Mac) serves the same function as selecting a job and clicking the Edit Job button. Ctrl-double-clicking a job or selecting a job and holding the Ctrl key while clicking on the Recall Job button recalls the job in a new window. This function is nice when comparing charts from several jobs. From time to time jobs with no measurement data get stored in the database. This usually happens when a new job is started and data was entered in the Job Number or Job Name field and then the job is closed at that point. It is important to note that when a job number or job name is

23 1st Chapter Edit Jobs 15 entered into the Job Information tab, that job will be saved to the database upon closing. If no job number or job name has been entered the job will not be saved. If jobs were saved that have no measurements and will never have measurement data associated with them, you can click the Delete No-Meas. Jobs button to delete all jobs with no measurements. Note Any delete function cannot be undone. For this reason every delete function has a warning dialog box providing an opportunity to cancel the delete function. When a job is open, either in Recall Job mode or Edit Job mode, an asterisk is placed to the left of the open job in the Job Database tab. This asterisk signifies the job is locked and is open for either viewing or editing. Switching to the Job Information or Measurements tab and closing the job, will remove the lock on the job. If a job remains locked even after quitting and relaunching SpotOn!, quit and relaunch SpotOn! When the splash screen is displayed hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key until a notice window appears. Click the OK button to reset the Record-In-User Markers. When SpotOn! finishes launching all jobs in the database will be unlocked and there will be no asterisks on any of the jobs Recall Job To view an existing job from the database, select the job in the Saved Jobs list and click the Recall Job button. Double-clicking the job in the Saved Jobs list will perform the same function. The view switches to the Job Information tab displaying the recalled job information. To display charts of the recalled job click on the Measurements tab and doubleclick a saved measurement. This will pop open a new chart window displaying the data from the selected saved measurement. If there are multiple measurements, use the up and down arrow keys to navigate between pulls. Use the left and right arrow keys to move back and forth from the Primaries tab to the NPDC tab.

24 16 User s Guide A red warnings states that the data is locked in both the Job Information tab and the Measurements tab. The data is locked to prevent accidental changes while viewing saved jobs Edit Job To edit an existing job from the database, select the job in the Saved Jobs list and click the Edit Job button. Double-clicking the job in the Saved Jobs list while holding down the Alt key (Win) or Option key (Mac) will perform the same function. The view switches to the Job Information tab displaying the recalled job information. The difference is this job is now open for editing, and the red warning indicates this state. Changes can now be made in this window. When a change is made, the Revert To Last Saved Data button in the lower left corner of the window becomes active. To save the new data click the Close Job button. To cancel the changes prior to closing the job, click the Revert To Last Saved Data button. All changed data will revert back to the original data. To display charts of the recalled job click on the Measurements tab and double-click a saved measurement. This will pop open a new chart window displaying the data from the selected saved measurement. If there are multiple measurements, use the up and down arrow keys to navigate between pulls. Use the left and right arrow keys to move back and forth from the Primaries tab to the NPDC tab. Measurement data is locked, even in edit mode. New measurements

25 1st Chapter Analyze Data 17 can be added, and existing measurements can be deleted, but to edit the Sheet Count or Comment fields the measurement data must be unlocked. To unlock a measurement Alt-click (Win) or Option-click (Mac) a saved measurement file. An unlocked file only allows editing of the Sheet Count and Comment fields. The actual scanned measurement data cannot be edited. Note Once the measurement file is in edit mode, Cancel or Save must be clicked to move to another tab or close the job. 1.6 Analyze Data Trend Chart Query Window This window is where the database is sorted for analyzing print condition trends. Filtering of the database can be based on a Date Range, Client, Press, Operator, Paper, or any other criteria recorded in the Job Information tab when jobs were created. The data displayed in the popup choices is based on the current filtering of the database. As an example, if you select a specific job number to filter by, all other pop-up choices are reduced to just the selections for that specific job. If you select a data range like Last Week, only jobs for last week and their respective data will be displayed in the pop-ups.

