Equipment Performance Flashcards
7 cards from real GMI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Equipment Performance flashcards as text
In web offset printing, 'web tension' must be carefully controlled because:
Answer: Improper tension causes misregister, web breaks, or wrinkles
Incorrect web tension can cause the paper to stretch unevenly, leading to misregistration, wrinkles, or catastrophic web breaks that halt production.
What is the purpose of a 'slur gauge' (or slur control target) on a press sheet?
Answer: To detect and quantify mechanical slurring of halftone dots
A slur gauge contains fine line targets that visibly smear or fill in when mechanical slurring (smearing of dots in the direction of press travel) occurs.
Which factor most directly affects the 'tack' of offset printing ink?
Answer: Ink film temperature and rheological properties
Ink tack is determined by the ink's internal cohesive forces, which are strongly influenced by temperature and the ink's rheological (flow) properties.
In digital printing with electrophotographic (laser/toner) engines, 'fusing' accomplishes what step in the process?
Answer: Permanently bonds toner particles to the substrate using heat and pressure
Fusing uses heat and pressure to melt toner particles and permanently bond them to the substrate, completing the electrophotographic print cycle.
When evaluating press performance using a GATF/RIT Compact Color Test Strip, the trap reading indicates:
Answer: How well a second ink layer adheres over a previously printed ink
Trapping measures how well a wet ink layer prints over another wet or dry ink, with good trapping indicating proper adhesion between ink layers.
A CTP (Computer-to-Plate) system's 'resolution' specification, measured in pixels per inch (ppi) or lines per millimeter, directly impacts:
Answer: The sharpness and quality of fine halftone dots and line work on the plate
Higher CTP resolution allows finer, more accurate reproduction of halftone dots and fine details, directly affecting print quality on press.
Press 'makeready' time is an important performance metric because:
Answer: It determines how quickly a press transitions from setup to producing sellable sheets, affecting cost efficiency
Makeready time is the non-productive time spent setting up the press; minimizing it directly increases press utilization and reduces cost per job.