HP IndiChrome User Manual
HP IndiChrome Ink Mixing System
User guide
HP IndiChrome Ink Mixing System
User guide
© 2006 Copyright
Hewlett-Packard
Development Company,
L.P.
Reproduction, adaptation,
or translation without prior
written permission is
prohibited, except as
allowed under the
copyright laws.
The information contained
herein is subject to change
without notice.
The only warranties for HP
products and services are
set forth in the express
warranty statements
accompanying such
products and services.
Nothing herein should be
construed as constituting
an additional warranty. HP
shall not be liable for
technical or editorial errors
or omissions contained
herein.
directions provided by HP
in this and other
publications. All high
voltage power supplies and
laser sources are located
behind protective covers.
Warning labels are
attached to each protective
cover. Do not remove
covers.
Part Number :
CA294-02222
First Edition:
December 2006
HP, HP Indigo Press,
HP Indigo Press RIP, and
HP ElectroInk are
trademarks or registered
trademarks of HP.
Adobe® PostScript® is a
trademark of Adobe
Systems Incorporated.
MS Windows® and
Windows® are U.S.
registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corp.
All other products or name
brands are trademarks of
their respective holders.
The HP Indigo press is a
Class 1 Laser Product
containing high voltage
power supplies and laser
light sources. There is no
danger to persons or
equipment when the
system is operated in
accordance with the
Printed in Israel.
Contents
1 Introduction
User guide introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
User guide structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Conventions used in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Hardware configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Consumables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Important system information and limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2 Safety and environment considerations
General warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Warning signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Preventing eye irritation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Electrical safety precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Emergency power cutoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Flammable liquids and fumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Handling and storing imaging oil and inks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Waste disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3 Getting started
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Detailed Automatic Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Starting the ink mixing system (IMS) software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
HP IndiChrome Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Exiting the IMS software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4 General procedures
Calibrating the electronic scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Calibrating the spectrophotometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Performing a full calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Performing the daily calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Draining the water from the dispensing unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Adjusting the dispensing unit for the press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Measuring a color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Selecting a PANTONE
Save the Ink Definition file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Saving the color’s workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Transferring the ink definition file to the press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
All HP Indigo presses except for Indigo Sun computer-based presses . . . . 46
Indigo Sun computer-based presses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Preparing the basic inks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Dispensing the ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Sealing the can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Shaking the can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Visually comparing the printed color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Adjusting the ink mix from the printed output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Accurate match. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
®
color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
ENWW
3
Match can be improved by a fix can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Fix can would add too much ink to the ink tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Improvement possible by changing optical density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Undoing and redoing a measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Changing the optical density (OD) spec value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Improving visual match by changing illuminant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Comparing different ink mix results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Changing the ink on the press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
5 Additional IMS procedures
Ready Mix colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Detailed Ready Mix Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Continuing work on a previously defined mix color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Manual color mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Detailed Manual Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Mixing a custom color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Using L* a* b* target values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Measuring the color directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Excluding a basic color from the ink mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Adding a new substrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Importing .mix files (including previous-version ink mix files) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Exporting and deleting ink workspace files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Printing the color workspace details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Setting and displaying specific ink mix parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Color matching parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
HP Indigo press selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Ink print thickness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Color information summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Increase/decrease view of 2D color space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Zoom into 2D color space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Zoom by changing axes values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
View the 3D color space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4 Contents
6 Customizing the look of the HP IndiChrome window
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
HP IndiChrome window customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Changing the ink mix details panel background color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Changing the 2D color space panel background color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Changing the color name font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Displaying the 2D color space background bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Saving and loading the HP IndiChrome window customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Saving the customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Loading a customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Viewing and hiding the Toolbar and Status bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
7 Help
Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Useful links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Program updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
ENWW
Appendix A Special options, basic concepts, and spare parts
(all presses)
Special options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Setting the mix precision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Window menu item usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
How to use the IMS graphic window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Decreasing ink thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Using an old mix file for a new ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Basic concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Color space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
DE*94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Color gamut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
System file types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Can shaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Dispensing unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Miscellaneous. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Appendix B Service and support
Index
ENWW
5
6 Contents
ENWW
1
Introduction
This chapter contains the following sections:
z
User guide introduction
z
User guide structure
z
Conventions used in this guide
z
System requirements
z
Hardware configuration
z
Consumables
z
Important system information and limitations
ENWW
7
User guide introduction
It is often desirable to print with spot color inks in addition to the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow,
and Black (CMYK) process colors. The HP Indigo presses enable you to use such special
inks. The HP IndiChrome ink mixing system (IMS) gives you the capability of preparing
the special ink you require by mixing inks from a set of basic inks. Because the inks are
specially tailored to customer requirements, the inks are referred to as custom inks.
