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Best Practice

in Photo toolingEric Janssens Februari 2016

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: Darkroom light (level and colour)• Plot a test film with a fine line pattern.

• Place the test film, unprocessed and emulsion up, on the

darkroom worktop

• Put a piece of solid black film on top of the test film

• Retract the top film every 5 minutes 5 cm

• Process the test film after 30 min

- The darkroom illumination will affect the plotted image

- The lines will become wider

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: : Darkroom light (level and colour)

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: : Darkroom light (level and colour)

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: : Darkroom light (level and colour)

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: : Darkroom light (level and colour)• Measure the line width and detremine the time untill

the line width growth is acceptable

• Make sure the films are never for longer then that

time exposed to the darkroom light

• When the save time is to short reduce the darkroom

illumination level

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: Temperature and humidity

• Control and monitor the temperature everywhere the film is

• Control and monitor the relative humidity everywhere the film is

• Check and calibrate the measuring equipment

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: : The plotter

• See instructions of the plotter manufacturer• Check light intensity

- Run a power series and look for best line width fit: horizontal and vertical positive and negative

- Check Dmax• Check mechanical damage• Check for stray light

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: : The processor

• See instructions of the processor manufacturer• Check parameter (temperature, speed, replenishment)• Check mechanical damaging• Check for stray light• Check for water on the feed in table• Check for algae• Check for air under the rollers• Implement cleaning program• Use filtered water (dilution and wash)

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: : The processor

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Set up: : The clean room

• Ban paper and cardboard (paper is compressed dust)• Enforce discipline• Limit access of people and materials• Avoid transport from one compartment to another

(install hatch)• No cutting or punching of film in the clean room• No knives, no scissors, no nail files, no pencils• No posters, no photos, no radio• Use clean room certified tools and equipment• Control and monitor the dust level everywhere the film is

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: Storage

• Check material upon receipt (correct product, transport damage,…)

• Check expire date (implement FiFo system)• Store in shipping packaging• Store horizontally• Limit stack height• Advised temperature: room temperature

never below 0 °C, never above 40 °C• Advised relative humidity: 50 %, not condensing

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: Unpacking and acclimatising

• Open shipping carton in grey area and remove it• Open cardboard packaging in grey area and remove it• Open the shrink foil gently and remove it

(don’t crumple up)• Pass inner packaging into plotter room• Store one pack only on perforated shelves• Acclimatise to plotter room conditions

for at least 8 hours

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: Load the plotter

• See instructions of the plotter manufacturer• Open the inner packaging• Remove top PP sheet• Load the plotter with as many sheets

as you can safely handle Distinguish emulsion side from back

• Store the remaining sheets in a film safe(re-use inner label)

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: Unloading the plotter, processing and acclimatization

• See instructions of the plotter manufacturer• See instructions of the processor manufacturer• Respect emulsion up / under• Advice: use on line unloading• Do not use hardner• Acclimatise each side of the phototool

for at least 10 minutes

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: Phototool check

• Line width, line sharpness,• Dmax, D min,• dimensional stability,• pin holes,• scratches,• dust contamination

Best Practice in Phototooling

100 µm lines & spaces

Neg

ativ

eP

ositi

ve

3 cm

2 cm

Horizontal Vertical

Best Practice in Phototooling

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: Printing

• See instruction of the printer manufacture• The use of (dust free) gloves is advised• Avoid scratching the phototool while mounting• Avoid scratching the phototool while printing• Clean the film as often as necessary

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: Film handling in general

• The use of (dust free) gloves is advised• Avoid stray light• Never fold or wind film• Avoid mechanical pressure• Develop film immediately after plotting• Respect acclimatization rules• Use humidity tight envelopes• Clean the film as often as necessary• Clothing rules

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: In the clean room

• No paper or cardboard (paper is compressed dust)• Clean feet• Dress correctly (overall, hair cap, overshoes, gloves)• Never ever enter the clean room wearing “outside”

clothing, not even for just a second• Never ever leave the cleanroom in clean room

clothing• No briefcases, no handbags• No food, no drinks, no smoking

Best Practice in Phototooling

� How to act: In the clean room

• Move slowly and as little as possible• Keep films in vertical position, use (humidity tight)

envelopes• Clean the film as often as needed• Implement cleaning program

- per batch, shift, day, week, month- what to clean, how to clean

• Replace mats in due time• Replace filters in due time

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Implement SPC program • Image quality: line width, line sharpness, Dmax,

Dmin, pin holes, scratches• Temperature and relative humidity (calibration

program)• Processor parameters: temperature, speed,

replenishment, circulation, algae• Dimensional stability• Cleaning program• Dust level• Printer temperature• Pressure over air filters, air flows• ….

Best Practice in Phototooling

� Implement a calibration program

• Thermometers• RH meters• Densitometer• …

Best Practice in Phototooling

Remember: as operator, you make the difference

Success