Hi Joe.
4 things you have to check/consider:
1; You have to create a Custom Paper Profile for the plates. Enhanced Matte Posterboard is approx 2 times as thick as your polymerplate. It is very important to print the test for Feed Adjustment - do that on the backside of an old plate - that will give you the right plate thickness - it will be much easier to read on the steel instead of the polymer - and it will save you an expensive plate. And you can easily remove the ink from the steelside and do it again if needed.
2: Your plates must be 100% ?flat - not curved or bend in any way- the same goes with the edges of the plate - no curly edges or corners.?
3: There must be no curves when the plates goes in or out of the printer - in the old days I had the Epson 4900 which I made support tables for in both ends of the printer - just 2 smooth plates mounted with 4 short adjustable IKEA legs - easy to make and level up and down. Now I use a P9000 with ramps mounted on top and buttom to make the plates go in a straight line all the way from loading to removing.
4: I have also had a lot of fun with the "Golden Plates" ?- the ones I had was Jet Letterpress. Some batches was OK and some batches had lines, stripes and/or noise. I could after to many tests hear from the cracking sound when I removed the cover film, if it was a good or a bad plate. All golden plates sucks - use another kind...
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