Re: How is a printing press calibrated and how much does it cost?
Hi Jorge, Offset presses are both highly standardizable but also unstable, so it's better to think of the task as ongoing, continuous process control rather than a single act of calibration that is repeated occasionally. There is a range of tools in a wide variety of prices, but the basics always include some form of strip-reading spectrophotometer, software that tracks the Lab values of solids, tints, overprints, gray balance and print contrast and the ability to make plate correction curves, and training. I would say that a budget for this would start at somewhere north of $10,000 US plus expenses for one press and training for a press operator and a prepress person and go up from there. Dismiss any suggestion that an annual or semiannual "fingerprinting" or "certification" is what you need--these are quite close to worthless for assuring consistent color output. Mike Strickler MSP Graphic Services
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Mike Strickler