The new CCDot4 DotMeter, available through exclusive North and South American distributor Grip Digital, employs the latest advances in semiconductor technology.

Based on the Centurfax CCDot3 DotMeter, version 4 now offers an enhanced light emitting diode system that enables the machine to read dot areas on any type of offset plate.

Grip Digital distributes Centurfax’s CCDot4, which reads dot areas on any type of offset plate. Photo courtesy of Grip Digital

Complex algorithms for converting density to percentages are a thing of the past. Now, an optical dot gain evaluation feature permits reading dots on paper. It compensates for the absorption properties of the substrate and any dot halo effect to provide an absolute measurement.

“Objective reliable halftone measurements without calibration, zeroing and referencing is quite useful, especially on rough surfaces such as printing plates,” said Greg Imhoff, president of Grip Digital. “The key is in the optical precision and ‘auto-shot threshholding,’ where the device reads from contrasting images, then pixelates and separates out the background from the image.”

On-site upgradeability is also one of CCDot4’s new features. Customers can upgrade to the CCDot4 via the Internet and additional features may be added to existing units by obtaining the appropriate security code.

Key features retained in the new CCDot4 include auto-calibration, WYSIWYG viewing, connections to both PC and Apple Macintosh, and screen ruling and screen angle analysis.

The single-shot auto-calibration feature frees users from finding or calibrating against printing and non-printing areas. It ensures absolute readings instead of relative readings, at the touch of a button.

Eliminating poor readings is the focus of the WYSIWYG viewing system feature. It provides a direct view of the targeted sample area to provide an exact reading of a given spot. This is accomplished because the CCDot4 has no moving parts, which also means reduced maintenance efforts.

The operator takes a direct view of the target area, clicks and moves on to the next sample with confidence even on rough surfaces or in poor conditions, according to Grip Digital.

The company has also announced the availability of the Centurfax FlexoDot, a handheld device for measuring absolute dot values on flexographic printing media, that utilizes a surface sensing technology based on optical developments in the medical industry.

As a reflective device it can be used anywhere without a light table and works effectively on metal backed and capped flexo plates. It does not require computers and software to interpret data, but rather its viewing system produces a true, positive black image of dots, and the data can be read on the FlexoDot integral display screen.

Also available is the PolyDot, a self-contained handheld device for measuring absolute dot values on polyester printing plates. Enabling printers using polyester plates to calibrate output simply, quickly, and inexpensively, it capitalizes on the same surface sensing technology as the CCDot4.

The polyester reflective device works effectively on plates by any manufacturer. True polyester halftone values are produced by the PolyDot, and data is automatically downloaded into the raster image processor for calibration and better color reproductions.

Centurfax

44.0.20.84.41.77.88

www.centurfax.co.uk

Grip Digital

708.784.0560