This user guide is suitable for the following HP Indigo presses and Indigo presses:
HP Indigo presses HP Indigo press 5000
Indigo presses UltraStream
User guide structure
This user guide is divided into the following chapters and appendices:
z
1. Introduction. Briefly describes the purpose of the HP IndiChrome ink mixing
system, explains the conventions used in this guide, lists the system requirements
and hardware configuration, lists the consumables that you can order from HP Indigo,
and gives relevant operating information.
z
2. Safety and environment considerations. Describes the safety precautions you
should take when operating the system.
z
3. Getting started. Shows you how to determine the workflow for ink mixing and how
to start and quit the HP IndiChrome ink mixing system software.
z
4. General procedures. Describes the procedures that are performed during the
various ink preparation steps: how to calibrate the electronic scale and
spectrophotometer, measure sample colors, adjust the air pressure of the dispensing
unit, prepare basic inks, dispense ingredients, and seal and shake cans.
z
5. Additional IMS procedures. Describes additional procedures and capabilities of
the HP IndiChrome ink mixing system software: including using Ready Mix colors,
continuing work on a previously defined mix color, manual color mixing, importing .mix
files, adjusting the view of the 2D color space and viewing the 3D color space.
z
Appendix A. Special options, basic concepts, and spare parts (all presses).
Explains special options and basic ink mixing concepts. A spare parts list is also
included.
Series
3000/4000/5000
and Indigo
UltraStream-based
HP Indigo press 3050
HP Indigo press 3000
HP Indigo press w3200
HP Indigo press ws4000
HP Indigo press ws4050
Publisher 4000
Series 1000/2000
and Indigo
TurboStream-based
HP Indigo press 1000
HP Indigo press ws2000
HP Indigo press s2000
TurboStream
Platinum
Omnius WebStream
Omnius MultiStream
Indigo Sun
computer-based
--
E-Print 1000
Omnius
Omnius CardPress
8 Chapter 1 Introduction
ENWW
z
Appendix B. Service and support. Provides contact details for obtaining service
and support.
Conventions used in this guide
This guide uses the following documentation conventions:
z
Keyboard keys to press appear in all uppercase, for example: Press the SHIFT key.
z
Menu options appear in bold type, for example: From the File menu, click New.
z
Options in dialog boxes appear in bold type, for example: After selecting the options in
the Print dialog box, click OK.
z
References to other sections in the guide appear in quotes, for example: See
“Installation” on page 37.
z
Screen messages are displayed in a different font, for example: The Installation
Completed message appears.
ENWW
Conventions used in this guide 9
Window sections
Often, a window is divided into sections. Each section has a name displayed at its top
border. A section may contain fields.
Section
Section
name
Fields within a section are referred to by first the section name, and then the field name,
separated by a slash (/). They appear in bold type. For example: enter a value in the
Target / L* field.
System requirements
z
HP IndiChrome ink mixing system software version 5.5.
z
HP Indigo press software version:
• For Indigo Sun computer-based presses, software version 4.0 or preferably 4.1.
• For Series 1000/2000 presses and TurboStream-based presses, software version
2.0 or higher.
• For Series 3000/4000/5000 presses and UltraStream-based presses, software
version 3.5 or higher.
• For HP Indigo press 5000, software version 7.0
z
Pentium® 133 MHz, or faster, computer; at least 16 MB RAM; Windows 95 or higher;
at least 5 MB free disk space; one free serial port; at least 16 bit or 64 K colors.
z
Operational Local Area Network (LAN): your computer and the HP Indigo press
computer must be nodes on the LAN.
