Ghosting, picking, doubling: These are just a few of the lithographic printing problems that can vex even the most experienced printer. This results-oriented workshop will give you practical experience in recognizing, solving and preventing costly and time-consuming printing problems. You will learn how to meet your customers’ demands for quality while decreasing reworks, turnaround time and production costs.

This is not an all-lecture program. . . this is a hands-on troubleshooting program. In a true working classroom, you will troubleshoot real-life problems. Feel free to bring your favorite densitometer and magnifiers to analyze press sheets while working to solve the problems presented in this class.

You will learn

• The six basic steps of troubleshooting
• Troubleshooting tools, techniques, and references
• How to measure and evaluate print quality
• Proper spectrodensitometer usage
• Common paper and ink laboratory tests
• Methods to interpret what you see
• How to using resource material
• How to understand customer expectations
• How to identify many of the major print quality problems
• Why so many problems look the same
• Some quick cures for print problems

Program outline

• The tools and techniques of troubleshooting
  • The six basic steps of troubleshooting
  • How to use densitometers
  • Measurement of print quality
  • Problem-solving in action
• Technology round table
  This section of the seminar is constantly updated to give you the most current information about new technologies in printing. Ray Prince will bring samples of pieces printed using the latest technologies for you to closely examine:
  • Digital printing
  • Hi-Fi printing
  • Stochastic printing
  • Computer-to-plate printing
  • UV coatings

Who should attend

Anyone who looks at lithographic printing with a loupe will find this seminar valuable. Among those who will benefit are:

• Prepress supervisors
• Press operators and supervisors
• Quality assurance managers
• Ink and paper troubleshooters
• Technical service representatives

Participants should have attended Lithographic Relationships and Variables or have equivalent experience in lithography. If you need help in determining if this seminar is for you, please call our toll-free number and ask to speak to Ken Posman. Participants are invited to bring their favorite loupe and any other troubleshooting tools. Tools and an extensive library of troubleshooting references will be provided for participants who need them for in-class use.

Instructors

Ray Prince Vice President and Senior Consultant – Operations Management, NAPL

Program fee

$895

Register for this course

• Use our online registration form
• Call us toll free at 1-800-724-2536
• Outside the continental United States, call 585-475-7172
• Send a fax to 585-475-7000

If you have any questions about the program, please e-mail Fred White at ffwter@rit.edu

RIT’s most popular overview seminar on graphic arts technology provides a up-close look at each step of the print production process. By discussing and observing the workflow steps for typical printing jobs – all the way from press to production on RIT’s digital and web presses – you’ll gain practical knowledge of the many complex processes that make up today’s dynamic printing industry.

This fast-paced program is packed with information and exciting demonstrations to give you the knowledge to perform your job more effectively. You’ll get a solid, comprehensive grounding in graphic arts technology – as only RIT, the leader in graphic arts training, can deliver.

You will learn

• Major printing processes: sheetfed and web offset, digital, gravure, and screen printing methods
• Printing production workflows
• Digital press computer applications
• Image acquisition technology
• File creation and preparation for print
• Print finishing and management
• Trade jargon

Program Outline

• Major printing processes and markets
  • Overview of current and emerging technologies
  • Advantages, disadvantages and trends
• Getting the job printed
  • Production steps and workflow issues, from prepress to bindery
  • Examining workflow scenarios for direct-to-film, -plate, and/or -press.
• Digital prepress applications
  • What are the most popular software applications you need to know about?
  • What are they used for?
  • What are their limitations?
• Introduction to printing papers and substrates
  • Classifications and grades
  • Properties, characteristics and end use
  • What you should consider when choosing a substrate
• Ink, toner and inkjet
  • Presses, printers, proofers
  • Properties, characteristics, and end use
• Design issues
  • Product design vs. page/image design
  • Creating designs that will print successfully
• Image acquisition and reproduction
  • Popular image acquisition technologies:scanners, digital cameras
  • Workflow implications
  • What needs to happen before the image can be printed
• Print finishing and management
  • Imposition planning
  • Finishing concepts and procedures
  • Binding methods
• Demonstrations of printing jobs produced on RIT’s presses
  • Digital printing
  • Web offset lithography

