Is there anyone here who can share some tricks or tips on how to get color quick.

[Hotsteel63]

Is there anyone here who can share some tips or tricks to getting color quicker in Tha make ready.

 

[Jack liston]

If you're press has job memory use it to pre inking

 

[turbotom1052]

It all begins with good plates. When the prepress department and plate output is calibrated or fingerprinted properly to the press make readies will be shorter and with less waste. It will almost seem as though the press falls into correct color. Once it gets there it will be more stable through the length of the run. It goes without saying that a pressman fully experienced in multicolor printing will give you the best chance of not only a faster makeready, but also better color control, with less waste and fewer reprints. When you consider that the press is the highest cost center in the entire shop it only makes sense to staff your press with the best crew available even if it costs a few bucks more. Promoting guys off of the broom to run your multicolor equipment will not work well for any company!!!

 

[Adil]

Hi sir
if I understand correctly you are talking about the preparation of ink so the mixture that the operator makes before putting it in the inkwell.
so to make it quick you can use a scale and a color chart, the scale gives you exactly what is mentioned in the color chart and saves you time.
also you have to group the production files that have the same color to make a single mix once and for all and store at least one day's production
Good luck and be welcome

 

[Hotsteel63]

Thanks guys. I appreciate tha help

It all begins with good plates. When the prepress department and plate output is calibrated or fingerprinted properly to the press make readies will be shorter and with less waste. It will almost seem as though the press falls into correct color. Once it gets there it will be more stable through the length of the run. It goes without saying that a pressman fully experienced in multicolor printing will give you the best chance of not only a faster makeready, but also better color control, with less waste and fewer reprints. When you consider that the press is the highest cost center in the entire shop it only makes sense to staff your press with the best crew available even if it costs a few bucks more. Promoting guys off of the broom to run your multicolor equipment will not work well for any company!!!

CalibraTe? Please explain..

 

[turbotom1052]

Fingrprinting or calibrating your prepress dept to the press involves a complex process of running test forms on the press on multiple different types of stock, and making adjustments in the prepress dept so that the plates that are output are calibrated to deliver the desired images off the press when running the press up to a set standard of densities. These densities should be repeatable from job to job and if the calibration is done correctly will result in more than just a faster makeready, but also more stable color during the course of the run, less waste, and less problems with things like setoff and blocking. The best person to oversee this process will be someone well versed in not only in prepress but someone who also has a thourough understanding of multicolor presswork. You should allow at least a full day of press time and be prepared to burn though at least a thousand sheets of the differeent stocks you will be printing on. You will want calibrations for gloss coated, dull coated, and uncoated papers. Do NOT try to rush this process or cheap out with the paper needed to complete the job!!! I would reach out to your plate supplier to see if they have such a person to help you with this process. Not to sound like a dick, but the fact that you are not familiar with this process would lead me to believe that you are probably not the best person to take on the task of supervising this process. Find yourself a pro and pay him or her whatever it takes to get the job done correctly. You will make back the money you spend with quicker make ready, less waste, and better jobs in a short time.

 

[alibryan]

… calibrating your prepress dept to the press involves a complex process of running test forms on the press on multiple different types of stock, and making adjustments in the prepress dept so that the plates that are output are calibrated to deliver the desired images off the press when running the press up to a set standard of densities. These densities should be repeatable from job to job and if the calibration is done correctly will result in more than just a faster makeready, but also more stable color during the course of the run, less waste, and less (other) problems…

Once an operator has seen (and understands) the results of this calibration process applied correctly, it makes it harder going back to having anything less.

 

[DanRemaley]

Is there anyone here who can share some tips or tricks to getting color quicker in Tha make ready.

Here is a simple method to get plate curves that produce grey balance at press. For Coated and Uncoated.

 

[saso777]

Great discussion here. Building on what turbotom1052 and Adil mentioned about plates, color charts, and press crew expertise, getting color down fast in makeready—and keeping it stable across the run—ultimately comes down to bridging prepress data with pressroom execution through rigorous standardization.

Here are a few advanced strategies that dramatically cut makeready waste and press downtime:

1. CIP4/JDF Ink Presetting: If your workflow stops at manual key setting, you're losing valuable sheets right off the bat. Passing CIP4 (PPF/JDF) data straight from prepress to the press console allows the ink fountain keys to pre-position based on the job's actual area coverage. This gets you 80% of the way to neutral density within the first 10–15 sheets.
2. Stock-Specific Plate Linearization (Dot Gain Compensation): A single plate curve for gloss, silk, and uncoated stock is a recipe for wasted makeready. You need distinct compensation curves mapped to the specific dot gain characteristics of each paper grade (following ISO 12647-2 standards). When the prepress RIP curves accurately anticipate dot spread on uncoated vs. coated sheets, the press "falls into color" almost immediately.
3. Closed-Loop Spectrodensitometry: Integrating inline or off-press scanning spectrophotometers with your press console automates the feedback loop. Instead of the pressman guessing delta-E adjustments visually under varying ambient lighting, the system reads color bars and generates precise zonal key adjustments instantly.
4. Standardized Ink Sequence and Roller Maintenance: Maintaining consistent fountain solution temperature, pH/conductivity, and a strict roller maintenance schedule ensures that emulsification rates remain predictable, preventing hue shifts during the critical first 200 sheets.

For those looking to dive deeper into standardizing prepress-to-press calibration workflows, plate fingerprinting protocols, and technical optimization guides, there are some great technical breakdowns available over at Offset Printing Technology that detail step-by-step implementation for offset environments.

 

[Adil]

thank you