This requirement is optional for Series 3000/4000/5000 presses, UltraStream-based
presses, Series 1000/2000 presses, and TurboStream-based presses.
Field
z
z
10 Chapter 1 Introduction
Compressed air (optional). The pressure/flow rate must be at least 4 bar/0.1 liter per
second, but no more than 10 bar.
The air tank must be equipped with an attached air hose. The end of the air hose
should have an attached female quick connector. The matching male quick connector
should have the standard 6.35 mm (0.25 inch) BSP thread. The male connector is
connected to the dispensing unit.
Work area that includes at least 2 by 0.7 m (6.56 by 2.3 ft) of tabletop space and at
least 0.7 by 1 m (2.3 by 3.28 ft) of floor space.
ENWW
z
For Series 3000/4000/5000 and UltraStream-based presses, adequate space for the
BID washer. BID washer dimensions are:
width = 1.1 m (3.6 ft)
depth = 0.7 m (2.3 ft)
height = 1.2 m (3.94 ft)
z
Voltage: European kit: 235 VAC ±17 / 50 Hz
USA kit: 118 VAC ±8 / 60 Hz
Japanese kit: 103 VAC ±6 / 60 Hz, 115 VAC ±6 / 50 Hz
Hardware configuration
The HP IndiChrome ink mixing system contains the following hardware components:
z
Spectrophotometer
The spectrophotometer measures colors. It is connected to a serial port on the
computer.
Second
plug
AC/DC
adapter
cord jack
AC/DC
adapter
Serial port
adapter
Main
connector
Spectrophotometer
Spectrophotometer components
z
Crimper
The crimper seals the receiving can with a valve.
Lever
Power
cord
Calibration
reference
base
Series 3000/4000/5000 and
UltraStream-based level
Series 1000/2000,
TurboStream-based, and
Sun computer-based level
ENWW
Allen screw
Ink can
Crimper
Round
can base
Crimper
Hardware configuration 11
Dispensing unit
z
The dispensing unit dispenses basic inks into a receiving can.
Dispensing
unit
Coarse button
Fine button
Dispensing unit
z
Shaker
The shaker thoroughly mixes the prepared custom ink can.
Safety
cover
Timer
knob
Shaker
Plate
adjusting
handle
Upper plate
Shaker
plates
12 Chapter 1 Introduction
ENWW
z
Air compressor
The air compressor is used for operating the dispensing unit.
Air inlet
Air filter
On/off
switch
European air compressor
Air inlet
Air filter
On/off
switch
Outlet
pressure
gauge
Air valve
Outlet
pressure
knob
Air outlet
Outlet
pressure
gauge
Air valve
Outlet
pressure
knob
Air outlet
USA / Japanese air compressor
Note The label on the on/off switch shows 250VAC. This value refers to the switch only and indicates
the upper limit of the supplied voltage.
ENWW
Hardware configuration 13
Consumables
The following is a list of consumables that you can order from HP Indigo as the need
arises.
For Series 1000/2000 presses, Indigo TurboStream-based presses,
and Indigo Sun computer-based presses
Item Code Catalogue number Contents
HP ElectroInk:
Yellow Y MPS-2134-42 10 cans
Magenta M MPS-2133-42 10 cans
Cyan C MPS-2132-42 10 cans
Black K MPS-2131-42 10 cans
Orange 003 O MPS-2401-42 10 cans
Violet 065 V MPS-2465-42 10 cans
Bright Yellow 060 BY MPS-2460-42 10 cans
Blue 013 B MPS-2403-42 10 cans
Green 011 G MPS-2428-42 10 cans
Rhodamine 050 Rh MPS-2450-42 10 cans
Transparent 025 T MPS-2425-42 10 cans
Startup kit MKT-0510-41 Mixed cans (2) - MKT-0511-41
Empty cans (1) - MKT-0512-41
Mixed cans X MKT-0511-41 10 cans (O, V, BY, B, G, Rh, T, and
three empty cans)
Empty cans E MKT-0512-41 10 cans
14 Chapter 1 Introduction
ENWW
For Series 5000 presses
Item Code Catalogue number Contents
Filter (for external filter kit) MFL-1901-01
HP ElectroInk:
Yellow Y Q4015A 10 cans
Magenta M Q4014A 10 cans
Cyan C Q4013A 10 cans
Black K Q4012A 10 cans
Orange 070 O Q4003A 10 cans
Violet 071 V Q4004A 10 cans
Bright Yellow 074 BY Q4007A 10 cans
Reflex Blue 075 RB Q4008A 10 cans
Green 072 G Q4005A 10 cans
Rhodamine 073 Rh Q4006A 10 cans