26 18 User s Guide Once filter selections are chosen, click the Chart button to display the Trend Chart window for that search criteria. The Trend Chart Query window stays open so changes can be made to the filter selections. When filter selections are changed, click the Chart button to update the Trend Chart window Trend Charts There are five tabs of trend charts. Moving from tab to tab can be accomplished via the right and left arrow keys. The charts are based

27 1st Chapter Preferences 19 on the filter criteria set in the Trend Chart Query window. The first two chart tabs are average deviation charts with high, low and average data displayed. The third chart tab compares the solid ink densities (SID) of the primary colors to the Lab standard values via deltae76. This chart shows the optimal SID for each ink. The fourth chart tab shows the high, low and average TVI (dot gain). The fifth chart tab compares the density trend over time with deltae76, NPDC deviation, and TVI. See the 2.2 Trend Charts section for complete details about these charts. 1.7 Preferences General Tab This window can be accessed via the Edit menu (Win) or SpotOn! menu (Mac) at the top of the Main Function Window. The Preferences window is divided into three tabs. From the General tab the general application settings can be changed along with i1 calibration settings, printer settings, tolerance settings and the database compacting feature General This section contains some general application functionality settings. By default Allow Job Editing is checked. Uncheck this option to disable job editing. Checking the Include database Entries in Popup Lists check box will allow all data associated with each pop-up stored in the database to be visible. This item is unchecked by default. If checked it can make it difficult to find items in the pop-up lists. A Consultant Mode can be activated allowing users to freely populate job information rather than be restricted to the Field Presets. This is not advisable for actual production

28 20 User s Guide as the integrity of the data used for filtering can be compromised when users inadvertently enter wrong or misspelled data in these fields. Closing a new job will take you to the Job Database tab if Auto-Close New Job Windows is unchecked. The colorimetrically accurate layout for L* has light being up and dark being down. Checking Invert L* Y-Axis (Pressman Mode) flips the L* graphs so light is down and dark is up. This provides a more familiar layout for press operators Tolerances All chart tolerance lines and circles are set using these preference settings. The Target setting is the red boundary tolerance line set as the not-to-exceed value. The Limit setting is the orange boundary tolerance line set as a desirable value to achieve. Setting a value of 0.00 disables the tolerance line or circle for that feature. Leave the TVI Reference Lines at They are not ready to be used yet.

29 1st Chapter Preferences i1 Click the appropriate radio button to set the frequency of mandatory calibration of the i1. If SpotOn! is left open for extended periods of time, it would be advisable to not click Calibrate Each App Launch Print Window Page Setup Preset Click this button to preset printer functions. A standard Page Setup window will open. These printer presets reflect on any printing function within SpotOn! By holding the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key down this button changes to a reset button if it becomes necessary to reset the Page Setup to defaults. In Windows, if Acrobat is loaded, the Adobe PDF printer can be selected to create PDF files of charts.

30 22 User s Guide On Macintosh, just select the PDF button and pick Save as PDF A PDF file will be saved in the location the user specifies Compact Database The SpotOn! database stores all scanned and uploaded data. To clean up and reduce the size of the database after multiple jobs have been deleted, click the Compact Database button. A dialog box will indicate when the process has completed successfully. Click OK to close the dialog box Field Presets Tab The default settings for the General preferences is set to force the user to enter pop-up field preset values prior to entering job information in a new job. This might seem like an unnecessary step, but presetting the pop-ups in this fashion insures the data is consistent and usable as filters (i.e. users could enter 1st, First, first, and FIRST for the Shift field thereby rending a sort-by-shift useless). Once set up, entering data in new jobs is quicker using preset fields. Note Currently there is no method of changing already-stored values so these values should be considered carefully prior to production use.

31 1st Chapter Preferences 23 Select a Field Preset Name from the pop-up list. Enter the desired value to appear in the Job Information tab pop-ups. Click the + button to add the value to the list. To delete a value from the list, highlight the list item and click the button. Note Any delete function cannot be undone. For this reason every delete function has a warning dialog box providing an opportunity to cancel the delete function Target Data Tab SpotOn! is pre-loaded with 10 Target Data sets that define the Lab values for solid CMYK inks and the four solid overprints of these inks (MY, CY, CM, and CMY). This tab allows the user to manage this list of Target Data. New data can be added. Existing data can be edited and/or

32 24 User s Guide removed from the list. Any edits removals or additions will be available from the Target Data pop-up in the Job Information tab in SpotOn! Note The existing data is from industry standards and specifications. Any changes to the existing data will result in deviation from those standards and specifications. It is advisable to not edit the existing data, but create a new set to use in unusual circumstances where adherence to one of these Target Data sets is not possible. When creating a new Target Data set it is advisable to pick a number of press sheets that are a good representation of the desired Target Data. Scan the control strip on each of these sheets to check that the chosen sheets represent a good sampling of data. If they do, rescan the sheets in averaging mode (do not click Save after each scan, only after the last scan). Go to the Primaries chart window and copy the averaged Lab values from the Press Sheet Measured Paper & Ink Values table into the new Target Data set. Save the new set with the appropriate measurement backing and new name.

