Bay Press Services

Pantone Plus

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:33:19 -0400

The PANTONE PLUS SERIES is an enhancement and replacement of our flagship PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®. The new PLUS SERIES retains all the classic colors of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM while building on its legendary success with exciting new colors and features:
224 new spot colors in our FORMULA GUIDES and COLOR BRIDGES®
New PREMIUM METALLICS GUIDE and CHIPS featuring 300 new colors
42 new NEON colors in our PASTELS & NEONS GUIDES and CHIPS
Chromatic arrangement of colors for more intuitive color selection
New colors printed at uniform ink film thicknesses for fast and accurate printing
PANTONE COLOR MANAGER Software for updating PANTONE PLUS colors in digital design applications
ColorChecker® Lighting Indicator for creating optimum color evaluation conditions
ColorChecker Primer for easy digital image color correction
Text weight paper stock for closer matching to today’s printed work
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper for preserving our natural resources

DESIGNERS LOVE PANTONE PLUS!
The PANTONE PLUS SERIES expands our classic PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM range with 224 additional spot colors. The new spot colors were developed in response to marketplace trends and forecasts, so designers not only enjoy greater flexibility and creatively, they are also assured producing designs with impact and currency. Likewise, 300 new PLUS SERIES PREMIUM METALLICS and 42 hot new PLUS SERIES NEONS were developed by Pantone color professionals through research of evolving trends and will add stylish pop and flare to any graphic, product or package design.
The PLUS SERIES products are easy to use. All colors are now arranged chromatically, for more intuitive color selection and creativity. The new colors are printed using consistent ink film thicknesses which makes them easily matched on press. All of the colors in the PANTONE PLUS SERIES are printed on text weight paper, to more closely match color specification to today’s printed work. What’s more, all paper stocks used in Pantone products are FSC approved.
The PANTONE PLUS SERIES includes great new tools, too. Every guide contains a ColorChecker® Lighting Indicator that aids in finding proper viewing conditions for color evaluation. The new PLUS SERIES COLOR BRIDGE Guides include a ColorChecker Primer for color correcting digital images. Our new PLUS SERIES COLOR MANAGER Software (included with every PLUS SERIES product purchase) lets you instantly update the PLUS SERIES colors in Adobe, Quark and Corel applications; this powerful software includes many smart features, including a function that allows you to bridge spot to CMYK color simulations based on ICC profiles.

PRINTERS LOVE PANTONE PLUS!
The new colors in the PANTONE PLUS SERIES are formulated using the same 14 basic inks of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® – no new equipment or changes to workflow are required. Our PLUS SERIES colors are printed using consistent ink film thicknesses, which makes them easily matched on press.
The new range of non-leafing PLUS SERIES PREMIUM METALLICS have a higher brilliance, can easily be coated and have a longer life after printing without tarnishing or blemishing.

http://www.baypressservices.com/acatalog/New_Pantone_Plus.html

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:37:27 -0500

September 18, 2009

Take Control of Press Production
Quality Control Devices are More Important than Ever
I recently read an article in the PIASC Weekly Update newsletter that is the basis for this Blog entry. In the article, Ken Rizzo, PIA Director of Technical Services, observed that across the industry there still exists a significant lack of process controls for offset printing. Many steps are taken in the pre-press area to assure quality control, but once the job reaches the pressroom, printers are plagued by print quality problems and excessive color variation to the point that effective color management may not be achievable. Here are some areas to help regain control of the pressroom.
Pressroom Color Control.

Solid ink density and tonal value control are key to process control and print quality. Dot gain is often the only point considered here, but it should be remembered that density loss is equally possible and needs to be measured. The fastest method of checking ink density for gain or loss is with a reflective color densitometer. These units can provide information not only on the solid ink density, but also dot gain/loss, tonal value change, density change, ink trap, dot area, hue error, grayness, brightness and other critical variables.

It is also equally important to control the actual color itself. The easiest color check is a visual, comparing colors to known standards from a PANTONE color formula guide. If spot colors are not being used, check the process colors on the color bar to the CMYK in the PANTONE color formula guide. Remember, an out-of-date guide will not yield accurate colors. Always view color under the proper lighting conditions as well.

A quality, properly mixed fountain solution is essential to maintain ink-free non-image areas and maximum color fidelity. Follow the manufacturer’s recommended mixing instructions and then check the pH and conductivity with a properly calibrated meter. One of the most important factors in fountain solution consistency is to mix the concentrate with treated water (distilled, deionized or RO). If the water is inconsistent, the fountain solution will be equally inconsistent. Check the pH and conductivity at the start, middle and end of each shift and log the readings, making notation of any problems being encountered on press.