Transparent 076 T Q4009A 10 cans
Startup kit MKT-0510-51 Mixed cans (2) - MKT-0511-51
Empty cans (1) - MKT-0512-51
Mixed cans X MKT-0511-51 10 cans (O, V, BY, RB, G, Rh, T,
and three empty cans)
Empty cans E MKT-0512-51 10 cans
ENWW
Consumables 15
For Series 3000/4000 presses and Indigo UltraStream-based presses
Item Code Catalogue number Contents
Filter (for external filter kit) MFL-1901-01
HP ElectroInk:
Yellow Y MPS-3134-43 10 cans
Magenta M MPS-3133-43 10 cans
Cyan C MPS-3132-43 10 cans
Black K MPS-3131-43 10 cans
Orange 070 O MPS-3135-43 10 cans
Violet 071 V MPS-3136-43 10 cans
Bright Yellow 074 BY MPS-3123-43 10 cans
Reflex Blue 075 RB MPS-3124-43 10 cans
Green 072 G MPS-3121-43 10 cans
Rhodamine 073 Rh MPS-3122-43 10 cans
Transparent 076 T MPS-3125-43 10 cans
Startup kit MKT-0510-51 Mixed cans (2) - MKT-0511-51
Empty cans (1) - MKT-0512-51
Mixed cans X MKT-0511-51 10 cans (O, V, BY, RB, G, Rh, T,
and three empty cans)
Empty cans E MKT-0512-51 10 cans
16 Chapter 1 Introduction
ENWW
Important system information and limitations
z
The following procedures take some time to accomplish:
• Cleaning and preparing the ink tank may take between 40 and 60 minutes. You can
save 20 minutes on the Series 3000/4000/5000 or UltraStream-based press if you
use a replacement BID, ink pump, and ink tank.
• Ink formulation may take between 30 minutes (for one step) and 100 minutes (for
three to four steps).
z
Color accuracy:
• Gamut: In some cases, the target color may be outside the gamut of the
HP IndiChrome ink mixing system. This situation is characterized by having the
predicted best mix color differ from the target by a ∆E*
situation, the software guides you to achieve the mix that best resembles the target
color, regardless of what the predicted ∆E*
• Gloss: When the gloss of the target color sample is substantially different from the
printed color, it may be difficult to visually compare the two colors. For a glossier
target you can overcoat or laminate the printed sample with a glossy substance
before the comparison. You can even manually apply some imaging oil onto the
surface of the color to get the required temporary increase of the gloss or laminate
the sample with a transparent glossy scotch tape.
• Grey shades: In Sun computer-based presses with off-line densitometers, the LUT
of the custom color is the same as the LUT of Black. Therefore, the color shades
may not appear as linear as they should be.
• Double print: The HP IndiChrome ink mixing system software may suggest that
you formulate the ink for double printing. This occurs when the best mix color in
single print is not bright enough. If you print the separation of such ink twice, the
solid color effect is accurate but the color shades are not. Therefore, double print
should be used for printing solids only. If you double print shades, they are not
linear.
• Hot lamination: The printed colors may change during hot lamination, which may
be required when preparing PVC cards.
z
Mixing procedure:
• Ineffective mix: Some of the fix corrections may not improve the color. This reflects
the statistical nature of the corrective algorithm. In such cases, you may still expect
improvement of the color in successive corrections.
• Inaccurate mix: The color of the actual mix usually differs from the target color
more than the software prediction shows. This is mainly because of minute
contamination in the ink tank, inaccurate dispensing of the basic inks into the mix
can, and specific characteristics of the substrate in the print run. This is especially
true with colors that are outside the gamut.
• Precision in color adjustment: During the ink formulation stage, you are instructed
to correct the color by printing again with a modified optical density (OD) value.