33 2nd Chapter Job Charts, Trend Charts, 2.1 Job Charts Primaries Chart Tab This tab displays press data as it compares to the Lab target values defined in the Job Information screen under Target Data. Each paper type has a set of Lab values associated with it based on either the ISO standard or an associated specification like SWOP or GRACoL. The TVI All graph, Solid Ink Densities & Tone Value Increase table and Apparent Trap table are exceptions to this as these tables and graph aren t being compared to the Target Data. Their purpose on this tab are to aid in setting up a press to the Target Data without jumping from one screen to another while on press. The Primaries chart tab is extremely useful when performing the first press run in a G7 or ISO calibration as the charts help pinpoint the correct CMYK solid ink densities necessary to pass the target specifications. This tab will also pinpoint ink, paper and press problems if all colors don t pass. Once a chart window is open navigating to other measurements in the job is accomplished by clicking the pop-up at the bottom of the chart window and selecting the appropriate Pull. Use the up and down arrow keys to move up or down from measurement to measurement (Pull to Pull). The right and left arrow keys will tab from the Primaries chart tab to the NPDC chart tab. Table references can be changed from Lab to LCh via the second pop-up at the bottom of the chart window. Click the Print button to print both the Primaries and NPDC charts for the current selected pull.

34 26 User s Guide Target Data Ink & Paper Values This table displays the values for the current Target Data set in the Job Information screen. The chosen setting is displayed at the end of the title in parentheses along with the chosen Meas. Backing. Press Sheet Measured Ink & Paper Values This table displays the measured values for the current Pull being displayed. Delta Press Sheet to Target Values This table displays the difference (delta) between the Target Data Ink & Paper Values (1) and the Press Sheet Measured Ink & Paper Values (2). The Target Values are subtracted from the Paper Values to arrive at the numbers displayed. Pass/Fail Press Sheet to Target Values This table displays the deltae76 values comparing the Target Data Ink & Paper Values (1) with the Press Sheet Measured Ink & Paper Values (2). PASS or FAIL are displayed based on the tolerance setting in preferences for the deltae value. The default setting for the deltae tolerance is 5 and 3. With the default setting a deltae of 5 and above is a red FAIL. A deltae between 3 and 5 is an orange PASS, and a deltae less than 3 is a green PASS. Solid Ink Densities & Tone Value Increase This table displays the Solid Ink Densities (SID) for each process color relative to paper (-paper) using Status T filtration. Also displayed are the Tone Value Increase (TVI, aka Dot Gain) values for 50% using the Murray-Davies formula. Apparent Trap This table displays the Apparent Trap values for the

35 2nd Chapter Job Charts overprints using the Preucil formula. TVI All This graph displays the CMYK TVI curves from 0 to 100% at 5%, 25%, 50%, and 75%. The graph is smoothed between data points and uses the Murray-Davies formula to calculate the TVI values. Chroma/Hue This graph displays the relationship between the CMY inks plus overprints and the Target Data. The a* and b* values for the Target Data are the large dots. The lines are the a* and b* values for the inks and overprints. These lines radiate out from white paper to solid ink. Primaries Deviation This graph displays a more precise picture of the relationship between the CMYK inks and overprints to the Target Data. The center of the graph is the target for each color. The data points show how far each color is from its target and which way it has to move to get to the target. L* Deviation This graph displays the L* delta values from the Delta Press Sheet to Target Values (3) in a visual graphic manner. E Deviation This graph displays the deltae76 values from the Pass/ Fail Press Sheet to Target Values in visual graphic manner NPDC Chart Tab This tab displays press data as it compares to the Neutral Print Density Curve (NPDC) values defined by the IDEAlliance G7 methodology for tone reproduction and gray balance. The NPDC chart tab can be useful when performing the first press run in a G7 calibration to look at press gray balance. The press to NPDC values usually won t be tight enough until after curved plates are run on the second, validation press run. This tab is extremely useful in determining if the applied plate curves are accurate enough, or need to be modified slightly. During production runs the NPDC chart tab can be more useful than the Primaries chart tab as it displays gray balance and tone reproduction deviations from the target values. This is because we are more sensitive to small changes in tone reproduction and gray balance than we are to small changes in primary and overprint colors when comparing press to proof. Therefore monitoring this tab can help an operator fine-tune the solid ink densities during a press run to keep the press gray balanced and not printing too dark or too light. Once a chart window is open navigating to other measurements in the job is accomplished by clicking the pop-up at the bottom of the chart window and selecting the appropriate Pull. Use the up and down arrow keys to move up or down from measurement to measurement (Pull to Pull). The right and left arrow keys will tab from the Primaries chart tab to the NPDC chart tab.