A clean printing job starts with a clean press. Blankets and rollers need a deep cleaning between jobs to remove residual ink components (pigments as well as the carrier varnishes) from the pores of the rubber. It is obvious that residual pigments will cause color contamination, but residual varnishes that are allowed to dry in the pores will harden the rubber and decrease blanker and roller life. Print quality suffers and customers can be lost. Roller rubber condition can be easily monitored with a Shore A Durometer. Check rollers at least once a week with a durometer. A good two-step roller wash will keep rollers in a “like-new” condition longer and will also help minimize water soluble glaze build-up. A water-miscible wash should be utilized for general blanket and roller cleaning. A flush with plain hot water can’t hurt anything.

Pressures
Pressures should always be set to the minimum to get the job done. Minimum pressures increase plate life, bearing life, roller life and blanket life. Excess pressures cause premature press wear as well as causing unwanted dot gain and uneven solids. It is important to check pressures between ink and water form rollers and plate, plate-to-blanket and blanket and impression cylinder. Check with the press manufacturer for recommended pressure settings. Roller pressures are generally set with ink stripes – the wider the stripe, the greater the pressure. Blanket pressures must be checked on the press. It does no good to measure a blanket thickness off press. When the blanket is tightened on the press, it loses thickness. A quality blanket packing gauge should be used.

The All-Important Paper
All the care and monitoring in the world will not yield a good image if the paper isn’t ready for printing or if it isn’t as specified by the customer. Be certain to test the paper for temperature and moisture content and make sure it has the proper gloss factor as specified by the customer.

Xrite Promotion

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:50:34 -0400

Here is a great promortion from Xrite....until September 30, 2009. Purchase an i1XTreme and get 25% off of either an i1iSis or i1iO automated chart reader. http://www.baypressservices.com/acatalog/i1_Specials.html

Pantone Formula Guide

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:03:33 -0400

Just like any printed piece of literature the image and the colors start to fade after awhile. This can be due to prolonged exposure to sunlight ot bright lights in the shop and some even think that it is due to ozone. Whatever the cause they do fade and your PANTONE FORMULA GUIDE could be incorrect and possibly cost you a re-run if you're the printer that used the old guide to print the new job.

Make sure you have the latest guide especially at the counter where your customer will order and view the job. Make sure all of your sales staff has the most up to date version as well. Remember it only takes a little too much magenta or not enough cyan to totally change the color of the ink...better safe than sorry ! Check out our website for the latest guides and the best pricing.....

http://www.baypressservices.com/acatalog/Pantone_Graphics.html

Continue reading "Pantone Formula Guide"

X-Rite Announces DensiEye 100, An Easy-to-Use and Affordable Pressroom Densitometer

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:52:22 -0400

--Cost-effective addition to the DensiEye product family ensures quality, accuracy and stability of prints--

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 2nd, 2009 – X-Rite, Incorporated (NASDAQ: XRIT), the world leader in color management, measurement and communication technologies, today announced the immediate availability of a new member of its DensiEye family of portable pressroom reflection densitometers. Designed to meet the needs of press operators, production managers and quality control managers, the new DensiEye 100 provides users with density and grey balance data to ensure the quality, accuracy and stability of their prints.

Buy this product today from Baypressservices.com

With the fastest measurement response on the market, the DensiEye family measures all critical factors in the printing process to help speed press make-ready and point out errors before they get out of control, making a DensiEye a cost effective addition to any pressroom running CMYK jobs.

The new DensiEye 100 is very easy to use, making it perfectly suited to anyone with only a basic knowledge of print quality control. Users have direct visual access to the most commonly used functions and density readings without even pressing a key. The clear Pass/Fail Indicator (PFI) provides quick results and lets users move on to the next measurement without even needing to look at the display unless the PFI alarm flashes.
DensiEye 100 can easily be upgraded to a fully-featured DensiEye 700 to include all the necessary functions for highly detailed measurements including: density, tone value (dot area), tone value increase (dot gain), trapping, gray balance and print characteristic measurement. An optional smaller aperture (which can include a polarization filter) is also available for measuring small strips as required in magazine and newspaper printing environments.

Like the fully-featured DensiEye 700, the DensiEye 100 is equipped with LED technology for low power consumption and is capable of up to 500,000 measurements per battery set (both systems use standard AA batteries). This means less maintenance and fewer battery replacements. Both DensiEye portable reflection densitometers can easily communicate with any PC through the USB port.

