Vancouver lithographer Metropolitan Fine Printers has a new toy – and I like it.
Imagine being able to pick out bad sheets as they are printed and guarantee that your customers only ever receive the highest quality product? asks Man Roland’s website.
Well, Met’s new toy does just that.
This new optical technology called “Eagle Eye” – originally developed for military purposes – is essentially a computer controlled digital camera with a super fast processor that keeps watch on every single press sheet passing under it’s gaze from its perch above the press, analyzing and comparing it to an image of the reference sheet approved by the client.
Sometimes sheets travel as fast as four sheets per second, so this is one friggin’ fast camera! If an error such as mis-registration, a hickey, or broken type occur, the device sets off an audible alarm, marks the sheet and records the exact sheet so the pressman can check the problem and make any required adjustments.
Jeez, back when I ran a printing press we had to use our own eyes for stuff like this (and we missed a lot of stuff) and picked hickies with our thumbs and some spit. Ahh, the good old days.
Here’s some reading on this technology for all you print nerds.