36 28 User s Guide CMY NPDC This graph displays the press CMY gray scale density values to the CMY Neutral Print Density Curve (NPDC). The red line is the press gray scale densities and the green line is the desired NPDC. K NPDC This graph displays the press K gray scale density values to the K NPDC. The red line is the press gray scale densities and the green line is the desired NPDC. Target Densities (Paper Excluded) This table displays the target densities for the 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 tone values for both the CMY and K gray scales. These values are useful when reading gray target patches on a press sheet color bar, as they help the operator maintain tight neutral print density (NPD) and gray balance tolerances while running the press. Target CMY/K CIELab Values This table displays the target Lab values for the 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 tone for the CMY gray scale. These values are useful when reading gray target patches on a press sheet color bar, as they help the operator maintain tight neutral print density (NPD) and gray balance tolerances while running the press. They are only useful if the press operator is using CIELab instead of density to control the CMY neutral gray scale. Gray a*/b* Deviation This graph displays the a* and b* values for the 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% CMY gray patches. The center of the graph is the target for each patch. The data is modified for the paper color of the press sheet using the IDEAlliance G7 formula for calculating

37 2nd Chapter Trend Charts the effect of paper color on neutral gray. NPDC Density Deviation This graph displays the density variance between the press sheet and the NPDC for both the CMY curve and K curve. This is another way of looking at the values displayed in the CMY NPDC (1) and the K NPDC (2) using density values. CMY Gray Balance This graph displays the a* (red) and b* (blue) values for the CMY gray patches from 0 to 100% at 5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. The graph is smoothed between data points. It shows the effect of paper white on the neutrals and how well the press is printing CMY gray. The data is displayed as absolute values, so paper white is not subtracted from the data. K Gray Balance This graph displays the a* (red) and b* (blue) values for the K gray patches from 0 to 100% at 5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. The graph is smoothed between data points. It shows the effect of paper white on black at various percentages. The data is displayed as absolute values, so paper white is not subtracted from the data. Since there is no way to make changes on press to this graph besides changing the color of the paper, it is used as an indicator of the effect of paper color on neutrality. In other words, this graph shows the best possible a* and b* relationship between gray and the paper being used. The CMY Gray Balance (7) cannot be any closer to pure neutral (0,0) than this graph. 2.2 Trend Charts Primaries Averages Tab This tab displays the average, high and low of press data as it compares to the Lab target values for the primary ink colors and overprints. The chart is useful in showing how consistent a press is performing to the Lab target values. The displayed graph averages are based on the filter settings in the Trend Chart Query window. The key to using any of the trend charts is in what is being filtered from the database and how much data is being averaged or trended. As an example, filtering could be set for just one job to see the consistency of that job from start to finish. In order to perform this analysis that job would require more than one pull be measured (there are no averages if there is only one measurement to analyze). If individual jobs are to be analyzed for consistency through their run, it will be important to capture a number of measurements for each job. The more measurements, the better the analysis. An ideal situation would be to scan each pull the press operator took from the run, in order. Sometimes this could be overkill, so a possible shop standard might be to take a dozen pulls throughout the run from start to finish, label them as to their sheet number (approximate) and scan each of them into SpotOn! (in order from start to finish). This