Because of the limited precision of the color adjustment procedure, this instruction
may be repeated until the OD, as read by the spectrophotometer, is as required.
• Resending the ink parameter file: Do not send the ink parameter file to the press
more than once. If for some reason this has been done, you should use a first can
for recalibrating the ink density sensor.
94
is.
of more than zero. In this
94
ENWW
Important system information and limitations 17
Resources:
z
• Initial ink amount: The amount of concentrated ink in the ink tank dispersion is
equivalent to almost one can. In order to print the job, you should prepare and
install at least one additional can. The weight of the ink in the can may be as small
as required for the print run. You must prepare at least one can of ink even if the
printing job consumes much less.
• Getting acquainted: To correctly operate the ink mixing system and take advantage
of its full range of features, experience and familiarity with the system is essential.
z
The following phenomena are caused by using Rhodamine ink:
• It causes the color of the squeegee (in Series 1000/2000, TurboStream-based, and
Sun computer-based presses) and the color of the developer (in Series
3000/4000/5000 and UltraStream-based presses) to change to yellow. However,
no deterioration of any other characteristics of the squeegee or developer is
expected.
• It causes an excess of particle residue to be found in the separator clean liquid and
on the blanket background.
Under normal circumstances, no degradation of print quality or machine reliability
is expected. When printing more than 1,000 pages with Rhodamine as one of the
separations or when printing with an ink mix containing a large percentage of
Rhodamine, slight contamination of other inks may occur. The expected color
shift will not be larger than ∆E*
94
= 1.5.
18 Chapter 1 Introduction
ENWW
Safety and environment
2
considerations
This chapter contains the following sections:
z
General warning
z
Warning signs
z
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
z
Preventing eye irritation
z
Electrical safety precautions
z
Emergency power cutoff
z
Flammable liquids and fumes
z
Handling and storing imaging oil and inks
z
Waste disposal
EN
19
General warning
WARNING! The HP IndiChrome ink mixing system should be operated only by personnel who have been
trained by an HP Indigo customer engineer. Operators should read and understand all operating
safety procedures presented here before attempting to use the system. Service and repairs
should be referred to an authorized customer engineer. Do not allow untrained personnel to
operate the HP IndiChrome ink mixing system. Follow the procedures properly at all times.
WARNING! If you have any questions regarding safe operation of the ink mixing system, cease operation
and contact HP Indigo.
Warning signs
Warning signs that clearly emphasize the dangers involved in operating and maintaining
the HP IndiChrome ink mixing system should be posted at the site.
The following texts are recommended:
z
To be operated by certified operators only.
z
Do not wear ties or other loose clothing or loose jewelry when operating and
maintaining the unit.
z
No smoking, open flames, or sources of ignition allowed!
z
Verify that the room is properly ventilated at all times.
z
Keep hands away from moving machine parts.
z
Ink and imaging oil are irritating to eyes and skin. Use rubber gloves.
z
Read and understand the MSDS sheets for the consumables used with the machine.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are supplied for different HP ElectroInk colors and
the imaging oil.
You should keep the MSDS sheets that are supplied with the unit readily available in the
work area. These should be kept in a plastic folder for protection. The MSDS sheets
should be read, understood, and consulted for a full understanding of the consumables
being used with the machine.
20 Chapter 2 Safety and environment considerations
EN
Preventing eye irritation
The HP IndiChrome ink mixing system uses inks and imaging oil that may irritate the skin
and eyes. In extreme cases of exposure, these substances may cause blindness.
As a precaution:
z
Wear protective eye covering. This is of particular importance during the custom ink
preparation.
z
Install eye wash stations within 7.6 m (25 ft) of areas where the ink and imaging oil
are handled, dispensed, or stored.
z
Provide eye wash liquid at the eye wash stations (available from most safety supply
companies) to comply with ANSI standard Z358.1-1990.
Electrical safety precautions
z
The shaker must be properly grounded at all times. Before operating the unit, ensure
that it is grounded in conformance with applicable electrical code standards for your
country/region. Do not operate the shaker if it is not properly grounded. If in doubt,
check with a licensed electrician or with your local HP Indigo office.
z
We recommend that you perform a weekly check of grounding cables.