Who should attend

This seminar is an excellent introduction for newcomers to the graphic arts industry as well as anyone who works with digital prepress houses, printers and publishers. Among those who will benefit the most are:

• Printing equipment and supply representatives
• Customer service representatives
• Graphic designers and art directors
• Photographers
• Agency production personnel
• Marketing/communication staff
• Publication supervisors
• Writers
• Print buyers

Instructors

Kenneth Hoffmann Chairperson/Professor, Arts and Imaging Studies RIT National Technical Institute for the Deaf

David Cohn Associate Professor, Arts and Imaging Studies RIT National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Program fee

$1095

Register for this course

• Use our online registration form
• Call us toll free at 1-800-724-2536
• Outside the continental United States, call 585-475-7172
• Send a fax to 585-475-7000

If you have any questions about the program, please e-mail Fred White at ffwter@rit.edu

PAL has released new seminar dates reaching to December, 2012. We provide training in both traditional and digital technologies using world renowned instructors, comprehensive prepress and press labs, and state-of-the-art imaging facilities. We can also provide custom training. Below are all seminars available for registration to date. Note: these dates may be subject to change.

2012

April

• 4-6 Lithographic Relationships & Variables
• 16-19 Orientation to the Graphic Arts

May

• None Scheduled

June

• 13-15 Lithographic Troubleshooting
• 18-21 Orientation to the Graphic Arts

July

• None Scheduled

August

• None Scheduled
  

September

• 12-14 Lithographic Relationships & Variables
• 24-27 Orientation to the Graphic Arts

October

• 24-26 Lithographic Troubleshooting

November

• None Scheduled

December

• None Scheduled

Digital Printing Boot Camp - Dates to come soon!

Printing Process Identification and Image Analysis for Forensic Document Examiners - Dates to come soon!

To read the full release click   PSA Press Release

Go here to view Robert Chung’s Presentation.

RIT is developing a Printing Standards Audit (PSA) program that certifies printing companies who have demonstrated their abilities to conform to ISO printing requirements. RIT is also contributing to the development of printing standards at the national and international level. A reason that RIT is engaged in these activities is because of its expertise and curriculum in print media technology. Understanding variation in printed products through database analysis and utilizing statistics to make decisions in tolerance settings and in printing conformance are central to the mission of the PSA program.

The objective of this report was to analyze the variance of the PSA database. The source of the PSA database was a survey of 35 printing companies (N=35 jobs, with two samples per job). Each printing company submitted five sample sheets. Two of these sheets were measured by two instruments twice. Therefore, there were a total of 8 sets of measurements for each printing company (2 sheets x 2 instruments x 2 times). The printing target was IT8.7/4, which includes 1,617 patches. The measurement instruments were two X-Rite i1 iSis with M0 mode and white backing.

The analysis was focused on data variance as supplied in the files of (1) measurement summary, and (2) data set analysis. In order to summarize measurement variation, this project reports deviation conformance of the database to ISO 12647-2. Continue reading this report.

A number of printing industry influencers approached RIT in December 2008 and asked RIT to offer a process certification program to the U.S. printing industry. In 2009, a committee was formed of faculty and staff from the School of Print Media and the Printing Applications Laboratory to investigate this proposal. The committee submitted a research project proposal to the Printing Industry Center in November 2009 with the goal of conducting a printing standards survey in order to capture the view of printing companies regarding the role of printing standards applicable to workflow from data reception to printing.

A questionnaire was designed to assess the role of standards that impact five areas of workflow: file creation and data reception, contract proof, CTP/press calibration, process control, and workflow efficiency. An Internet-based survey tool was used to implement the survey worldwide. A total of 117 companies (including 90 printers) from North America, Europe, Asia, and Mexico participated in the survey. This report provides the complete results of that survey.