About X-Rite

(NASDAQ: XRIT) X-Rite is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which now includes design industry color leader Pantone, Inc., develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. X-Rite's expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color helps users get color right the first time and every time, which translates to better quality and reduced costs. X-Rite serves a range of industries, including printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com

About BayPress Services
BAY PRESS SERVICES has been providing quality Graphic Art Supplies and Electronic Pre-Press equipment since our founding in 1981. It is our mission to offer the best possible Graphic Arts products and solutions backed by a knowledgeable staff at the fairest prices.

©2009 X-Rite, Inc. All rights reserved. X-Rite is a registered trademark of X-Rite, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Continue reading "X-Rite Announces DensiEye 100, An Easy-to-Use and Affordable Pressroom Densitometer"

Xrite & Profilemaker software

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:28:22 -0400

With the explosion of inkjet printers in the home, the printshop (for signs, banners and proofs) and in the hands of photographers and artists alike the need has never been stronger for accurate color reproductions. It is pretty amazing how well the small home printers reproduce faithful color but as the printers get larger (17", 24" 36" 44" etc) the costs go up as to making prints. It's easy to throw away a 8"5" x 11" print because the color is off but it is pretty painful to throw away 24 " x 30" prints.
Xrite has the i1 spectrophotometer bundled with Profilemaker in a few different flavors. With this bunble you can build and tweek your own ICC profiles and stop wasting paper and ink but more importantly you can take hold of your output and deliver the very best print your printer, ink and paper selection that is capable of.It is an easy bundle to use and now you can profile your entire system from monitor to output device for consistant, accurate results. To find out more follow the link below

http://www.baypressservices.com/acatalog/Xrite_Software.html

Lower VOC'S

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:48:51 -0400

This is about the "Bay Area Air Quality Control Board" (San Francisco, CA area). There is talk that new regulations will be in effect starting Jan 2009 requiring printshops in the bay area to reduce their voc's. Then in Jan 2010 the voc's allowed will be reduced again. This new lower voc rule is already in effect in the greater Los Angeles area so we (in the bay area) can benefit from this.

The major solvent manufacturers have already made press washes that will enable you to meet the new requirements. Like all of the Eco friendly solvents of the past there will be (and has to be) some trade offs....that being: now the press person will have to apply a little more "elbow grease" to help the solvents work AND they will have to come back over the blanket and rollers with clean water to flush out the residual chemicals left behind.The new lower voc washes work very well and are ready to go right now. As long as every one realizes the few trade offs involved it will be a painless transistion.

Give us a call to find out more ! 800-660-8656

Film....how much longer til you can't get any more film?

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:16:08 -0400

Well ? How long until all the major manufactures stop making film for the Graphic Arts Industry ? My guess is 3 ~ 5 years max...what do you think ?

What's a Kimosetter ?

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:38:16 -0400

Well, a Kimosetter is an inexpensive CTP solution for the small to mid size shop. It looks like an oversized desktop printer but delivers polyester plates without chemistry and you don't have to be a prepress wizard to use it. If you can install a desktop printer to your PC or Mac then you can setup and use a Kimosetter.

This system works by using a "dye sublimation" tape system meaning that image only goes on the plate where image is supposed to be. With toner system solutions from a laser printer you can (and will) get small pieces of toner in the non image area of the plate that print but with the Kimosetter that won't happen.

The plates from the Kimosetter are 7 mil polyester specially formulated to accept a "dye" that creates the image and is also ink receptive. Your plate comes off the Kimosetter ready to go...no chemistry...no processing. The plate is great for loose 2 color work or for printing newsletters, church bulletins or any other short run one or two color job you print even business cards. The system can deliver a 120 line halftone that looks great.

Plates are available in sizes from 10" x 15" to 16" x 20" and are packed 100 plates to a box.

This system is priced under $4,000.00 (as of 7-08)

If you'd like more info or a sample plate please call us at 800-660-8656

ANALOG....How long can you afford to stay this way ?

nospam@example.com (Graphic Arts Distributor) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:29:28 -0400

You're still shooting negs on the camera, stripping up the neg on mylar and burning the plate in your flip top......how long can you continue to afford this. I know, you can do it in your sleep, you don't need to hire any one...you can do it by yourself. So then think about this, when a CTP device goes in someone usually loses a job...suppose you (the shop owner and cameraman) lost your job because you installed a CTP device now you would have more time to run your business and get home before 8:00PM each night or maybe you could take an hour or two and go out and drum up some new business to feed your new CTP device. There are lots of solutions to going digital and not all of them cost $60,000.00 or $100,000.00 some can be had for $5,000.00 or less. If you have had your head in the sand because of high prices maybe now is a good time to revisit CTP solutions and start to see the light of day again...........give us a call...maybe we can help !