Staff Writer

Simplicity is the key for X-Rite’s new auto-tracking densitometer, ATD News, which aims to help maintain color balance for newspapers.

It has a touch-screen operator interface, a density level visual gauge of either CMY or K ink per column, measured from a continuous bar, and a visual alarm indicating out of balance CMY densities per column.

Making its debut at Nexpo 2000 in June, the ATD News was designed specifically for newspaper presses.

ATD News automates and speeds the process of evaluation and adjusting gray balance in newspaper production.

“Many newspapers print gray balance control elements on all color pages that comprise cyan, magenta and yellow, and when printed together, must produce a neutral gray,” said Manfred Werfel, IFRA’s director of research and consult. “This can be checked either visually or by densitometry.”

This is how the ATD works. A single-thickness sample is placed on the ATD News system track and an operator aligns the gray bar using the light-emitting diode guides that shine through the paper from beneath. The system measures the gray bars as small as 1/16-inch for three-color CMY balance, or for single-color black density information across the width of a single-truck newspaper page.

The operator uses the touch-screen interface to enter identifying information, such as page and section, while the density levels are measured. When a problem occurs, ATD News immediately alerts the user of out-of-balance conditions via the display, which allows continuous, as-needed adjustments to the press run.

Density levels are shown by simple colored gauges to help maintain ink consumption and minimize rub-off and excessive ink.

Summary and gray balance data can be generated for export to standard spreadsheet or data analysis software at the end of a production cycle. Information can then be separated according to categories such as identification, date/time, section/page, and column/key.

ATD News can deliver significant speed, accuracy and process control advantages to newspaper press operators still relying on manual densitometers or visual reference for color quality monitoring, according to X-Rite.

“Newspaper printers are making every effort to obtain a high and constant color printing quality,” said Werfel. “Only in this way is it possible for newspapers to maintain and increase their attraction for advertising customers and readers in competition with other media. Gray balance control is one of the critical topics in the quality assurance business.”

X-Rite

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