HEATH CUSTOM PRESS MICR-Line LASER PLATES
STORAGE & HANDLING
Storage
• Store MICR-Line™ plates flat, in the original bag, and in a clean, dry location out of direct light.
Avoid Random Imaging
• When handling laser plates, avoid dust, oils, fingerprints, etc. Wearing disposable gloves is
recommended. When removing a sheet from the polyethylene wrap, retain protective paper
sheets on top and bottom of the stack to prevent polyethylene oils from transferring to plates.
Trimming
• If trimming MICR-Line™ plate to size, back trim the leading edge going into the laser printer.
Punching
• Punch the plate after imaging to avoid toner scatter and random imaging and also to prevent
damage to the laser printer drum.
• If using Reinforcing Strips, apply strips to plate before punching.
IMAGING EQUIPMENT
Maintenance
• Regular cleaning of the laser printer or copier will help ensure a clean image on the plate by
preventing toner particles from falling onto the plate or being deposited onto internal rollers.
• Store the printer in an area free of airborne particles, such as in a plate room or office.
• For optimum results, dedicate
a laser printer exclusively to imaging laser plates.
Toner Density
• Toner density should be at the lowest setting, then increased one position at a time as necessary.
A low density setting will reduce background imaging caused by toner scatter and improve image
fusing.
• Printing the image on 10 to 15 sheets of paper on the lowest setting will clear excess toner, which
could cause toner scatter and random imaging.
• To minimize toner buildup inside the printer and to reduce toner scatter, maintain the lowest
possible setting for all printing.
Resolution
• 600 DPI is adequate for text and line art, however, imaging at 1200 DPI results in increased fusing
temperatures and longer run lengths.
• 1200 DPI or higher is best for halftone images.
Page/Print Setup
• Select correct paper setting in page setup menu (refer to the laser printer user manual).
• Set page size in the page setup menu to be as large as or larger than the laser plate.
• Use the laser printer's manual feed tray and rear exit, if available, to minimize bending of the plate.
Product Suggestions
• The HP LaserJet 5000/5100 series printer produces the best results. Other high resolution, dry
toner laser printers (such as Xanté Plate Maker 1 and 2) can produce quality results.
• High quality copiers may be used for some short-run print jobs.
