| To
assure that the chemistry photographic process in your minilab
is operating consistently , this web pages will help you in
a step-by-step approach to answer your questions about photo
color process monitoring . |
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Process
monitoring is a means of consistently obtaining the best photographic
quality with the minimum of waste and cost. This information describes
the basic principles of color process monitoring. It will tell you
:
- why you should monitor your process
- how a color process works
- what is a well controlled process
- how a process is monitored
- what equipment and material are
needed
- what causes process changes
- what can be done about an out-of-control
process
- what control procedures are available
WHY
SHOULD YOU MONITOR YOUR PROCESS ?
- Less waste
- Less downtime
- Increased productivity
- Greater profit.
Good and consistent quality is good
business. It means satisfied customers because they receive good
results from their film which in turn means new and repeat business.
Quality photographic processing depends on meeting and maintaining
process and product standards. This is done by following the manufacturer's
processing and printing recommendations and by monitoring your process.
Process monitoring enables you to assure that your process is operating
consistently within tolerances that yield quality negatives, transparencies,
and prints. When this is done, waste is lowered, downtime avoided,
and customer satisfaction, employee productivity, and profits are
increased.
HOW
DOES A COLOR PROCESS WORK ?
White light is made up of varying amounts of red, green, and blue
light. Color films and papers are able to record all the colors
of a scene because they have separate layers, each sensitive to
one of these colors. Chemical reactions during the color process
produce dyes which form the color image. Depending on the process,
a negative or a positive image is produced. All conventional color
processes require a development, a bleaching, and a fixing stage.
A reversal process also requires reversal and second developer stages.
Because a color emulsion and process is more complex than black-and-white,
it is more sensitive and requires careful monitoring to maintain
a well-controlled process.
WHAT
CAUSES PROCESS CHANGES ?
The aim of process control is to match the process with a standard
and then minimize changes from that standard. Process changes can
result whenever process recommendations are not followed for items
such as:
WHAT IS A WELL-CONTROLLED PROCESS ?
A well-controlled process
will consistently produce a finished product which has:
correct overall density
color balance that yields good flesh tones and neutral grays
contrast matched in all three colors and of the correct level to
reproduce detail at all density levels
highlight areas with clean whites and good detail
shadow areas with proper color balance and with sufficient density
and detail
minimum fog or stain level
saturated colors
In addition, a well-controlled process is stable and repeatable
within the limits of normal process variability and meets the process
aim. In terms of the method explained in this publication, a well
controlled process will consistently plot within the established
control limits when plotted against the aim values.
HOW
IS A COLOR PROCESS IN A MINILAB MONITORED ?
Process monitoring is a method for regularly checking the condition
of your film and paper process to assure that it is operating according
to a standard. It also helps prevent losses by detecting potential
problems. Your process is monitored by comparing a control strip
processed by you with a reference strip which was pre-processed
under controlled, standard conditions. By monitoring your process
you can detect a problem and analyze its cause. This system works
well with any size or type of processor. Process monitoring will
give you this important information:
You process a control strip and compare it to a reference strip
of the same code number, preprocessed under standard conditions.
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