38 30 User s Guide would provide enough data on each job so a good analysis could be performed. The data could be printed and included in each job jacket. Other examples of filtering the data are comparing presses, comparing shifts or operators and comparing how the press performs on one paper vs. another paper. Data can also be filtered on a calendar basis, so a week s worth of work could be analyzed. This can be done for a week, month, quarter, year, or any custom date. Filtering by date can be helpful in analyzing the effect of climate conditions in the press room on printing (i.e. hot and humid, vs. cold and dry) Primaries Deviation Average This graph displays the relationship between the CMYK inks and overprints to the Target Data. It is the average of all data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The center of the graph is the target for each color, regardless of the actual Target Data chosen in the original jobs being filtered. The data points show how far each color is from its target and which way it has to move to get to the target. The goal is to keep the dots inside the red tolerance circle. E Deviation Average This graph displays the minimum, maximum and average CMYK and overprint deltae values of the data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The blue horizontal line in each bar is the average. The table below the graph displays the numeric values of the graphed data. This graph compares the ink and overprint colors to the Target Data and displays the difference as deltae76 values. Low deltae

39 2nd Chapter Trend Charts numbers are ideal, with the goal being to keep the bars below the red tolerance line. Density Average This graph displays the minimum, maximum and average CMYK densities of the data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The blue horizontal line in each bar is the average. The table below the graph displays the numeric values of the graphed data. L* Deviation Average This graph displays the minimum, maximum and average CMYK and overprint L* of the data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The blue horizontal line in each bar is the average. The table below the graph displays the numeric values of the graphed data. This graph compares the L* values of the inks and overprint colors to the Target Data. Zero is ideal, with the goal being to keep the bars between the + and - red tolerance line. 50% TVI Average This graph displays the minimum, maximum and average CMYK 50% Tone Value Increase (TVI, aka Dot Gain) of the data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The blue horizontal line in each bar is the average. The table below the graph displays the numeric values of the graphed data NPDC Averages Tab This tab displays the average, high and low of press data as it compares to the Neutral Print Density Curve (NPDC) values defined by the IDEAlliance G7 methodology for tone reproduction and gray balance. The chart is useful in showing how consistent a press is performing to the G7 NPDC target. The displayed graph averages are based on the filter settings in the Trend Chart Query window. The key to using any of the trend charts is in what is being filtered from the database and how much data is being averaged or trended. As an example, filtering could be set for just one job to see the consistency of that job from start to finish. In order to perform this analysis that job would require more than one pull be measured (there are no averages if there is only one measurement to analyze). If individual jobs are to be analyzed for consistency through their run, it will be important to capture a number of measurements for each job. The more measurements, the better the analysis. An ideal situation would be to scan each pull the press operator took from the run, in order. Sometimes this could be overkill, so a possible shop standard might be to take a dozen pulls throughout the run from start to finish, label them as to their sheet number (approximate) and scan each of them into SpotOn! (in order from start to finish). This would provide enough data on each job so a good analysis could be performed. The data could be printed and included in each job jacket. Other examples of filtering the data are comparing presses, comparing shifts or operators and comparing how the press performs on one paper vs. another paper. Data can also be filtered on a calendar basis, so a week s worth of work could be analyzed. This can be done for a week, month, quarter, year, or any custom date. Filtering by date can be helpful

40 32 User s Guide in analyzing the effect of climate conditions in the press room on printing (i.e. hot and humid, vs. cold and dry) CMY NPDC Average This graph displays the minimum, maximum and average press CMY gray scale density values to the CMY NPDC. It is the average of all data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The red line is the press gray scale densities and the green line is the desired NPDC. The lighter red lines are the minimum and maximum values of the filtered data. K NPDC Average This graph displays the minimum, maximum and average press K gray scale density values to the K NPDC. It is the average of all data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The red line is the press gray scale densities and the green line is the desired NPDC. The lighter red lines are the minimum and maximum values of the filtered data. Gray a*/b* Deviation Average This graph displays the average of the a* and b* values for the 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% CMY gray patches. It is the average of all data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The center of the graph is the target for each patch. The data is modified for the paper color of the press sheet using the IDEAlliance G7 formula for calculating the effect of paper color on neutral gray. CMY Gray Deviation Average This graph displays the minimum, maximum and average a* (red) and b* (blue) values for the CMY gray patches from 0 to 100% at 5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. It is the

