MICROCOLOR CONSOLE ZONE TO INK KEY INTERPOLATION

In order to adjust the ink fountains using the Microcolor console, the plate or printed
sheet is positioned centered over the active zone buttons on the console. The operator
determines where across the printed sheet ink settings need to be changed. This change
is accomplished by using the zone buttons on the console that are directly below the area
to be changed. These zone buttons increase or decrease the zone settings for each
particular zone.

For most Microcolor consoles, the zones are spaced on 32.5mm centers. For presses
that have keys spaced at other than 32.5mm, the Microcolor system software determines
which ink keys have to be adjusted to achieve the changes indicated by the zones. In the
cases where the ink keys do not line up directly with the zone buttons, a change to one
zone will likely cause more than one key to be adjusted. The end result will be an ink
profile on the fountain roller that matches the ink profile set on the console.

The number of active zones on the console will be larger than the number of ink keys
when the key spacing is larger than the zone spacing. The number of active zones on
the console will be smaller than the number of ink keys when the key spacing is smaller
than the zone spacing. The result is that the width of all the active zones matches the
print width of the press.






Zone-key.doc
Jerry Funderburgh
6/15/98