spectrodensitometer hell!!!!

Started by Aaron, May 23, 2008, 05:30:58 PM

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Aaron

So we are trying to go to G7 standards on our new workflow and plates (which ended up being full Prinergy and Kodak Sword P0045 plates). My spectrodensitometer 530 is either on the fritz or I'm doing something wrong. I am reading a press sheet from an uncalibrated plate to get my dot gains so I can build me curve. I am using the dot setting on the Specro and once I read the paper, then the solid, and then read a swatch it's not reading some colors. I can get readings from the Magenta and Cyan, but the yellow doesn't even read. I read the paper and then as soon as I read the solid I get a huge negative number??!! The black reads up until about a 50% screen and then won't give me a reading at all. I'm worried my other readings are wrong if I can't even get a reading from the yellow or higher screens in the black.

What am I doing wrong??

I have N factor turned off, smart patches turned on, calibrated to the white patch on the base. Is my device broke or am I missing something.

We print in staccato. Would that be the problem with reading the press sheet? I thought the 528 and higher series could read staccato? Any advise or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Prinergy 6.1, UpFront, Magnus Quantum 400 , Epson 9880, Insite 7.0, Sonora

"You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Arthur King," you and all your silly English K-nig-hts." -- John Cleese, Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Ear

Yikes! I hate crap like that. The densitometer shouldn't care if the dots you are reading are stochastic or conventional as it isn't really reading the dot it's self but rather the amount of ink vs paper that is reflecting back into the lens of the device so I doubt that's the problem. Sounds like you are doing the right thing by checking the plain sheet first, then a solid... it should be working. Is the battery on the fritz? I have seen them get all wacky when the battery is acting up. How old is the unit? Has it been working up to this point? I know sometimes they need to have a firmware update but it really does sound more like malfunction than carbon unit failure.

It's sure to be a little dead here until next week so you may not get many answers right away. Take me for example, I'm outta here! Good luck with it and let us know if you solve the problem.
"... profile says he's a seven-foot tall ex-basketball pro, Hindu guru drag queen alien." ~Jet Black

Aaron

I'm not sure if it's been working to tell the truth.  :grin:

It's about 4 years. Never really utilized it. I'll check in the firmware though. Thanks!
Prinergy 6.1, UpFront, Magnus Quantum 400 , Epson 9880, Insite 7.0, Sonora

"You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Arthur King," you and all your silly English K-nig-hts." -- John Cleese, Monty Python and the Holy Grail

LoganBlade

I don't have that one but I had similar problem when I set it to Visual or Auto when looking at color. I set K to Visual. CYM to coresponding color. Better reading on the yellow. Maybe part of the problem?
"dyslexics have more fnu"

Aaron

I tried setting it to yellow and even tried setting it to other colors for the hell of it. Is it critical to have the correct color selected? It's just reading dot area? Why even have to pick a color?
Prinergy 6.1, UpFront, Magnus Quantum 400 , Epson 9880, Insite 7.0, Sonora

"You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Arthur King," you and all your silly English K-nig-hts." -- John Cleese, Monty Python and the Holy Grail

LoganBlade

I did get different reading when I was just using visual setting. Try following instruction for setting it back up to default setting and see if that helps. I was having problems once with mine and an operator took the time to read manual a reset it while I was at lunch. (Yes i had an operator that was actually thinking) I got better readings after she set it to default.
"dyslexics have more fnu"

Aaron

I downloaded the manual and am going to do a little reading tuesday. Hope it's as simple as a setting. Thanks for the ideas though loganblade.
Prinergy 6.1, UpFront, Magnus Quantum 400 , Epson 9880, Insite 7.0, Sonora

"You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Arthur King," you and all your silly English K-nig-hts." -- John Cleese, Monty Python and the Holy Grail