Process Control and Documentation 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 Process Control and Documentation flashcards as text
In digital prepress, what is the purpose of a preflight check before sending files to production?
Answer: To verify that all file elements meet production specifications before costly errors occur
Preflight checks verify fonts, image resolution, color modes, bleed, and other specifications to catch errors before they reach RIP or platesetting.
What is total ink coverage (TIC) and why is it controlled in offset printing?
Answer: The sum of CMYK ink percentages at any point; controlled to prevent ink trapping problems and drying issues
TIC (also called TAC—total area coverage) is the sum of all ink percentages; exceeding limits causes wet trapping failure, slow drying, and set-off on the next sheet.
A non-conformance report (NCR) in a print quality system is used to:
Answer: Document and track products or processes that fail to meet specifications
An NCR formally documents a quality failure, triggers root cause investigation, and tracks corrective action to prevent recurrence.
In process color printing, ink sequence (print order) affects the final color result primarily because:
Answer: Wet ink trapping efficiency varies—inks printed wet-on-wet trap differently depending on the order
Wet ink trapping is better onto tacky inks; conventional offset typically prints in KCMY or CYMK sequence to optimize overprint density and color accuracy.
Which document defines the agreed-upon print specifications between a print buyer and print supplier?
Answer: A print specification or job specification sheet signed by both parties
A print specification sheet (sometimes part of the contract) formally establishes substrate, colorimetric targets, tolerances, and delivery requirements agreed upon by buyer and supplier.
What is the significance of ΔE (Delta-E) in print quality control?
Answer: It quantifies the colorimetric difference between a target color and a measured color
ΔE is a single numeric value representing the perceptual color difference between a target and a measurement; ISO 12647-2 specifies allowable ΔE tolerances for solid primaries.
In a color-managed workflow, what is the role of a rendering intent?
Answer: It defines how out-of-gamut colors are mapped when converting between ICC profiles
Rendering intents (Perceptual, Relative Colorimetric, Saturation, Absolute Colorimetric) determine the mathematical strategy for handling colors that fall outside the destination gamut.