Emergency power cutoff
Use one of the following methods to cut off power to the shaker in an emergency:
z
Pull the electric plug out of the wall.
z
Turn the timer to zero.
Flammable liquids and fumes
The HP IndiChrome ink mixing system uses flammable imaging oil. The following safety
procedures should be used when working with this substance:
z
Operate the unit in a well-ventilated room.
z
Do not smoke or introduce external sources of ignition such as pilot lights, open
flames, stoves, heaters, or halogen lights.
z
Avoid creating sparks (static, electrical, or mechanical) or introducing any
spark-producing equipment within 7.6 m (25 ft) of the system.
z
Clean up spills immediately after they occur and dispose of soaked cleaning materials
promptly in a covered waste bin.
EN
Preventing eye irritation 21
Handling and storing imaging oil and inks
z
To avoid fire or explosion, store imaging oil and inks in a fireproof cabinet or in a
special combustible-liquids storage room. Only trained personnel should handle
imaging oil and inks. Refer to your local combustible material handling regulations.
z
When handling imaging oil and inks, wear safety glasses with side shields,
long-sleeved overalls, and protective gloves as indicated on the Material Safety Data
Sheets.
z
Do not drink or otherwise ingest imaging oil or inks.
Waste disposal
During the operation of the HP IndiChrome ink mixing system, you use consumables that
should be disposed of properly. Consult your local authorities to determine the correct
manner in which to dispose of the following wastes:
z
imaging oil and ink
z
spent ink cans
z
empty imaging oil containers
22 Chapter 2 Safety and environment considerations
EN
3
Getting started
This chapter contains the following sections:
z
Overview
z
Detailed Automatic Workflow
z
Starting the ink mixing system (IMS) software
z
HP IndiChrome Wizard
z
To ol ba r
z
Exiting the IMS software
ENWW
23
Overview
The HP IndiChrome Ink Mixing System (IMS) provides the following methods of
determining the ink weights required for producing a required color:
z
Automatic
z
Manual
z
Ready Mix
The Automatic method flow chart is displayed below.
INK FORMULATION
Prepare and test
first can
PRODUCTION
Prepare additional
cans
Prepare the RIP
for the digital print
Improve color by
changing OD
Change OD
spec value
Is color OK?
No
Improve color
with fix can
Prepare and test
fix can
Yes
Improve color with
new first can
Prepare and test
new first can
Ink formulation and production flow chart
In the Automatic method, you use the HP IndiChrome Ink Mixing System to prepare a
custom ink as follows:
1 Ink formulation:
a Determine (through measurement or PANTONE
®
color selection) the target color.
b Set the color match parameters (for example, substrate glossiness and type).
c Send the ink definition file to the HP Indigo press.
d Prepare and test a first can.
24 Chapter 3 Getting started
ENWW
e If you are satisfied with the color, proceed to step 2 (Production).
If you are not satisfied with the color, the HP IndiChrome Ink Mixing System will
recommend improving the color in one of the following ways:
- If the color in the ink tank can be improved by adding a slightly different custom
ink, prepare and test a fix can.
- If the color in the tank cannot be improved by a fix can, prepare and test a new
first can.
- Changing the optical density at the press.
The HP IndiChrome Ink Mixing System repeats this step until you are satisfied with
the color.
2 Production: Prepare additional cans, prepare the press for printing with the custom
ink, and prepare the RIP (if necessary) to accept a print file with special colors.
In the Manual method, the HP IndiChrome Ink Mixing System does not determination the
ink weights. Thus the only possibility for correcting a color is through a fix can where the
ink weights used in the fix can is determined by the person preparing the color.
Note Once the Manual method is entered, there is no return to the Automatic (or Ready Mix) method.
In the Ready Mix method, the work in determining specific colors accurately has already
been done. Prepare a first can to calibrate the press and prepare additional cans for
production.
Note If you are not satisfied with the results of a Ready Mix color, you can change (fix) the color using
the Manual method.
ENWW
Overview 25
Detailed Automatic Workflow
Note The detailed workflows for the Ready Mix and Manual methods are found on pages 67 and 70
respectively.
Reference the detailed flowchart only after reading the detailed instructions in this user
guide at least once.
