What's the thinking on how many form rollers are needed to print large area quality solids (e.g. printing the full back of a brochure in solid dark navy or black with only a little white type.)

I'd say no less than 3 forms in order to get a decent solid down on the sheet.

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Ted

"You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline,it helps if you have some kind of football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." - Frank Zappa

I'd say at least three but four would be better. If your running black run a double bump and you shouldn't have any problem with coverage.

Thank you very much both Ted and xallux. Much appreciated. Will consider 3 as the bare minimum in my search.

For the larger presses where you are running 4-up sheets or larger (19x26), I would look for 3 ink forms and 1 water form. Have heard some larger presses have 4 inks and some have 2 water. You will appreciate it the first time you do a 19x26 sheet with 18x25 poster size solid ink coverage with reverses & knockouts.

Hope that helps.

4 forme rollers, 19 in the train in total together with alcohol refrigerated damp plus McKinley dampener roller and/or delta effect. Even then double hit on large solids is the way to go. If you can, get oscillating forme rollers too - these iron out any tracking or ghosting effects from difficult layouts.

if you have a 2 color press, I have had good results running a 40 to 60% screen on the first tower with the solid on on tower two.