Linear and linearized plate

[mana]

What is the different between linear and linearized plate?.
Can any one explain about this?

[LoganBlade]

don't think any difference
it is a plate the reads a 10% dot = 10% dot every dot = wht it is supposed to be.

[David]

I believe you are considered "linear" if you have linearized your platesetter so that on output, your 25% screen is a 25% dot , your 50 is a 50, and your 75 is 75.


hope this helps,
David

[MarkTonk]

Here is a possibility,

A linear plate is a plate that, when properly exposed, the 50 is a 50 or close to it. The same would be up and down the scale

Linearized plate is a plate that when exposed correctly, the 50 is not a 50 but may be say a 46 and therefore the plate is linearized to make 50 a 50.

In either case, a process calibration curve maybe necessary to hit the required dot gain.

Regards,

Mark Tonkovich
Heidelberg USA
Product Manager, CtP & Proofing

[sydproblemsolver]

mana

Under what context do you mean linear?

As Mark explained a plate could be outputting a 50 dot as 46 therefore a calibration curve can be applied to make the dot 50 thus making your output linear.

Ive know of some people to put a curve on there plates to make the press linear, each bank can have different gains etc. Each colour on the plate can have a different value for a 50 dot but buy the time the paper is off the press all 50 dots are the same 60% or so with dot gain, thus making there press linear (dont recomend this but have seen it on older crappier presses).

[MarkTonk]

To take it a step further, outputting a linear plate where 50 = 50 most likely will print too open if dot gain on sheet is to be a typical 18 to 20% (sheefed, coated stock). The 50 may only equal 63 and would print too open. A process calibration curve with then be needed to bump the 50 to 68. The gain will vary depending on press, paper, inks, blankets, ect.

Regards,

Mark Tonkovich
Heidelberg USA
Product Manager, CtP & Proofing

[Twilight_Error]

When a plate manufacturer's tech guys are at my shop and ask me for a "linear plate", what they want is one with no curve applied to it.

[mtnman]

Yes, digital platesetters will produce less dot gain but rather than try to simulate the old dot gain from film and conventional plates we adjusted the inks on our press. The result is that we run more saturated color while still holding much better three quarter tone and shadow detail.

Mtnman

[happster]

Originally Posted by Twilight_Error

When a plate manufacturer's tech guys are at my shop and ask me for a "linear plate", what they want is one with no curve applied to it.

I call that a Raw plate.

[steveagfa]

mana:

As you can see, it depends on the context.

However, different plate technologies have different inherent responses.

Positive plates, in general - as in Agfa's case, LithoStar or ThermoStar/P970/Energy, tend to be linear in sensitivity
out of the box.

Negative plates, such as our Azura/Amigo plates, like a traditional
Kodak Gold plate, need about a 5% pull-back curve in the mid-tones
to bring the plate response to a linear state.

Negative photopolymer plates, like our N91V, tend to require even
greater curves to bring the response to a linear state. This is why
copy dots - 1-bit-TIFFs had/have a hard time with photopolymer.

Now, once you have your plate curve adjusted for the plate's inherent
character (linearized), then you can plot your swatches to confirm
that inddeed a 10% is 10% (on plate), etc.

I hope this helps;
perhaps this is a re-hash of what has already been said.