INK FORMULATION PRODUCTION
Prepare additional cans
·
Prepare the first can
·
Determine the target color and substrat e type
·
Set the IMS color mixi ng parameters
·
Send/save the ink definition file to the pr ess
·
Mix the ink
Prepare the basic inks
Dispense the ingredients
Seal and shake the can
·
Prepare the press for test printing
Transfer the ink definition file
Clean the ink system
Assign ink parameters to the target ink tank
Add imaging oil
Add ink
Perform flush
Calibrate the ink density sensor
Specify the can capacity
·
Dispense the ingredients
·
Seal and shake the can
Prepare the press for printing with
the custom ink
·
Clean the ink system
·
Assign ink parameters to the t arget ink
tank
·
Change the OD spec value
·
Calibrate the ink density sensor
·
Perform color adjustment
·
Print and compare the printed color to the expecte d color
Perform color adjustment
Select the sample print for comparison
Visually inspect the printed color
colors match?
No
Spectrophotometric compari son of
the printed color
colors match?
No
Improve color
by changing OD
Change the OD
spec value
Prepare a fix can
·
·
Yes
Yes
Improve color
Mix the ink
Prepare the basic inks
Dispense the ingredients
Seal and shake the can
Prepare the press for test printing
Add ink
Perform flush
·
Conclude
ink
formulation
with fix can
Prepare the RIP for the digital print
Save the used custom ink
Improve color with
new first can
Prepare a new first can
·
Mix the ink
Prepare the basic inks
Dispense the ingredients
Seal and shake the can
·
Prepare the press for test printing
Remove the previous ink
Add imaging oil
Add ink
Perform flush
Calibrate the ink density sensor
Detailed Automatic ink formulation and production flow chart
26 Chapter 3 Getting started
ENWW
Starting the ink mixing system (IMS) software
To start the IMS software, double-click the Indimix V5.5 icon.
The following window appears:
hp IndiChrome window
The hp IndiChrome Wizard window is open when the IMS software starts.
Note If the X-Rite densitometer is not connected properly, a message appears informing you to
connect the densitometer, and restart the IMS software.
ENWW
Starting the ink mixing system (IMS) software 27
HP IndiChrome Wizard
The hp IndiChrome Wizard window provides access to the ink mixing procedure options
of the IMS software. It is especially useful when learning the MS software and to ensure
that the correct method is used for each ink mixing option.
hp IndiChrome Wizard window
The hp IndiChrome Wizard window opens when IMS software starts.
Toolbar
To open the hp IndiChrome Wizard window at other times, click the button.
The following ink mixing procedures are available:
z
Choosing a PANTONE® color (see page 37)
z
Ready Mix Colors (see page 64)
z
My Colors (see page 68)
z
Manual Color Mixing (see page 69)
z
Custom Color (see page 71)
The following buttons are available on the IMS Toolbar:
IMS Toolbar Buttons
Button Meaning Details
Open the hp IndiChrome wizard See "HP IndiChrome Wizard" on page 28.
28 Chapter 3 Getting started
Start a new color See "Measuring the color directly" on page 72.
Load a Ready Mix color See "Ready Mix colors" on page 64.
®
Choose a PANTONE
color See "Selecting a PANTONE® color" on page 37.
ENWW
Button Meaning Details
Access the color environments
previously defined
Save the color environment See "Saving the color’s workspace" on page 44.
Print the 2D color environment See "Printing the color workspace details" on
Set the color matching
parameters
Set the thickness of the ink
layer
Display a summary of the color
information
Save the ink definition file See "Save the Ink Definition file" on page 43.
Checks for better results with
different illuminants
See "Continuing work on a previously defined
mix color" on page 68.
page 77.
See "Color matching parameters" on page 78.
See "Ink print thickness" on page 79.
See "Color information summary" on page 80.
See "Improving visual match by changing
illuminant" on page 58.
Set the axis range displayed in
the 2D color space
Show/Hide the ink mix details
panel
Display the 3D color space See "View the 3D color space" on page 82.
Display the help topics See "Online help" on page 90.
Program update See "Program updates" on page 90.
See "Zoom by changing axes values" on page
81.
See "Increase/decrease view of 2D color space"
on page 80.
ENWW
Toolbar 29
Loading...