41 2nd Chapter Trend Charts 33 5 average of all data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The graph is smoothed between data points. It shows the effect of paper white on the neutrals and how well the press is printing CMY gray. The data is displayed as absolute values, so paper white is not subtracted from the data. The lighter red and blue lines are the minimum and maximum values of the filtered data. NPDC Density Deviation Average This graph displays the minimum, maximum and average density variance between the press sheet and the NPDC for both the CMY curve and K curve. It is the average of all data being filtered in the Trend Chart Query window. The blue horizontal line in each bar is the average. The table below the graph displays the numeric values of the graphed data. This is another way of looking at the values displayed in the CMY NPDC Average (1) and the K NPDC Average (2) graphs using density values Density/DeltaE Tab This tab displays the relationship between density of the CMYK inks and how closely the primary and overprint colors match the Target Data. Density values are along the x axis with deltae76 values along the y axis. Instead of plotting data points, curves are drawn to approximate the trend of these data points making it easier to interpret the graphs. The chart helps an operator identify the best SID s to run. It also aids in the tracking of wet ink trap related variables on press, and the affect of different papers on ink and overprint consistency. Put another way, the graphs show the probable window of acceptable solid ink density (SID) for an ink to print within the deltae tolerances of a given Target Data set. The displayed graph data is based on the filter settings in the Trend Chart Query window. The key to using any of the trend charts is in what is being filtered from the database and how much data is being averaged or trended. As an example, filtering could be set for just one job to see the consistency of that job from start to finish. In order to perform this analysis that job would require more than one pull be measured (there are no trends if there is only one measurement to analyze). If individual jobs are to be analyzed for consistency through their run, it will be important to capture a number of measurements for each job. The more measurements, the better the analysis. An ideal situation would be to scan each pull the press operator took from the run, in order. Sometimes this could be overkill, so a possible shop standard might be to take a dozen pulls throughout the run from start to finish, label them as to their sheet number (approximate) and scan each of them into SpotOn! (in order from start to finish). This would provide enough data on each job so a good analysis could be performed. The data could be printed and included in each job jacket. Other examples of filtering the data are comparing presses, comparing shifts or operators and comparing how the press performs on one paper vs. another paper. Data can also be filtered on a calendar basis, so a week s worth of work could be analyzed. This can be done for a week,

42 34 User s Guide month, quarter, year, or any custom date. Filtering by date can be helpful in analyzing the effect of climate conditions in the press room on printing (i.e. hot and humid, vs. cold and dry) Black Density/deltaE This graph displays all data affected by K. There is only one curve for K. The portion of the curved line below the red tolerance line is the sweet spot for the K ink. This shows the range of SID s where the K ink will perform within the de Deviation tolerances set in Preferences. Magenta Density/deltaE This graph displays all data affected by M. There are multiple curves as overprint colors that contain M are affected by the M solid ink density (SID). The portion where all the curves are below the red tolerance line is the sweet spot for the M ink. This is the range of SID s where the M ink will perform within the de Deviation tolerances set in Preferences. Cyan Density/deltaE This graph displays all data affected by C. There are multiple curves as overprint colors that contain C are affected by the C solid ink density (SID). The portion where all the curves are below the red tolerance line is the sweet spot for the C ink. This is the range of SID s where the C ink will perform within the de Deviation tolerances set in Preferences. Yellow Density/deltaE This graph displays all data affected by Y. There are multiple curves as overprint colors that contain Y are affected by the Y solid ink density (SID). The portion where all the curves are

43 2nd Chapter Trend Charts below the red tolerance line is the sweet spot for the Y ink. This is the range of SID s where the Y ink will perform within the de Deviation tolerances set in Preferences. Poly. Deg. This pop-up defines what degree the polynomial trend curves fit the data points. A higher number creates a tighter fit. A lower number creates a looser fit. Show Data Points Checking this check-box will display the data points associated with the polynomial curves. It is usually left off to keep the graphs less cluttered TVI Tab This tab displays the average, high and low tone value increase (TVI aka Dot Gain) for the CMYK inks. Dot percentage values are along the x axis with TVI percentage values along the y axis. The chart is useful in showing how consistent a press is performing throughout the tone scale, and is helpful in showing press conditions such as blanket piling that isn t usually noticeable in the NPDC. The displayed graph averages are based on the filter settings in the Trend Chart Query window. The key to using any of the trend charts is in what is being filtered from the database and how much data is being averaged or trended. As an example, filtering could be set for just one job to see the consistency of that job from start to finish. In order to perform this analysis that job would require more than one pull be measured (there are no averages if there is only one measurement to analyze). If individual jobs are to be analyzed for consistency through their run, it will be important to capture a number of measurements for each job. The more measurements, the better the analysis. An ideal situation would be to scan each pull the press operator took from the run, in order. Sometimes this could be overkill, so a possible shop standard might be to take a dozen pulls throughout the run from start to finish, label them as to their sheet number (approximate) and scan each of them into SpotOn! (in order from start to finish). This would provide enough data on each job so a good analysis could be performed. The data could be printed and included in each job jacket. Other examples of filtering the data are comparing presses, comparing shifts or operators and comparing how the press performs on one paper vs. another paper. Data can also be filtered on a calendar basis, so a week s worth of work could be analyzed. This can be done for a week, month, quarter, year, or any custom date. Filtering by date can be helpful in analyzing the effect of climate conditions in the press room on printing (i.e. hot and humid, vs. cold and dry).

44 36 User s Guide TVI Average (All) This graph displays the average CMYK tone value increase (TVI aka Dot Gain) curves for the data being filtered. TVI Average (Yellow) This graph displays the average, high and low Y tone value increase (TVI aka Dot Gain) curves for the data being filtered. TVI Average (Cyan) This graph displays the average, high and low C tone value increase (TVI aka Dot Gain) curves for the data being filtered. TVI Average (Black) This graph displays the average, high and low K tone value increase (TVI aka Dot Gain) curves for the data being filtered. TVI Average (Magenta) This graph displays the average, high and low M tone value increase (TVI aka Dot Gain) curves for the data being filtered.

45 2nd Chapter Trend Charts Trends Tab This tab compares six different sets of data to ink density over a time line to analyze trends over that time. The bottom graph displays density trends and is fixed. The upper graph can be changed between six different graphs by using the six buttons between the two graphs. The idea behind this is that the press operator only has control of the SID s while running jobs. If ink density goes up, any chart viewed above should have a predictable reaction to the change in density. If it doesn t and a trend is notice, some variable has either changed or is out of control and closer inspection of the press mechanics or chemicals is in order. The NPDC 1/2 button is select by default when this Trends tab is selected. The displayed graph data is based on the filter settings in the Trend Chart Query window. The key to using any of the trend charts is in what is being filtered from the database and how much data is being averaged or trended. As an example, filtering could be set for just one job to see the consistency of that job from start to finish. In order to perform this analysis that job would require more than one pull be measured (there are no averages if there is only one measurement to analyze). If individual jobs are to be analyzed for consistency through their run, it will be important to capture a number of measurements for each job. The more measurements, the better the analysis. An ideal situation would be to scan each pull the press operator took from the run, in order. Sometimes this could be overkill, so a possible shop standard might be to take a dozen pulls throughout the run from start to finish, label them as to their sheet number (approximate) and scan each of them into SpotOn! (in order from start to finish). This would provide enough data on each job so a good analysis could be performed. The data could be printed and included in each job jacket. Other examples of filtering the data are comparing presses, comparing shifts or operators and comparing how the press performs on one paper vs. another paper. Data can also be filtered on a calendar basis, so a week s worth of work could be analyzed. This can be done for a week, month, quarter, year, or any custom date. Filtering by date can be helpful in analyzing the effect of climate conditions in the press room on printing (i.e. hot and humid, vs. cold and dry).

46 38 User s Guide E Deviation Trend This graph displays the deltae values for the inks and overprints as compared to the tolerances set in preferences. The y axis displays deltae76 values. To display this graph, press the DeltaE button. Curve Smoothing This slider adjusts the amount of smoothing applied to the curves. Sliding it to the left renders the trend line with less smoothing and to the right more smoothing. Density Trend This graph displays the density of CMYK ink over time and is helpful when evaluating any of the graphs displayed above it. The y axis displays density. NPDC Buttons These buttons toggle between quarter-tone (1/4 or HC), mid-tone (1/2 or HR), and three-quarter-tone (3/4 or SC) graphs. The data displays the CMY (brown) and K (gray) NPDC density deviations from the dotted target lines. The y axis displays density. TVI Buttons These buttons toggle between quarter-tone (1/4), midtone (1/2), and three-quarter-tone (3/4) graphs. The data displayed is the CMYK tone value increase (TVI aka Dot Gain). The y axis displays the TVI percentage. Show Job Boundaries Checking this check-box will display a black vertical line at the beginning of each job being displayed in the trend graphs. In this example there are two jobs being analyzed and the second job starts at pull 13 where the black vertical line is located.